HE HO‘OMANA‘O
malaki2019
IN MEMORIAM
7
He lei poina ‘ole ke keiki
A beloved child is a lei never forgotten By Senator Kaiali‘i Kahele
H
awaiians use proverbs to teach kuana ‘ike Hawai‘i or the Hawaiian way of thinking. In this proverb, “He lei poina ‘ole ke keiki” speaks of a child that is so beloved, she is never forgotten. Aunty Diana Puakini Aki is indeed a beloved child of Hawai‘i who will never be forgotten. As a child growing up in Miloli‘i, I would observe after a küpuna had passed how the elders in the village would gather specific flowers, shells and items that recognized and honored the life of the deceased. The first item was the liko. The liko represents foundation, the beginning stages of the life of a lehua. The liko teaches us to remember the beginnings. Aunty Diana was ahead of her time. An incredible singer and amazing storyteller. She learned how to sing the old songs the “old way” from her aunties in Miloli‘i, Tutu Melekule, Lokelani and Ukuli‘i. She would imitate these voices until she mastered them and then she would adopt her own style of singing and the “Songbird of Miloli‘i was born. The second item was the Hala which are used to represent the passing from one realm into the next. Hala in ‘ölelo Hawai‘i means “to pass.” It is used in funerals to promote passing from this physical realm into the next where Aunty Diana will be reunited with her loved ones, her husband Fidelis and her Creator. The third item was the wood roses which are used to represent an everlasting impression. The wood rose grows on a vine and starts off as a soft yellow flower, bright and bold, and when it reaches maturity, it
Musician Aunty Diana Aki, “The Songbird of Miloli’i”. - Photo: Ola Jenkins Enjoy this video that captures Aunty Diana in Miloli‘i in the mid 1980s. https://vimeo.com/40483435 turns into wood and can last forever if properly maintained. Just like her songs, the impression is everlasting. Aunty Diana touched thousands of lives throughout Hawai‘i and the world, and her music will be forever considered amongst the classics of Hawaiian music. The fourth item is the ocean shells which represent our küpuna. When a shell washes ashore, it is evidence of what grew in it and its design, color and shape reflect the kind of life and environment it lived in. As we reflect on the many of our küpuna who have done great things and have passed, we add Aunty Diana to those rare treasures of the vast ocean of küpuna of who’s knowledge we can access because of the imprint that they have made on their shell of life. The fifth item is the bright colored tropical flowers
which represent growth. When küpuna like Aunty Diana plant seeds in our communities, they grow into a new generation of new bright and bold colored flowers that reflect the beauty of knowledge and DNA that she passes down. Today, a new generation of musicians emulate Aunty Diana and her style of Hawaiian music that all of us were so privileged to be able to hear, feel and experience. Finally is the ‘upena or fishing net. The significance of the ‘upena are in the maka or the eye of the net, the fish it traps, and the nutrition it delivers. The eye of our küpuna reminds us that we are a product of them and the lens of which we view the world must come from a foundational perspective. The fish that are caught in the ‘upena represent the nutritional qualities of our küpuna that we want to intellectually digest and remember forever. He Lei Poina ‘Ole Ke Keiki A beloved child is a lei never forgotten. A hui hou, Aunty Diana Aki. You will always be remembered. ¢
Diana Aki’s “Kalihi” album. - Illustration: Courtesy of Songbird Productions
NOTICE TO PROVIDERS OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) anticipates the need for professional services during the Fiscal Year 2020 (July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020) and is seeking qualified persons and/or firms to provide professional services in specified areas. Interested parties are invited to submit expressions of interest and statements of qualifications. As needs for services arise during the course of the fiscal year, OHA will look to the list of qualified applicants from which selection of contractors will be made. The list of services anticipated to be needed and instructions for applying can be found on OHA’s Notice to Providers of Professional Services on the State Procurement Office website at https://hands.ehawaii.gov/hands/opportunities and on OHA’s website at www.oha.org/solicitations. Copies of the notice can also be picked up at OHA’s office located at 560 N. Nimitz Hwy., Suite 200, Honolulu, Hawai‘i during business hours. All expressions of interest and statements of qualifications must be postmarked or delivered to OHA by 2:00 p.m., Friday, April 12, 2019. Facsimiles, emails, and other forms of electronic submittals will NOT be accepted.
Inquiries regarding this notice can be directed to Miki Lene at (808) 594-1993.
