māmā.aloha.ʻāina

This week, kiaʻi (protectors) at Maunakea have stood in protection of her. In case you have not yet seen what has been happening at Maunakea, please go ahead and google or find updates to learn more.

I posted this on my personal facebook page, and wanted to share my manaʻo here.
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Fumbling to find the right words, but feel the need to share.

It is an understatement to say that these passed few days have been difficult. So many emotions. I also find myself fighting the urge to not feel validated in my feelings because I feel some what disconnected and my naʻau and being are with the kiaʻi at Maunakea while watching from Oʻahu. But really, comparing that “so and so” has it worse so I shouldn’t grumble doesn’t apply. All are valid.

It is astonishing, if that is even the right word, to watch things unfold through social media or however possible from Oʻahu. In a way, I am thankful for the live feeds, but it also seems that it kinda re-plays the trauma in watching the replays or seeing the shared videos, pictures, posts over and over again. And yet, this trauma is still on-going.

Part of me feels that this is “go” time, and at this point everyone has decided where they stand on this issue. Even indifference is a decision. But, perhaps this is not an accurate conclusion. Instead, I would like to invite all to continue to educate yourself on this issue and decide for yourself. Continue to follow along and watch as how the State of Hawaiʻi treats Hawaiʻi’s native peoples, Native Hawaiians. Side note–not all in opposition of the TMT are Native Hawaiian, btw. As you are doing this, I ask you consider the following:

– who does the TMT benefit?
– is it ok to develop and build a project at any cost?
– where is the value of Hawaiʻi’s indigenous people?
– where is the value of Hawaiʻi’s ʻike kūpuna (indigenous knowledge)?
– why did the Governor sign an emergency declaration when nothing but peaceful protests have occurred?
– how does TMT impact the health and well-being of Native Hawaiians?
– when is it ok to arrest kūpuna (elders) who are simply exercising their first amendment right?
– when is enough enough?

I also invite conversation and dialogue with those interested.

One thing that I was reminded of today was the importance to aloha kekahi i kekahi, love one another. Especially in these passed few days, I have been immersed in simultaneously trying to figure out what I can do to kākoʻo, caring for my babies, and buried in my phone with trying to keep up with updates and what is happening. I need to do better at this as I know I have been less than patient with my kids as I am trying to stay afloat with processing all that is going on. Even in this lesson, I can’t help but see parallels between how the State treats kūpuna and Native Hawaiians, and how it treats our sacred mauna, Maunakea. That is not how I treat my kūpuna, our ʻāīna.

As painful, sad, and the heavy feelings are overwhelming, I am also uplifted seeing the strength of our kiaʻi, our lāhui. I have always been proud to be Hawaiian, but this pride continues to swell within me this week. Mahalo to the kiaʻi, especially those on the front lines, and aloha nui.

I find strength from my kūpuna who signed the Kūʻē Petitions. I also find strength in wanting a better future for my keiki and future generations to come.

I’m not sure where to begin, but in case you are reading this and didn’t know, many of Hawaiʻi’s natural and cultural resources need our protection. In particular, there is a thirty-meter telescope (“TMT”) that just received a “notice to proceed” from the State of Hawaiʻi (“State”) to be built atop Maunakea, a sacred space for Hawaiʻi’s native people. With such strong opposition and turmoil against TMT being built on Maunakea, a simple solution is available since the Canary Islands has stated that it would accept TMT.

There is so much running through my mind while simultaneously trying to deal with the most recent events related to TMT. I think of my kūpuna who opposed the illegal annexation. I think of kūpuna who were scolded and banned from speaking ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi in schools. I think of my own ʻohana in just trying to make ends meet, while also wanting ʻāina to grow food to feed our growing babies. At the same time, I think of the many successes that we have fought hard for as a lāhui. I think of the laws that are in place to protect Hawaiʻi’s natural and cultural resources. But yet, in a way, a helpless feeling overcomes me in feeling like the rug is being pulled from under us.

