Na Devin Kamealoha Forrest, J.D. Research Specialist, Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation
I ka lā 23 o Kepakemapa 1845, ma kahi o ʻelima makahiki ma hope o ke kau ʻana o ke kumu kānāwai mua loa o Hawaiʻi, hoʻopuka ʻia he ʻatikala ma ka nūpepa Ka Elele na Hōʻināʻinau, e wehewehe ana i kona manaʻo no ke kānāwai.
ʻOiai hoʻi he au ia i nui kona hulihia ma ke aupuni o Hawaiʻi; ʻo ke komo nui ʻana o nā lāhui ʻē, ka loli ʻana o ka nohona me ka ʻāina, a pēlā aku, kau ʻia ana kekahi mau kānāwai e hoʻoponopono ai a e kōkua ana i ka hoʻoholo mua ʻana i kekahi mau ʻoihana no ka ʻāina ʻē mai.
A i kēia Hōʻināʻinau, hoʻohālikelike ʻo ia i ia hana kau kānāwai me ke kau ʻana i nā pono moku kiakolu ma luna o ka moku kiakahi. Nani ia, he ʻoi aʻe ka nui o ka moku kiakolu ma mua o ko ke kiakahi, e hihipeʻa ana a e huikau ana nā kaula a me nā ʻukana e paʻa ai ka moku.
Hoʻomau aku ua Hōʻināʻinau lā me ka wehewehe aku, ʻo nā kānāwai no ka ʻāina ʻē, i nui kona ʻāina a i maʻa i kekahi ʻano mahi ʻana, ʻaʻole loa e hiki ana ke hoʻoili wale i kā lākou mau kānāwai ma Ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina me ka manaʻo e holo pono ana nō ia mau kānāwai. “ʻO nā kānāwai akāka loa e kohu pū ana me ke ʻano o kēia lāhui, ʻo ia nā kānāwai maikaʻi e kau ai, e like me ka neʻeneʻe ʻana aku o ke aupuni i ka naʻauao, pēlā nō ka neʻeneʻe ʻana i nā kānāwai pohihihi.”
A he ʻoiaʻiʻo nō kāna, a e ʻike ana kākou i ke kō ʻana mai i kēia au. He nui a lehulehu nā kānāwai e huikau ai kākou kānaka i ka “naʻauao ʻana” o kēia aupuni. ʻO ka pono naʻe ka makaʻala ʻana i nā kaula, nā peʻa, a i ka hoe uli, i piholo ʻole a i hūhewa ʻole hoʻi ka moku.
