Na pua o waianae march 2016

One Woman: man� roles, the �truggle t� the �tage...Master Sergeant Mysti Dowsettshares her story > p08

Strengthen. Challenge. Support.

Nānākuli Mā‘ili Wai‘anae MākahaIssue #3 • March 2016

THE MAGAZINE OF THE WAI‘ANAE COAST. FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE. www.napuamagazineshawaii.com

2 Na Pua `O Wai`anae • March 2016

from the PUBLISHER

ALOHA TO YOU!

We hope the new year is being good to you. Are you welcoming the new year? We hope so, and we hope you welcome us as well. We have worked hard to

become YOUR monthly Hometown magazine. Our mission is to challenge, strengthen, and support Hawaii ‘ohana, one hometown at a time, by sharing meaningful and impactful stories that will empower you with information you can use.

Let’s never forget to be proud of who we are, the land with which we connect, the accomplishments we achieve, and the struggles we face. All of these things make us who we are--and we are good, no great!

Our goal is that this social magazine, for the people, by the people, become a vehicle for sharing stories and connecting community. If you would like to share your story, or brag about

someone you know, please call us at 808-888-9434 or email us at [email protected]. Don’t be shy, don’t be shame. We’ve been told our stories are authentic and inspiring. �at’s our #1 goal.

Please be mindful that every business in this publication is here for a reason. �ey see value in being community partners. Without our contributors, we

would not exist. We ask that you peruse our magazine, familiarize yourself with our partners, and if you are able, we would sincerely appreciate support for our businesses. Share about them with your family and friends too. �ey are in this publication because they are reputable, trustworthy and want to be part of our community. When you visit them, please mention our magazine.

Currently, we create magazines for Wai’anae and Kunia. Every issue you receive will be available to read on our website at www.napuamagazineshawaii.com. While you’re on the website, sign up for our email newsletters to receive updates on our happenings. We will be featuring a video directory on our website very soon. �ere you can learn about the partners who want to serve you. You can also download our smart phone app to easily access and carry along coupons, specials and tips on places to go. Our smart phone app

is available on the Google Play App Store and the Itunes Store. Choose the way to connect with us that best �ts you.

Here’s wishing us all an entirely prosperous year. Mahalo in advance for allowing us into your homes.

Me Ka Ha’aha’a,

Tad Keola Makaila and Momi Robins-MakailaPublishers

Tad Keola MakailaMomi Robins-Makaila

and


in this ISSUE

COVER: MasterSergeantMystiDowsett(CoverStory)Coverdesignby:MasinaN.Sausi

PUBLISHERS: Tad K Makaila & Momi [email protected]

WRITER: Momi [email protected]

ADVERTISING MANAGER: Sharon [email protected]

ACCOUNT MANAGER: Tehani [email protected]

MAGAZINE/ ADVERTISING DESIGNER: Masina N. [email protected]

PHOTOGRAPHER Naomi Hayes-Furukawa808 358-1930

06Community ContributorA Servant’s Heart. Uncle Hercules Huihui’s answer to overcoming struggle is to serve.

08Cover StoryWai’anae born Master Sergeant Mysti Dowsett: Mom, Soldier, Body Builder.

10Terrific TeenGina Pau-Exzabe, an award winning example of a terri�c teenager.

14Faith and SpiritualityDream Big. Set Goals. Write them Down.

17Healthy RelationshipsRelationship Tip: Laugh more, Love More.

20Meet our Business PartnersGive us this Day our Daily Bread: ‘Ōhia Bakery bakes fresh daily from Waipio.

22History and CommunityHo’omau Ke Ola :�eir e¥orts to heal and strengthen community

18Health and WellnessAll’s Well that Oils Well: Mother Nature’s Answers for Today’s Health Care

10

5Na Pua Ò Waiànae • March 2016

Attorney-Probate, ConservatorsAndy Smith(808) [email protected]

AutomotiveBabaʻs Auto GlossPaul and Willy Babawww.babasautogloss.com(808) 330-2195

Education PartnersHawaii P-20www.p20hawaii.org(808) 956-5443

Financial Advisors and Wealth ManagementNew York LifeLarry [email protected](808) 840-3697

Fundraising/BakerOhia Bakery-Pieter Vliet94-344 Ukeʻe St, Unit 7Waipio, Hi 96797(808) 216-9744www.ohiabakery.com

