Shane-Justin Nuuhiwa Kamehameha Schools, 11th grade (Kapalama campus - Oahu)

Islands of Sustainability: The Way of Our K!puna

I "ina n# ka "ina i ke alii, a i waiwai n# ka "ina i ke kanaka. The land remains the land because of the chiefs, and prosperity comes to the land because of the common people. $lelo Noeau (Hawaiian Proverb)

Moolelo like the Kumulipo and W!kea and Papa teach K"naka Maoli, indigenous Hawaiians, that we belong to the land. It is our ongoing kuleana, a word denoting both privilege and responsibility, to continue the practices of our ancestors before we lose our heritage. Our k!puna, our ancestors, often speak of the kalo, or taro, as the source of life; it reminds us of our very beginnings. For countless generations, our k!puna recited the legend of H"loa-naka, the child of W"kea and Hoohoku-i-ka-lani. Born prematurely, the unformed fetus named H"loanaka was buried beside his parents house, and from his burial spot sprouted the first kalo. Today, K"naka Maoli strongly believe in the following #lelo noeau: I maikai ke kalo i ka oh". The goodness of the taro is judged by the young plant it produces (133:1232). In other words, we are the legacy left by our k!puna, and the ones who will leave a legacy of our own. Because of the strong ties K"naka Maoli have with the land, sustainability is vital to us, as it should be to all people of Hawaii. Hawaiis natural beauty is one of the primary reasons why visitors come to Hawaii. In pre-contact Hawaii, K"naka Maoli sustained Hawaiis beauty by using land divisions called moku which were further divided into ahapuaa. In N! Pua Alii O Kauai, Frederick B. Wichman describes k"lai moku, dividing of the island, as an important event occurring

immediately after the war of Ka-welewele-iwi (Stripping of Flesh from the Bones). Wichmans description of the alii ai mokus (chief who leads the land) contribution to each moku is as follows: Kauai was divided into six moku, which were governed by an alii ai moku[who] was responsible for the well-being of his district and for passing on to the alii nui (supreme ruler) the prescribed [information of that place] (53-54). In "lelo Noeau: Hawaiian Proverbs & Poetical Sayings, Mary Kawena Pukui writes, I "ina n# ka "ina i ke alii, a i waiwai n# ka "ina i ke kanakaChiefs are needed to hold the land, and commoners are needed to work the land (125:1149). Traditionally, K"naka Maoli learned to always work together, especially within individual moku. By uniting together, both within and between moku, K"naka Maoli were and will be able to sustain the lands that were once inhabited by our k!puna. Hawaii has a unique saying: P!p!kahi I Holomua which means Uniting to move forward. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperations (APEC) many contributions encompass that ideology of sustainable nations uniting to move forward as one. To ensure that all of APECs twenty-one nations can make substantial economic contributions to a larger collective economy, the past few years have been spent enhancing agricultural distribution and creating new biotechnology products. Because of their recent success, APEC created a new set of goals to help revolutionize the agricultural productivity and economic growth of the region while lessening the environmental impact of such productions. APECs Economic Vision Statement states that they are committed to protect[ing] the quality of our air, water and green spaces and manag[ing] our energy resources and renewable resources to ensure sustainable growth and provide a more secure future for our people. This vision reflects a very traditional K"naka Maoli way of life. As K"naka Maoli today, we have been taught through the Kumulipo and W!kea and Papa that we belong to the land. We are resourceful people who are willing to change with the

times, while staying true to the moolelo of H"loa-naka. I believe with APECs vision and our k!punas ideology, we can build a better future for our children. If APEC acknowledges the K"naka Maoli cultural beliefs contained in the Kumulipo, W!kea and Papa, and the moolelo of H"loa-naka, we will certainly achieve the most meaningful and efficient means of working together with the promise of a better future for all.

Works Cited Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Environmental Vision Statement. 1994. 9 September 2011 <http://www.apec.org/Meeting-Papers/MinisterialStatements/Environment/1994_environment/APEC%20Environmental%20Vision%20Sta tement.aspx >. Pukui, Mary Kawena. "lelo Noeau: Hawaiian Proverbs & Poetical Sayings. Honolulu: Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, 1983. Wichman, Frederick B. N! Pua Alii O Kauai: Ruling Chiefs of Kauai. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2003.