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. 

Clarifying misunderstandings and misinformation

In this post, I explain what the biggest issue with the Facebook comment below is.

The biggest issue with the comment to the left is that this fellow Native Hawaiian, who lives in San Francisco, incorrectly thinks that the State of Hawaii is somehow "defining what it means to be Kanaka Maoli."  Her opinion is misguided and isn't grounded in the reality surrounding Act 195.  In fact, her comments are representative of someone unfamiliar with the goings-on with the State of Hawaii.  Anyone not familiar with Hawaii politics and contemporary Native Hawaiian politics within the State of Hawaii will have difficulty talking intelligently about Hawaii political issues.  

Sure, the Hawaii State Legislature passed Act 195 establishing the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission.  But, the Legislature is not made of sterile robots nor is it a monolithic machine with no interest in supporting Native Hawaiians or Kanaka Maoli.  

Act 195 started off as Senate Bill 1520 and was introduced in the Hawaii State Legislature by four Native Hawaiian State Senators.  Senator Clayton Hee is known to have been the main driving force behind Senate Bill 1520.  Anyone who knows Senator Hee knows that he is an extremely strong supporter of Native Hawaiians, Native Hawaiian culture, Native Hawaiian rights, and the Hawaiian language.  This is not to say that Senator Hee doesn't have his fair share of critics, but that is not the issue for this particular posting.  Senator Hee also got the support of Senators Brickwood Galuteria, Gilbert Kahele, and then-Senator Pohai Ryan.  These four Native Hawaiian (Kanaka Maoli) state senators sought political recognition for their people and then introduced a bill that would eventually create the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission.  Click here to read a 2010 Honolulu Advertiser news article about Senator Hee's bill to end shark finning.  The article shows Hee's concern for Native Hawaiian culture.  Senator Hee introduced Senate Bill 2169 in 2010 that became Act 148.

The Native Hawaiian Roll Commission itself is also not composed of robots or machinery.  Instead, if you take a close look at the different commissioners, you will see that they are not just five Native Hawaiians.  The commissioners are known Native Hawaiian leaders with diverse leadership experiences.  

Lastly, the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission is using the same criteria that other recognized organizations (Kamehameha Schools) and other programs like the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands uses to confirm Native Hawaiian ancestry.  CLICK HERE to see video news clip explaining  ancestry confirmation.

This particular Native Hawaiian's opinion about "what" is defining what it means to be Kanaka Maoli is not grounded in reality.  Neither the state nor the federal government is "homogeneously defining what it means to be Kanaka Maoli." 

Native Hawaiians must be careful when talking about Kanaiolowalu with others

Back on May 22, 2013, the Honolulu Weekly published a letter submitted to it by Native Hawaiian activist Aunty Lela M. Hubbard.  Aunty Lela is fairly known in the political Hawaiian community.

Aunty Lela Hubbard's Honolulu Weekly letter is a perfect example of why Native Hawaiians must be careful when discussing or writing about Native Hawaiian issues, in particular nation-building efforts.  (see screen capture below) 

Unfortunately, Aunty Lela positioned herself for an attack by a Hawaii resident who has a reputation in the Hawaiian community for being a racist and opposed to all Native Hawaiian programs. 

You see, in her letter, Aunty Lela used the phrase, "Hawaiians who have signed up for any Hawaiian registry".  While she is known to criticize and oppose Kanaiolowalu, she made herself vulnerable to an attack on her own credibility.  Aunty Lela made herself vulnerable because, although she is opposed to Kanaiolowalu, she apparently was a very strong supporter of its predecessor Kau Inoa.  See the screen capture below to for an excerpt of an online response to her letter.

The responding Hawaii resident, (again perceived by some Native Hawaiians as a racist), attacked Aunty Lela's credibility by showing that she advocated for something (a Native Hawaiian registry) that she now claims to be against.  To be clear, she supported Kau Inoa, but now opposes Kanaiolowalu. 

However, Native Hawaiian Roll Commission Chairman, John Waihee explains in a video that while there may be some differences between the two lists, the people who signed up for Kau Inoa were told, "there would be another step.  What Kanaiolowalu is, is that second step.  So we're contacting everyone that signed up for Kau Inoa." 


Chairman John Waihee indicated that: (1) Kau Inoa was step one, (2) that people were told there would be another step in the future and (3) that next step is Kanaiolowalu.

Now, not only did Aunty Lela give someone a chance to attack her credibility, but she also gave that person an opportunity to start injecting his own manufactured and ill-informed characterization of Kanaiolowalu.  Contrary to what the responder would have people believe, Kanaiolowalu is a political registry of people recognized as the indigenous peoples of the Hawaiian Islands.  

This is precisely why Native Hawaiians must be very thoughtful and careful when publicly discussing Native Hawaiian issues and nation-building efforts.  We should not give anti-Hawaiians opportunities to to mischaracterize the needs and realities of our community. 


 

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. 

DON'T BE FOOLED! How some people will try to fool you.

In this post, I will show you how some bloggers will try to fool and confuse you about Kanaiolowalu. 

One blogger in particular decided that she would use a bunch of negative words to describe Kanaiolowalu in a blog, then write about other things that have nothing to do with her original argument or statement. 

 Here is a screen capture I’ll use to show how people will try to fool and confuse you online.

Let’s examine this.  The blogger states up-front that Kanaiolowalu does not “disclose.”  But, nothing in her post even mentions anything about a lack of disclosure from Kanaiolowalu or the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission.  If they're hiding something important from us, she fails to tell us what they are not disclosing.

She brags about being a real estate broker and a licensed managing broker in two different states.  That has absolutely NOTHING to do with Kanaiolowalu.  She then makes it sounds like being a licensed real estate broker somehow magically gives her special knowledge about Kanaiolowalu. 

Lastly, she says that the Native Hawaiian Roll is being forced or imposed upon the Native Hawaiian people. 

Let’s think about that for a minute. 

Native Hawaiians have the option to choose to enroll with Kanaiolowalu or not.  Does that sound like you’re being forced to do something you don’t want to do?

I don't think so.  

Kanaiolowalu Truths

While there are many great benefits from using the internet, the internet can also be mis-used to spread mis-information like wildfire.  Once mis-information spreads like wildfire, it is often difficult to contain and truths are hidden. 

I previously raised credibility issues about a blogger who wrote about Kanaiolowalu and incorrect Hawaiian history regarding King Kamehameha.  That original posting was dated as July 24, 2012. 

Two weeks later, that bit of mis-information was then spread on Facebook.

Below is another screen capture of another blogger who is also helping to spread

mis-information and historical inaccuracies by re-posting the original blog. 

By re-posting the first historically inaccurate blog onto another blog, mis-information continues to spread.   As the mis-information spreads, people become confused if they believe that mis-information.  Once people believe the mis-information, they start making choices based on mis-information, rather than good information.