FurnitureColortyme Nānākuli Gail Meyer87-2070 Farrington Hwy, Waianae, HI 96792(808) 668-7070

Colortyme WaipahuMike Maramba94-910 Moloalo StWaipahu, HI 96797(808) 680-9393

Hardware & Household AppliancesRestore Habitat for Humanity91-291 Malakole St (Campbell Industrial Park)(808) 682-8411www.leewardhabitat.org

Health Insurance PlansÒhana Health PlanAnne ChipchaseCommunity Advocateanne.chipchase@wellcare.comohanahealthplan.com808.282.3899

Health and Wellness/Healthy Food OptionsDoterra Essential OilsMomi [email protected](808) 888-9434

KyaniKamo [email protected](808) 489-6833

Matcha Energy and BVitaminsSharon [email protected](808) 306-3054

808 Urban BowlsBarbara94-450 Mokuola St Waipahu, HI 96797(808) 258-0117

InsuranceAllstate InsuranceToni Lum [email protected](808) 457-2931

LandscaperGreenplicityDelvin [email protected](808) 371-5177

Mortgage LendersMahalo MortgageDon [email protected](808) 236-7777

PhotographersNaomi Hayes FurukawaIsland Memories Photography(808) 358-1930islandmemoriesphotography.com

RoofingRC Roofing Contractorswww.safehomeservice.com(808)216-3256

Shaferʻs RoofingBernadette Robinswww.shafersroofing.com(808) 306-3385

Shopping MallsKapolei MarketplaceCindy Lau590 Farrington Hwy, Kapolei, HI 96707(808) 220-8109

Real Estate Firms, Realtors, Property ManagersGary Bannon - Keller [email protected](864) 323-8989

Garry Stahl - Keller [email protected](864) 323-8987

John Riggins John Riggins Real [email protected](808) 523-7653

Mokulani Properties Mary Ann Bruno - [email protected](808) 637-8899

Sharon Fountain - Mokulani [email protected](808) 306-3054

Renovation, Remodels and New Home ConstructionGRD [email protected](808)597-0167

TJR Works! LLCTadd [email protected](808) 782-5321

INDEX The Companies Who Care About Your Community


communityCONTRIBUTOR

Uncle Hercules Huihui of Community in Schools (a Waipahu based organization dedicated to serving the families of Waipahu)

is the epitome of servanthood in the face of struggle. For 15 years he’s volunteered at the Waipahu Community Association, the Waipahu Weed and Seed, and the Waipahu Community Coalition. He’s also served (for 2 years) on the “Members Matter” Advisory Committee for ‘Ohana Health Plan. You may recognize him as the Hawaiian Santa from the Waipahu parade, or the Santa for the foster children’s annual lunch. He has a bachelor’s degree in Family Resources from UH Mānoa, but he started his life “with a master’s degree in Hotel street and a PhD in Waikiki,” he joked.

One night after work he found his girlfriend and 2 daughters in a room of smoke. His girlfriend, who had a substance abuse problem, had been smoking while his two daughters slept nearby. He asked her to leave until she could get help, which she later did. In an instant he found himself a single father to two girls, a 5 year old and a 6 month old. As a single father, he did the best he could. He heard of educational and health events hosted by CIS. He attended as many as he could. One thanksgiving he accepted a basket from them. �e only require-ment was that he help at the next event. A week later, they called. He showed up and the rest is history. Aunty Faye Uyeda the founder of CIS “has been my mentor and a woman I have come to admire and love.”

When Uncle Herc got sick from an infection in his leg, which caused him to be hospitalized for 9 weeks, CIS stepped in to help. “Aunty Lori came to the hospital, had me sign a power of attorney. CIS took care of my children for 9 weeks. �ey helped me get healthy too.” He remembers they bought him his �rst blender.

Uncle Herc got better and his children were returned to him. One afternoon during his recovery, his daughter came home from school excited like he’d never seen. “Apparently my daughter downloaded a game from a school computer. Excitedly she uttered, “Dad, if I had a computer at home, I would be able to play it. �e next day I went to the school, got a tour of the computer lab, caught the bus to Leeward Community College and signed up for classes. I couldn’t have my daughter smarter than me at 5 years old,” uncle Herc chuckled.