A recent press conference that included the State’s Governor, an Attorney General, and other government officials, continues to baffle me. Many of those officials who spoke at this conference seemed to repeat some version of assurance regarding allowing protectors to continue to exercise their first amendment right, the right of speech. It was as if allowing the protectors to continue to exercise this first amendment right is enough. As if there is no violation of law because there is no infringement upon this first amendment right. Further, this baffles me because, my manaʻo is that these protectors are not merely on the mauna to hold signs and express their opposition to the TMT being built. They are there to be heard. They are demonstrating their opposition by using their bodies to stop construction of the TMT. Time and time again, at various hearings, people have shown up in masses to show their opposition to this project being built atop Maunakea. But yet, construction is set to begin next week.

Up until this point, I felt myself hold back with regards to Maunakea. I think I held back because I didn’t want to be seen as an extremist conspiracy theorist crazy person. I think I also held back because I remain hopeful that things would not get this far. However, due to recent events I feel encouraged to raise my voice and share my manaʻo.

With my educational background in public health and law, I especially focus in on what is happening with Maunakea as it impacts public health. My specific interests and work has been in Native Hawaiian health, but really what is good for Native Hawaiian health is generally good for the health of all.

For me it is quite simple: Maunakea is sacred, and continuing desecration atop Maunakea will result in perpetuating and increasing poor Native Hawaiian health outcomes. When people refer to TMT as genocide, it is because it is known that Maunakea is sacred to Native Hawaiians. It is known that relationship to ʻāina and cultural practices, to name a few, are Native Hawaiian determinants of health. These things are known, but yet the State and developers continue to bulldoze through to move forward with building TMT.

Cumulatively, I am left with the following as a result of events and actions that have taken place related to TMT:

• Hawaiians do not matter.
• The supposed benefits of building TMT outweighs all costs, not only monetary costs but also depletion of resources and people.
• Laws and process do not need to be followed by the State or developers.
• The State’s improper management of Maunakea and broken promises of just one telescope does not matter with regards to pushing TMT forward.
• Develop Hawaiʻi and deplete its resources.

As much as we are trying to heal and continue to make progress as a lāhui since the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom, TMT seems to be a current day event that will re-traumatize our people. The historical trauma continues. Can you imagine the impact this will have with TMT taking 10 years to be built? Can you imagine the impact this will have for our keiki?

The way things are currently headed is not the Hawaiʻi that I want for my keiki or future generations. I do not want my keiki to be pushed out of Hawaiʻi because of the lack of water. I envision a Hawaiʻi that values its natural and cultural resources, including its people. I envision a Hawaiʻi that is a leader for the world on sustainable living and adapting to a changing world, especially in light of climate change. I envision a Hawaiʻi WITHOUT TMT on Maunakea.

What future Hawaiʻi do you want for our keiki and future generations to come?

“E kolo ana no ke ēwe i ke ēwe“

“Of the same origin, kinfolk will seek and love each other.”

(Mary Kawena Pukuʻi, p. 39)

Diving deeper, and continuing to re-align, with part of what motivated me to start this blog, something else that I have been wanting to do is to get together with other wāhine, specifically Hawaiian mothers. I envision this group to be open to not only mothers, not only Hawaiian women, but that would be the majority of the group.

My oldest daughter is now six years old, and I still find myself wanting this type of group. More recently, I had an “AHA” moment where I think I found a common thread that could weave this all together.

I am interested in creating a space for Hawaiian moms to get together to discuss their multi-faceted lives, the multiple hats that they juggle, and everything else in between based on a cultural foundation. What cultural practices do you practice? How are we teaching our keiki our cultural practices? How has your cultural practice informed decisions in your career, or your daily life?

No laila, ʻauhea ʻoe e nā mākuahine?

(Therefore, where are these mothers?)

I hope that this space will foster important discussions that touches on many different issues of today, while also (re-)connecting us to our traditions, cultural practices, towards being our best as individuals and as a lāhui.

If you are interested, please send me your email address by commenting on this post. If you would like me to keep your identity private, let me know and I won’t publish your comment so that only I will see it.

Related to my previous post on my consulting business, I wanted to do a question and answer-type format post that would hopefully broaden the discussion in thinking more creatively and hopefully make more space for discussion and collaboration for possible solutions that push the envelope with thinking outside of the box.

