Misinformation about Kanaiolowalu continues to spread.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser published a letter to the editor that makes a grossly false statement. 

Lela Hubbard wrote, "Hawaiians who have registered in . . . Kamehameha Schools database . . . are now forced members of Kanaiolowalu, the Native Hawaiian roll.  See image of online version of her letter below.

It's awful that a Native Hawaiian is making false statements with the goal of influencing other Native Hawaiians to not participate in bringing the Native Hawaiian people together. 

Kamehameha Schools even came out with a response stating that Lela Hubbard's comment "is not true.  Kamehameha Schools' policy does not allow us to share our Ho'oulu Data Base information with any entity, including Kana'iolowalu.  I'm providing you with proof below (see image) and you can also check out the actual link by going to http://www.ksbe.edu/article.php?story=20130706220659899 . 

When people are spreading this much mis-information (don't forget about this, this, this, and this), you have to wonder, "if they have to mis-inform me to convince me I shouldn't do something, rather than use truth to show me I shouldn't do something, maybe what they're trying so hard to get me not to do, isn't that bad."

I've had my own reservations about Kanaiolowalu, but it seems to me that I need to start being more concerned about those who oppose it. 

Kanaiolowalu and motive

My motive for writing this blog is simple.  I am concerned that the distrust many Native Hawaiians have felt and continue to feel against the government overshadows the practical attempts by well-intentioned and recognized Hawaiian community leaders to elevate Native Hawaiians. 

Like other Hawaiian families, my ohana and I have repeatedly felt disappointment and frustration with “the system”.  We’re almost at 100 years since the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act was passed and we’re more than 50 years after Hawaii became an official state of the union and our conditions haven’t gotten better the way they should have. 

Kanaiolowalu gives every single Native Hawaiian the chance to stand-up and say, “We will not stand for this anymore!  We want control of our resources to improve our children’s lives and our community.”  Even though every day gives us the chance to do this, Kanaiolowalu gives us the chance to do this with a unified and thunderous voice. 

A unified and thunderous voice cannot be ignored. 

Like other Hawaiian families, my ohana and I continue to be weary and distrustful.  But, we have to begin to move beyond the distrust and come together.  Now is the time. 

Gross Exaggerations about Kanaiolowalu

If someone insulted you repeatedly on YOUR Facebook page, what would you do? 

We are blessed to have so many advocates within the Native Hawaiian community.  We do however have a few aunties who like to exaggerate details.  Exaggerating details can sometimes be fun.  Exaggerating helps provoke emotions in people to get them to do something, or to choose not to do something.

Sometimes, exaggerations need to be pointed out so that people can understand things more clearly. 

Below is a screen capture that actually “captures” how one particular auntie exaggerates.  While blogging about Kanaiolowalu she wrote,

This blogger’s comments were either removed or hidden from the Kanaiolowalu Facebook page. 

According to her, removing Facebook comments somehow results in people being “deleted out of existence”.   Does this make sense to you?

This same blogger has posted numerous negative comments and juvenile-like “doctored” images of Kanaiolowalu and Native Hawaiian Roll Commission members.  Basically, she insults people. 

So, I ask you again, “if someone insulted you repeatedly on YOUR Facebook page, what would you do?” 

Would you delete their comments?

If you did, would that “delete them out of existence”?

If someone came to your house insulting you, you’d probably ask them to leave.  It’s not unreasonable to delete insults that people make against you.  The Kanaiolowalu Facebook page moderators simply did what all of us would have done.  They peacefully deleted her hurtful insults and she lived to blog about it so obviously, she wasn’t deleted out of existence and she’s still free to insult other Native Hawaiians fighting for Native Hawaiian rights. 

Kanaiolowalu and other peoples' credibility

As you decide for yourself whether you want to be a part of the thousands of Native Hawaiians who want to come together and work towards self-governance, make sure the people against Kana’iolowalu are credible.  Someone may have good intentions, but that does not necessarily mean they are credible or even qualified to help you make a decision.

For now I have a simple question for you, “if a blogger who professes to know Hawaiian history can get something basic like this wrong, what else could he be wrong about?”  

Below is a screen shot from a blog that basically discusses the name of “Kanaiolowalu” and the blogger’s thoughts on the word. 

Unfortunately, in explaining one meaning of Kanaiolowalu, the blogger’s posting is drenched in mis-information.  More worse, the mis-information is about Kamehameha the Great. 

You will notice above that the blogger wrote, “Kamehameha massacred the crew (of the Fair American).”   This is a really bad and a wrong version of history.  How do we know this?  For starters, the blogger didn’t cite any sources for this. 

The truth is, Kamehameha did NOT kill anyone on the Fair American.  Not only did Kamehameha NOT kill anyone on the Fair American, in fact he was very upset when he found out that the crew of the Fair American was killed. 

Stephen Desha gives the details of this story in the book, “Kamehameha and His Warrior Kekuhaupio".  In Chapter 9, there is a section titled, “Attack on the Fair American.”  Kame’eiamoku (NOT Kamehameha) is recognized for killing those people on The Fair American (page 235 of the paperback book).  “Kame’eiamoku seized the young Metcalf, the son of Captain Metcalf of the ship Eleanora, and threw him overboard.  Others sprang to kill those foreigners.”

But wait, there’s more.  On page 237, “Jarves, the historian, wrote in his history of Hawai’i Nei of the disapproval by the ali’i Kamehameha of Kame’eiamoku’s actions in plundering that ship and killing the foreigners on board . . . .”   Contrary to what this blogger wrote, the blogger is wrong about Kamehameha’s involvement in that murder. 

Again, if a blogger who professes to know Hawaiian history can get something like this wrong, what else could he be wrong about?

Stephen Desha is recognized as a credible historian and an advocate of Native Hawaiians.  Desha was a Native Hawaiian and a Territorial Senator.  He was also a reverend.  Over a period of 4 years, he wrote a newspaper series called,”Story of Kekuhaupio” for the Hawaiian-language paper called, Ka Hoku o Hawaii.  Desha wrote 174 articles during this period.