“I didn’t have a high school diploma and had no clue what a GED was. I explained to the lady at the registration o®ce what happened with my daughter. I guess she was moved, because she asked me, Do you have 2 hours to take a test?” I answered, “Lady, I’ve got all my life. �is is my daughter.” �at was the beginning of his journey to becoming a college graduate.

Today Uncle Herc works for CIS serving others. He thanks Aunty Faye, Uncle West, Aunty Lori, Aunty Letty, Mr. Arakawa, Grandma Uyeda, and Ke Akua for the life he leads today. “Today, I have the privilege of helping children from Waipahu and Wai’anae learn compassion, respect and what it means to be pono.”

�ere is so much more we could share about Uncle Herc, but we’ll save that for future issues. If we shared about all he’s done, we’d �ll the 24 pages of this magazine. Until then, Uncle Herc shared this, “Like Grandma Uyeda told me, it ’s all about the attitude. Attitude is everything. I’ve lived by that. It is what will always drive me.”

A Servant’s Heart.Uncle Hercules Huihui’s answer to overcoming struggle is to serve.

Thisarticleisbroughttoyouby‘OhanaHealthPlan


cover STORY

Look at this woman. What do you see? Accomplished? Beautiful? Courageous? Each adjective accurately describes Master

Sergeant Mysti Dowsett MSgt USAF ANG HQ HIANG/AIR. What you don’t see is what helped her become the woman she is today; perseverance; self-reliance; and dedication. You don’t know the battles she faced to overcome adversity.

Mysti fondly recollected growing up in Nānākuli and Wai’anae, but it was “far from easy”, she asserted. “�e community is rich with Aloha and Ohana; an intangible force. In my case it took a village to raise a child. I did not always know from where my next meal would come, or who would take me in for the night. A lack of resources hindered much of my education. Programs were not available to students then, as it is today. I joined the Hawaii Air National Guard to take advantage of the opportunities o¥ered by the military, education bene�ts; learning a trade; and traveling.”

As a member of the guard Mysti has been all around the world and has met extraordinary people. She especially remembers an opportunity she had in �ailand to serve the people in that community. Today Master Sergeant Mysti Dowsett serves the youth in our community as the Recruiting Office Supervisor. In addition to the benefit of serving and networking in the community Mysti is thankful for the opportunity she has every day to appreciate the potential in individuals and witness their personal and professional growth.

Mysti is a single mother to three beautiful children; Hayli 14; Hadyn 8; and Hezekiah 3. Mysti and her children live in Wai’anae. She shared, “At one point in time I commuted every day from Wai’anae to Mililani, Hickam and Kaneohe, so yes I was traveling on every freeway! �e struggle to juggle life can be overwhelmingly stressful,” said Mysti. She added, “I am eternally grateful to my family and friends. Without them I could not do it. My positive disposition about life comes from the many in²uential people I’ve had a privilege of knowing. When looking back at where I’ve been, I am thankful for who I am today and that I can provide well for my children. My struggles have given me so much strength!”

Participating in bodybuilding competitions has become a recent goal for Mysti. Mysti has always admired physically and mentally strong women because it symbolizes commitment. “Since embracing this goal, I have been challenged like never before to push myself and have faith in a process. Understanding my own strengths and weaknesses helped me to do that. I’ve also been able to teach my children how to commit to a goal and see it through.” Mysti o¥ered this additional piece of

advice to anyone who has a huge goal, “Make sure you realize you have a choice to either give in or get better. Give it your all, and no matter the outcome, be happy with what you’ve achieved.”

You can �nd Mysti at the Air National Guard recruiting o®ce in Kapolei, everyday, doing her best to be her best!

Wai’anae born Master SergeantMysti Dowsett


Prepare for Today Plan for Tomorrow

When you're in Toni's hands, you're in good hands!

808-439-608099-115 Aiea Heights Drive #242

t o n i l u m @ a l l s t a t e . c o m

Care. Concern. Coverage.TONI LUM

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terrificTEEN

Gina Pau-Exzabe, Wai’anae scholar, amazing athlete, loving daughter, and loyal friend, has an impressive resume. She’s only

16 years old! Gina has major plans for her life. With help from her parents, her school and her community, she’s earning college credits, planning her future, well on her way to making her dreams come true, and making her ‘ohana proud.