And seriously, I want to hear from YOU! Comment, email, direct message me. What is your manaʻo? Let me know what you think! How can I serve you and/or your community?

These questions are common questions that I have received when I share about my budding consulting business and bridge that I hope to build to connect various pieces to move towards solutions.

Question: so what kind of consulting do you want to do?

Answer: Ultimately, I want to do consulting in the area of work that improves Native Hawaiian health. Looking at the various social determinants of health, the type of work that I’d like to do can be quite broad. Using my unique background in public health and law, I want to use these skills to improve Native Hawaiian health.

Question: what can a lawyer help a kalo farmer with?

Answer: From water rights to ensuring that they are paying their taxes correctly, there is quite a bit that a lawyer can do to support our kalo farmers and cultural practitioners. Thus far, it is has also been identified that there is an interest in writing a will to ensure that the farmer’s (or cultural practitioners alike) legacy is secured.

Question: preventative law? What is that?

Answer: my background in public health lends itself to be a compatible partner with law. Just as within a health context there is discussion of preventative health, I aim to practice preventative law. I do not see myself as a the type of attorney that is in court fighting cases. Instead, my goal is support resolution of potential issues before they reach the last resort of being battled out in the courtroom.

Question: so what about medical malpractice claims? Are you wanting to help people who got hurt working on the job?

Answer: No, I don’t anticipate doing much work in this area. Health is different than medicine. My goal is to improve Native Hawaiian health by lifting up and supporting many people and organizations already doing this type of work.

Question: have you done consulting work before?

Answer: Yes 🙂

Questions: so you’re interested in policy?

Answer: Yes, but I also recognize the importance of ensuring that policies are informed from the ground up. Communities have the answers and solutions. I see my role as ensuring that their voices are heard and represented at all levels, from an individual to a community to the policy/governmental level.

This logo was created with the help from my friend and former colleague, Randy Compton.

For over a year now, I have been working on this special project that has blossomed into an exciting opportunity for me to apply my strengths to serve my community.  I feel so fortunate and thankful to have had the experiences and opportunities that have brought me this far, and for the opportunity to dream.  How magical it is for me to culminate my prior work and educational experiences to be able to give back to those that have invested in me.

With the support of my ʻohana, prior employers, and colleagues,  I am honored to share that I have been in the process of building a consulting business.  My ultimate goal is to improve Native Hawaiian health through ʻāina justice and advocacy.  My vision is built upon my prior educational and work experiences.  Using my unique educational background in public health and law, I plan to lift up voices of cultural practitioners so that policies support, encourage, and add power to those actually doing the work on the ground.  It is important to me to not only serve individuals, but also at the community and policy levels as I know that change is needed at all levels.  Simultaneously, it is important that we not lose sight of the impacts of policies to a farmer or lomilomi practitioner.

I certainly don’t have all of the answers, but I know that I it has been over 30 years since the enactment of the Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act.  But yet Native Hawaiians continue to experience health disparities.  I hope to provide a unique perspective at the intersection of public health and law.

What this kind of work looks like varies based on the different client I may be working with.  A client may be an individual, a farmer, a cultural practitioner, or another consultant who I work with on a project.  Similarly, the needs of this type of individual client varies.  As an example, as this has already been identified and echoed, individuals are wanting assistance with setting up their business.  This is something that I could help with.

At the community level, I envision working with existing organizations that are already doing important work that touches Native Hawaiian social determinants of health–education, culture, health, just to name a few.  Commonly, it has been identified that there is no shortage of work that needs to be done.  However, there is often a shortage on personnel or capacity to complete a project or projects that an organization would like to do.  This is something that I could help with.

And lastly at the policy or governmental level, I see my role as being able to ensure that policymakers are well-informed and have a clear understanding of who their policies impact.  This is something that I can help with based on my experience with individual and community-level clients.

I am continuing to learn new things everyday as things continue to evolve.  This is critical to my success to be sure to provide and best serve my community.  With that said, how can I serve you or your community?

Have something that you need help with?  Have a project that you need done, but don’t have the personnel in-house?  Message me here and let’s get to work!