Liliʻuokalani Trust

Virtual Book Launch

Nānā I Ke Kumu: Helu ʻEkolu Virtual Book Launch

Nānā I Ke Kumu, Helu ʻEkolu authors Lynette Paglinawan, Dennis Kauahi, Kalei Kanuha and artist Imaikalani Kalahele, who are collectively carrying forward the ʻike of kūpuna such as Tūtū Mary Kawena Pukuʻi, Aunty Malia Craver, and Uncle Likeke Paglinawan participated at LT's virtual book launch. Former trustee Patrick Yim honored us with the opening haʻi ʻōlelo from LT.

The following are excerpts from the launch.

Pule Wehe | Opening Prayer

A greeting Former LT Trustee, Judge Patrick Yim

Imaikalani Kalahele is a Native Hawaiian artist, activist, scholar, and practitioner of Hawaiian culture who “lives” and works in his mountain studio in upper Kalihi valley. As a child, Imai was a beneficiary of Liliʻuokalani Trust and it was there, and during that time, that he received his first class and training in art. After 37 years of service, Imai retired from LT. Imai will share a few selected images and poems from ʻEkolu.

The authors of Helu ʻEkolu

Lynette and Richard Paglinawan were hired in the 1960s by Liliʻuokalani Trust as social workers to help Hawaiian children and their families. Encountering cases involving ʻanai (spell or curse) and moe ʻuhane (dream), they felt ill prepared to deal with these complex and distinctly Hawaiian problems. Mentored by Mary Kawena Pukuʻi, they learned to differentiate between situations rooted in Hawaiian concepts which require Hawaiian solutions, and situations that stem from profound historical trauma and require solutions that draw upon Western social work practices. From Tutu Pukui, Richard and Lynette learned about hoʻoponopono and the potential of its application to social work, utimately training to become haku hoʻoponopono.
Dennis Kauahiʻs career at Liliʻuokalani Trust spanned 40 years in roles including Social Worker, supervisor, and assistant Director.  He retired in 2018. A master practitioner of Ho’oponopono, he credits nā Kupuna Mary Kawena Pukui, Nahale’elua Mahuiki, Malia Craver, and Danny Hanakahi as his mentors. For Dennis who was born and raised in Waimea, Kauaʻi, Hawaiian culture and language have been foundational since childhood. This grounding enabled him to provide culturally-based SW to a wide range of families and communities based on mutual respect and trust, and to establish personal and professional connections with indigenous peoples worldwide.
Valli Kalei Kanuha was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. She thanks her grandmother, Becky Niniau-kealoha-onalani-elua Arce Kanuha and her mother, Chitose Araki Kanuha for their unconditional love. Aunty Malia Craver honored Kalei with her blessings to work on this sacred project, for which Kalei will be forever grateful. Kalei currently serves as assistant dean, Office of Field Education, University of Washington, SSW.

Panel Discussion

A project of this magnitude and legacy must not have been an easy task, can you provide us with the background of Nānā I Ke Kumu Helu ʻEkolu?

Speaker: Dennis Kauahi
Topics:

The continuation of the Nānā I Ke Kumu series into Helu ʻEkolu
Taking on responsibility and looking for the answers within
Bringing together Hawaiian and Western practices

ʻEkolu covers key areas: Guiding values and principles, historical trauma, kaumaha, and hoʻoponopono, can you describe why these areas were selected?

Speaker: Lynette Paglinawan
Topics:

Use knowledge in a living way
Loss, separation, and kaumaha as key parts of LT services
Impact of cultural historical trauma in understanding Hawaiian concepts and ideas
Appreciation of the wisdom of the ancestors

ʻEkahi and ʻelua (Volumes I & II) were developed and published in the late 1960s to early 1970s, over half a century ago; so much as occurred since then. What are the benefits and perhaps challenges of publishing a book on Hawaiian cultural healing practices today than they were 50 years ago?
Speakers: Kalei Kanuha
Topic:

Applicability of cultural practices in our daily lives

Near the beginning of the book, you describe a soft kapu on how best to use the cultural ʻike or knowledge in the book, can you explain how best to use the knowledge and why it was important for the authors to emphasize this?

Speakers: Lynette Paglinawan, Dennis Kauahi, and Kalei Kanuha
Topics:

Preserve the integrity of ‘ike kupuna with the kuleana to use the knowledge in the way it was intended by our ancestors
When adapting cultural practices, it is not the same
Be enlightend by the book then seek kūpuna to deepen your knowledge
Preserve knowledge and use these practices to be well

Where are the Hawaiians who can help me and my ʻohana do hoʻoponopono? I went to google and get choke crazy people. How do I know they authentic? ,How does one go about accessing, if they are really looking for a Hawaiian solution and a Hawaiian practitioner to help them understand, and to assess whether this is a Hawaiian issue? How do Hawaiian families and others go about doing this?

Speakers: Kalei Kanuha, Dennis Kauahi, Lynette Paglinawan
Topics:

If Hoʻoponopono practitioners are advertising on Google, they are not authentic
Seek within your community the natural healers
Ways youth learn about Hoʻoponopono

Will there be training offered, when possible, that accompanies volume three?

Speakers: Lynette Paglinawan
Topics:

Trainings presently at UH West Oʻahu: a) Nohona Hawaiʻi, b) Hoʻoponopono Level 1-Learning how to be pono, c) Hoʻoponopono, Laʻau Lapaʻau, Lomilomi

I read in the book about “Grieving in Place”. Wow, I thought it was incredible. Can you talk more about this please?