As a Wai’anae Intermediate School student, Gina began her road to college. She was a part of the AVID program, involved in athletics, and has remained diligent and determined ever since. As an 11th grad-er, Gina is a part of the college club, METS, and the wrestling team. She’s already taken Psychology 100, English 100T, Astronomy 110, History 152, and Speech 151. Her goal is to earn 24 college credits before graduating high school. Gina is thankful for the opportunities made available to her by our Wai’anae Coast Schools, GEAR UP and Hawaii P-20. Gina has been a¥orded the opportunity to get a jump start on college. Not to mention she is saving her parents some serious money. Speaking of her parents, Gina says, “I’m eternally thankful for my parents who drive me and play a big role in the decisions I make for my life. I don’t know where I’d be without them.”

Gina o¥ers some advice to her fellow students: “Make sure you take risks in life. You never know how it will bene�t you in the end. At �rst, I was scared to take college classes, join METS, college club, and many other programs o¥ered by the high school, Gear Up and Hawaii P-20, but it’s worth it. You have the support to get you where you want to go. If you are unsure about where you want to go, you’ll have someone there to guide you. If you are inclined to play sports, do it. I wasn’t sure that I could balance both, but I did it, with the great support system I have. It’s also a plus for colleges because they love well rounded students.”

Gina plans to go to college out of state. She’s always dreamed of serving in the military in the areas of either public relations or �nance and accounting. Whatever Gina plans to do, she’ll be successful because she believes in herself, has family and friends who support her, and because she’s been well prepared by a community who cares. Nā Pua Hometown Magazines is honored to celebrate Gina and her accomplishments. Congratulations Gina on all you’ve done so far. We look forward to hearing about your future endeavors!

For more information on some of the programs Gina mentioned, call Hawaii P-20 at (808) 956-3879 or call your college counselor at your school.

Wai’anae Young Woman Workin’ It!

ThisarticleisbroughttoyoubyHawai’iP-20


faith & SPIRITUALITY

2016 is the year of the REDEEMED, so dream big. Set goals. Write them down. You don’t need to be a believer for that to resonate

on your heart, but that message did come from God, through my Pastors, to me. Dream big. Set goals. �en write them down.

It’s been almost 2 months since Pastor Art and Kuna Sepulveda delivered that �rst message. Still, at every life group meeting and at every church sermon we continue to hear that message--Dream big. Set goals. Write them down. You would think that by now I’d be sick of hearing that message. I’m not. My Pastors are on to a big idea here--sometimes we need to hear things over and over again before we apply it, and allow it to move in our lives. I probably have taken 30 pages of notes on the subject. Only within the last week, did I write down my goals. I wasn’t being lazy or procrastinating. It took me that long. I kept regulating my dreams. I wrote down what I thought was achievable.

Pastor Art asserted, “Dreaming always involves something bigger than you.” If a dream is doable; something you can do on your own, that involves no faith, but, “dreaming is the process in an adventure of faith.” I decided to let God take over. God is a God of vision, so who better than He to inspire me with the dreams for my life? When I let Him take over, He awakened in me my desire to become a bestselling author. What did bestselling mean? I wasn’t sure. So I asked Him again. If I earned $100,000 would that make me best selling? Probably. I woke up for days with that number in my head. �ere it was, my God dream. �en reality kicked in. “Gosh, I’d need to sell 500,000 copies just to earn that,” I hu¥ed. I made a conscious choice not to limit God, but I must be honest, I was struggling with that one--500,000 copies?! A few mornings later, after a 20 minute meditation session, an idea popped into my head. “What if I sold my downloadable books di-rectly from my site instead of only through Amazon? I wouldn’t need to pay a middle man.” A few months ago that wouldn’t have been possible because I didn’t know how to get that done, but today, I have a designer who can exactly get that done. All of a sudden, in order to make $100,000 I only need to sell 50,000 copies instead of 500,000. And guess what? I wrote 2 books and they are ‘sort of ’ a sequel. If someone chooses to buy one of them, they’ll probably want to buy the second one too. So, the 50,000? It’s now 25,000. How’s that for God’s grace? God is good to me! Habakkuk 2:3 says, “For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. �ough it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”

What are your dreams? Are you dreaming big? Are you setting goals? Are you writing them down? Are you expecting answers? Do it! Who knows what God has in store for you!

