Date: Sat, 14 Sep 1996 12:25:20 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: 22,294 say `AE



you know that this is misleading, but i'll refrain from rehearsing
the problems of putting too much weight on this event and that
statistic.

"`ae" will never mean one thing and one thing alone in this case.
we need to be careful of contemporary race-thinking and the way
it continues to shut down the need to have struggles within the
community of kanaka maoli in order to debate, ho`opapa our future.
 
nor does "`ae" mean that an election is the proper way to continue, 
let alone a "constitutional convention." we have much to be 
discussing, like how one can valorize ancient ways - even taking
on a 'class' designation like "maka`ainana" without even
blinking - within a possessive individualist-based political system
as seen through the lens of marxist-informed social critique.  
to simply say "`ae" is to leave far too many things undiscussed, 
too many important things.  going on for years, this shows no
sign of changing, or at least that has been my impression.

the sound of our "auwe" is still there, as it has been for generations,
stronger and more meaningful because it needs no vote to be heard.
when heard by those who know, who feel it in their na`au, who work 
every day to address it, it is the cry of the kanaka maoli that 
counts more than some 22,000 ballots, one more statistic to be 
manipulated.

we are creatures of our own time, and the propaganda, the soundbites,
and the old divisions of activists continue to dominate public
discourse about this, putting us back, time and again, on
romanticizations instead of fruitful kukakuka, all, i fear, 
to our continued detriment.  

me ka ha`aha`a,
-k

On Sat, 14 Sep 1996, lydia k kualapai wrote:

> "He pono ina koho na Hawai`i i na `elele no ka noi `ana i kekahi 
> aupuni Hawai`i maoli?"
> 
> And 22,294 Hawaiian voices chanted, "`Ae."
> 
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> [Translation of the Hawaiian Sovereignty Elections Council Ballot: 
> "Shall the Hawaiian people elect delegates to propose a Native 
> Hawaiian government?"]
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -
> 
> As the various (and factious) Hawaiian Sovereignty leaders continue to
> argue over the details, it is the chorus of maka`ainana voices--the 
> 'Ae chant--that will fill the land.
> 
> Aloha,
> Lydia  
> 
> 
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> 


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