ʻUmialīloa Sai

Opening note on continuing the practice of haku kanikau:
One of the most beautiful ways that language lives on is when we continue the poetic practices of those before us in that same language. I don’t mean that we do it exactly as they did, but we do it as best we can, and we do it with intention and aloha. For if we do not try, then we let go completely and something beautiful slips from our grasp. So it is with kanikau, these poetic expressions of aloha chronicling lives and relationships, reminding us of our deep ties to the people and places we love. Below are three kanikau written for ʻUmialīloa Sai, a Hawaiian patriot who left us on October 17, 2018. They are written by his sister, nephew, and dear friend. They are a breath of new life into an old practice and bridge us, proudly, to the language of our ancestors. Mahalo to these haku mele (composers) for sharing this gift with all of us. Ola nā iwi.

He Kanikau No ʻUmialīloa

ʻAuhea ʻoe e ʻUmialīloa,
Where are you O ʻUmialīloa,

Kuʻu pili ʻaoʻao mai kinohi mai,
My dear companion from the beginning,

I kihi malu o Waʻahila,
From the quiet corner of the Waʻahila ridge,

I kai o Awāwamalu,
To the sea of Awāwamalu,

Kupuohi ke akamai i ke ala kūpono
Knowledge flourished on the right path,

I hoa alo i ke ala manamana o ke ao,
My friend on this long journey of life,

Mai ka nani o Waipiʻo a i ke anu o ka Heke
From the beauty of Waipiʻo to the cold of the Hague,

ʻIkea ke kahua, ka hihia, ka wehena, The foundation, entanglement, and solution were seen,

ʻImi mau ʻia ka pono o ka ʻāina, nā kānaka,
Always seeking the good for the land, the people,

A paʻa pono maila, aia auaneʻi
Until it is soon secure,

Ua nalo kō leo, lohe ʻia nō naʻe,
Your voice is lost, yet I hear it,

Ua nalo kō maka, ʻike ʻia nō naʻe,
Your presence is gone, yet I feel it,

Ua mau i ke ea kūpono o ka ʻāina nei,
It continues in the pathway to justice for this land,

E ʻUmi ē, me ʻoe ke aloha kūmau.
O ʻUmi, with you is my everlasting love.

Na Kauʻi

ʻUʻumi ʻia ke aloha i ka ua loku,
I suppress my affection in the pouring rain,

Ka ua Kanilehua e keʻekeʻehi ʻia nei,
The Kanilehua rain that is bearing down on me,

Nele ka home aloha ʻohana i ke kaupoku ʻole,
My loving family home is without its shelter,

Nāueue ka papa i ka luʻuluʻu,
And its foundation trembles in sorrow,

Luʻu ʻē wau i kāu ʻōlelo,
I am already immersed in your words,

Ka moʻolelo hoʻonaʻauao kama,
In lectures that educated a child,

Kamahaʻo ka pahu kani ke lohe aku,
It is so wonderful to my ears,

ʻAʻohe leo e lohe maila,
But you will never hear the voice,

ʻAʻohe maka e ʻike aku,
Never look into the eyes,

I ka pūʻolo liʻiliʻi o ka poli,
Of the little bundle that rests in the womb,

He haliʻa naʻe e koe nei,
However, I will share my memories,

He aloha mau,
I will love you forever,

Kuʻu makua kāne, kuʻu makua kāne hoʻi ē.
My uncle, my dear uncle.

Na Keawe

He uē, he aloha no ʻUmialīloa,
A mourning, an expression of love for ʻUmialīloa,

Ke kōkoʻolua o neia ala kekeʻe,
A companion on this winding path,

ʻUmia ka hanu, ua lele wale aʻela,
At a loss for words for you have passed on,

Luʻuluʻu ka naʻau i ka nalo ʻana aku,
My heart aches by your departure,

Pouli ka hale, ua huki ʻia aku ka pou,
The home is jeopardized, the supporting beam has been torn away,

Hiō ihola kaupaku a minamina ihola,
The shelter is offset, in despair,

Paʻa naʻe ka pilina kūkulu, kua, a oʻa,
Yet the frame is intact, the beam, the rafter,

Kū hoʻi kauhale i ka hili a ka makani,
The home stands against the force of the wind,

ʻO ka māpuna ʻala ke hali ʻia mai,
An emotional scent wafting through,

E hō mai ka haliʻa, ka hāʻupu, ka ʻiʻini,
Bring back the memories, recollections, wishes,

I lana iki ai ʻo loko mai nei,
To uplift the deepest reaches of this heart,

I koʻo ʻia aʻela ka mea kaumaha,
As a crutch for the one grieving,

ʻO ka puʻuwai aloha, mau a mau nō,
A loving heart, to forever live on.

Na Puakea

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Peter ʻUmialīloa Sai. A Hawaiian Patriot

By Kauʻi Sai-Dudoit

"The other night I was talking with my friend Cinque, he was over at my place and we were out in the greenhouse together and he was explaining to me that when a member of the Mende, that's his people, how when a member of the Mende encounters a situation where there appears no hope at all, he invokes his ancestors. It's tradition. See, the Mende believe that if one can summon the spirits of ones ancestors then they have never left, and the wisdom and strength they fathered and inspired will come to his aid. James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, John Adams...we have long resisted asking you for guidance, perhaps we have feared in doing so we might acknowledge that our individuality which we so, so revere is not entirely our own. Perhaps we fear that an appeal to you might be taken for weakness, but we have come to understand, finally, that this is not so, we understand now, we've been made to understand and to embrace the understanding that who we are IS who we were."

This was the most brilliant passage ever written, according to Peter ʻUmialīloa Sai.  He loved words and the simple or imbricate brilliance of a phrase, or a sentiment brought to life through the author's pen. He was so moved by this passage that he watched the movie Amistad countless times until he could recite it by heart. In 1998 when writing the script and preparing the documentary film on the annexation of Hawaiʻi that never was, he fought to title the film "We Are Who We Were," to inspire the audience to feel the patriotic sentiment that pervaded his being. 

In 1999, he served as the 2nd Deputy Agent to a case at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Peace Palace at the Hague and he was also the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Acting Council of Regency representing the Hawaiian Kingdom in the legal fight to seek justice for our country. He was brilliant and well read and represented our country honorably during numerous diplomatic communications with other countries and dignitaries, and together with Keanu Sai crafted the voluminous legal briefs required throughout the proceedings. He was also a co-host to a radio show in 2000 on KCCN with Keaumiki Akui called "Perspective." A show dedicated to providing answers to the legal dilemmas our country faces in the fight for control of our independence.

In 2012, he wrote the script for the documentary "Ua Mau Ke Ea: Sovereignty Endures." He admired people like Kauikeaouli, Timoteo Haʻalilio, Joseph Nāwahī, James Kaulia, David Kalauokalani and had a particularly deep admiration for Mōʻīwahine Liliʻuokalani when he wrote, "The crown Princess Liliʻuokalani ascended to the throne of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Her reign was easily characterized as a 26 year long national emergency. Every waking moment confronted with the notion that her country could be stolen simply by the evil that men do. What began as a legitimate attempt to right a listing ship developed into a might versus right brawl for the very existence of her humble and developing nation. Yet, through it all, Liliʻuokalani was a study in courage and strength for her people and they reciprocated in action and in words. Her protests at home and on foreign soil were pitch perfect. Her legal maneuverings in international affairs evidenced not only a deftness in measure but a strategy as well."

This patriot loved his country and his people, and his legacy of educating our people is evidenced by the current movement towards independence.

Mahalo to Jake Marote for the opening photograph. See his work on Instagram @jake_of_all_trades and on his website.