In case you’re interested, Word of Life West O’ahu service is held every Sunday at 8:30am in the Kapolei �eatre. You can call them for more information at (808) 528-4044, or check them out on the web at www.wolhawaii.com.

Dream Big. Set Goals. Write them down.

ThisarticleisbroughttoyoubyMasinaN.Sausi


healthy RELATIONSHIPS

Recently my husband made me watch a facebook video of a Wai’anae couple. It went viral among our networks. A wife

video taped herself playing a trick on her husband. She said, “Honey, how do you spell yes?” He said, “Y-E-S.” She asked twice, then questioned, “Well, what is E-Y-E-S? He said “E, yes.” She asked him the same question a few more times. He said the same thing every time. She was cracking up inside herself. I laughed hysterically having watched her video three times. �e �rst time I watched, I did the same thing her husband did. It took me as long as he to realize E-Y-E-S spelled eyes!

�at video got me thinking. When was the last time I played a trick on my husband? When was the last time he played a trick on me? When was the last time we laughed like that? I realized it had been a while.

�at video was a reminder to laugh, and to NOT take things so seriously as I often do.

According to an article entitled ‘Stress Relief from Laughter, It’s no Joke,’ (Mayo Clinic) Laughter won’t cure cancer but laughter has positive, short and long term e¥ects on the body. Laughter can increase oxygen intake, stimulate vital organs, improve one’s immune system, and relieve actual, physical pain. I saw a quote once on www.simplemarriage.net that I remembered after I watched the video. It paraphrased Henry Ward Beecher, “A marriage without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs – jolted by every pebble in the road.” It also said, “Individuals who have a strong sense of humor are less likely to experience burnout and depression and they are more likely to enjoy life in general – including their marriage.”

�e next time you play a funny yet harmless trick (like the woman I mentioned above) or laugh out loud and take a picture or video, tag us please. You can find us on Facebook or Instagram. We are NaPuaMagazines. If you’re willing to share something funny or share a picture of yourself cracking up, send it to us at [email protected]. If you’re the woman who posted that video, we’d love to talk story with you! Give us a call at 808-888-9434. We need more people like you!

Relationship Tip #1Laugh more, Love More.

Relationship Tip #2Cry baby Cry!

Do you cry? You should. If you have ever cried, and did not get sympathy, it is likely you heard one of these responses:

“�ere goes the waterworks;” “cry me a river;” “no use crying over spilt milk;” or, “for crying out loud.” Whether we cry because we are feeling sad, because we feel like a failure, because we are touched, because it is hormone-induced, or because we cannot deal with something, crying is an emotional response to stress. Often crying is perceived as a weakness, when in fact it is a healthy response to overwhelming situations. No one wants to be a cry baby, but we should allow ourselves to cry when we need to, and if someone is crying, chances are they need our help. Crying is how the body deals with a stressful situation.

ACTH is a hormone found in tears. When stress builds up in the body, and we are unable to physically combat that stressful event, ACTH builds up. When we cry, our bodies get rid of ACTH, which is the reason for feeling relieved after a good cry. Crying has other bene�ts too. When our cries our genuine, we elicit compassion from others. �ey immediately become more aware of our emotional state. It is a travesty that often we feel like we cannot or should not cry. Men typically feel they are weak because they cry. If our �rst response to a stressful situation was to cry, we would be a much healthier community. To cry would not show weakness but just the opposite. When we allow ourselves to cry we show strength. When we cry we allow ourselves to be vulnerable: we allow ourselves to show our stress. �en we show others our need for help, and when we ask for help, we receive help, and we make less our stress. �e next time you feel like crying, do it. Cry like a baby. Like William Shakespeare said, “To cry [weep] is to make less the depth of grief.”

My reflection corner...


Natural Solutions For Your Family!

Call Momi Robins-Makaila for your free sample and health assessment.

(808) 888-9434

health & WELLNESS

Peruse FB or instagram at any point in time. You’ll �nd 5 core values behind almost every post, share or like. People value

managing their families well, looking good, improving health, strengthening relationships, living in gratitude and sharing what they learn with the people they love. In my quest to live as natural a life as possible, and as a person also striving for these things, I’ve been learning about Essential Oils. It sounds like a buzz word, trendy and fad-like, but it’s been around for centuries. �ink about it. �e Wise Men took Frankincense and Myrrh to the child they believed was their Messiah (Savior). Of all the things to gift their King? Early Egyptians used Essential Oils for medicinal purposes, cooking, and skin care. Essential Oils are big miracles found today in little, dark, glass bottles.

Why should Essential Oils matter to us? Simple--it can remarkably improve our health, but, we don’t all realize how powerful they are. In 2014, America spent over $350 Billion Bucks on health care. You would think we’d be in excellent health. Wrong. According to an article on KHON.com, Hawaii has the highest rate of diabetes in the country. Hawaii’s adult obesity rate is 22.1%, up from 8.9% in 1990 (State of Obesity in Hawaii, 2014). With all that money spent on health care, and the thousands of white coat/lab rats in labs across our world, why are we still so sick? Why are we still thinking we’ll �nd cures concocted in pharmaceutical research laboratories?

Essential oils are not new. It’s medicine as old as time; it is an answer to improving our health. Mother Nature has always had the answers. �e only reason we stopped going to her is money--plain and simple. You can’t place a patent on a plant. In an e¥ort to make money, companies try to manufacture Mother Nature’s work. Not that there isn’t a place for synthetic medicine, but we shouldn’t rely on it as much as we do. �ere are natural ways for improving health that’s just as quick, with no side e¥ects. Did you know that peppermint oil can help indigestion, headaches, asthma and diarrhea? Did you know that lavender oil can combat depression? I know someone who swears Frankincense saved his life. �ere’s so many types of oils and so many conditions Essential Oils can improve.

Over the course of a few months we’ll share about essential oils and their uses. We’ll empower you with information on how and where to use them. If you’re interested in learning about oils, or if you have a condition you’d like to discuss, give us a call. Otherwise, we look forward to sharing with you next month. Be blessed! And remember, All’s well that oils well!

All’s Well that Oils Well:Mother Nature’s Answers for Today’s Health Care

©2014 dōTERRA International


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business SPONSORSHIP

Ahhh, don’t you just love the warm aroma of fresh baked bread? Is there anyone on earth who doesn’t love that smell?

On any given morning that’s the enticing, aroma emanating from the ovens of ‘Ōhia Bakery in Waipio. Andrew Vliet, founder of ‘Ōhia Bakery, home of the famous Moloka’i Portuguese Sweetbread has provided Hawai’i with the famous bread. It wasn’t easy. A year of countless batches of trial and error and multiple conversations with local Kupuna �nally yielded the famous recipe. In order to bring the bread to O’ahu, he ²ew every thursday, bought his ingredients from O’ahu suppliers, baked his bread in a rented kitchen, and sold them at the Swap Meet on weekends. �e demand for bread on O’ahu became too great, so he moved over.

Today, ‘Ōhia Bakery has expanded to include delicious Aunty Leilani Cookies, Le Bon traditional Japanese white bread, hamburger and hot dog buns. �e original sweetbread now comes in a sandwich loaf and as dinner rolls.

‘Ōhia bakery is also proud to o¥er generous fundraising opportuni-ties for various organizations. Organizations can choose to sell the round or loaf sweetbread, dinner rolls or their scrumptious, bite size cookies. �ey have Chocolate Pecan Coconut Macadamia, Oatmeal Raisin, Peanut Butter and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip. Choose one or sell them all.

Andrew’s son Pieter manages the family business, so give him a call if your group is interested. Pieter says his goal is to keep the vision of his father--to bake the best Portuguese Sweetbread in Hawaii. Pieter, very recently, began selling breakfast delectables from its bakery front. Pieter is delighted to have the opportunity to carry on his father’s vision to provide Hawaii with its daily bread.

Visit the folks at ‘Ōhia bakery every morning. �ey’re in Waipio at 94-344 Uke’e St Unit 7. You can call them at 808-216-9744 or �nd them on the web at www.ohiabakery.com.

“Give us this day our daily bread”


history & COMMUNITY

Nestled in the valley of Wai’anae Kai moku, a place today com-monly referred to as Ka’ala, is 1,100 acres of land waiting to be

revitalized--to become the refuge and nutriment source of life energy that it once was. Dr. Patti Isaacs, Executive Director of Ho’omau Ke Ola and Glen Kila, former Principal of Kamaile Academy blessed me with their mana’o and mo’olelo about a piece of land that is much more than dirt, rock, and trees--this place they endearingly refer to as Pūnana’ula.

Uncle Glen shared mo’olelo passed down through generations of Kupuka’aina ‘ohana, rich in the Hawaiian view that edifies the connection and interdependence of man and nature. Kupuka’aina refers to the name of Wai’anae ‘ohana who trace their lineage to the original inhabitants of Wai’anae. According to Uncle Glen, family mo’olelo are not stories from a book or words of a researcher. �e mo’olelo are records of history. �e land in which we stood was historically called Pūnana’ula. Hawaiians had di¥erent kaona (hidden meanings) for the same word. One meaning of Pūnana’ula is ‘sacred nest’--perfectly encapsulating its function--to protect and sustain the people who dwelled there. Pūnana’ula also refers to the sweet potato that blanketed much of the ‘aina.

�e generational mo’olelo, the chants, and the petroglyphs indicate that Pūnana’ula was a thriving village of Hawaiian families who lived on the Wai’anae Kai side of Ka’ala during the winter and the Wai’anae Uka (or Wahiawa side of the mountain) during the summer. Uncle Glen recalls his Tūtūwāhine’s mo’olelo, “As a child, my Tūtūkane carried us on his back every winter over the mountain to escape the cold of Wai’anae Uka and to �sh. �e cold side would make the babies sickly, so they raised us on this side.” Pūnana’ula was a Pu’uhonua (refuge) against cold and wet winters, even for the ali’i.

Today the ‘aina remains a temple for Kupuka’aina ‘ohana, but the land needs revitalization. Ho’omau Ke Ola are stewards of a piece of the 1,100 acres. �ey plan to use the land for it’s original purpose--to sustain and heal. �ey invite the public to come. Like Uncle Glen said, “�is ‘aina is a temple for many ‘ohana. We want to see it bene�t all of our Wai’anae families.”

Today the ‘aina remains a temple for Kupuka’aina ‘ohana, but the land needs revitalization. Ho’omau Ke Ola are stewards of a piece of the 1,100 acres. �ey plan to use the land for it’s original purpose--to sustain and heal. �ey invite the public to come. Like Uncle Glen said, “�is ‘aina is a temple for many ‘ohana. We want to see it bene�t all of our Wai’anae families.”

Today the ‘aina remains a temple for Kupuka’aina ‘ohana, but the land needs revitalization. Ho’omau Ke Ola are stewards of a piece of the 2,000 acres. �ey plan to use the land for it’s original purpose--to sustain and heal. �ey invite the public to come. Like Uncle Glen said, “�is ‘aina is a temple for many ‘ohana. We want to see it bene�t all of our Wai’anae ‘ohana.”

Ho’omau Ke Ola’s Dr. Patti Isaacs says, “I was called to this ‘aina to steward it. It tells me what it needs, and what it needs is people to care for it and each other.” �e mission of Ho’omau Ke Ola is to perpetuate life as it should be for people who struggle with drug addiction. �e treatment center has spent decades helping the lost and downtrodden �nd their way. �eir program blends Western and Hawaiian cultural practices to ground haumāna in things greater than themselves. Pu’uhonua of Pūnana’ula is the perfect place to heal. �e Haumāna work the ‘aina learning the ka’anani’au, or the rolling beauty of time--that there is a season, and a time for every-thing under heaven.

Ho’omau Ke Ola invites you to spend time, work the land, and share aloha with the haumāna. Dr. Patti shared that some of the haumāna have never heard positive a®rmations. For some, it is uncomfortable. “We need people who care, to come and make positivity the new normal.” Ho’omau Ke Ola will be hosting a bless-ing this month to prepare the ‘aina for all that is in store. For more information, please contact them at 808-696-4266. Visit them on the web at www.hoomaukeola.org, or drive up to Ka’ala. Take the left fork. Drive a half mile. You’ll �nd them on the left.

In subsequent issues we’ ll share more about their progress and Uncle Glen Kila’s mana’o about the ‘aina. Please refer back next month.

HO’OMAU KE OLATheir efforts to heal and strengthen community

Photos by Lynette Cruz

Na pua o waianae march 2016

Presentations & Public Speaking

Transcript of Na pua o waianae march 2016