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www.oha.org/kwo | kwo@OHA.org
EDUCATION Continued from page 9 go, lad.” As a tribute, Nogelmeier and Kawehi Lucas performed hula to a song Nogelmeier had written for Losch’s retirement. Alan Murakami Litigation Director and Attorney Alan Murakami has led the Native Hawaiian Legal Corp. – the only nonprofit public interest law firm concentrating on Native Hawaiian rights law – in the defense and enforcement of Hawaiian family land title, Hawaiian water rights, access to kuleana and other subsistence and cultural gathering areas, cultural rights to protect and preserve iwi küpuna, ceded land trust rights and Hawaiian Homes Commission Act rights, among others. Former NHLC Executive Director Mahealani Wendt described Murakami as “our unsung hero” and an “excellent role model for all of
n a t i v e hawa i i a n » n e w s | f e a t u r e s | e v e n t s
us, our staff attorneys as well as the many young legal interns that strive for truth. … Some of them have gone on to become not only outstanding members of the bar but are serving on the bench as well.” Jon Matsuoka of the UH School of Social Work said he got a call from Murakami some two decades ago asking him to serve as an expert witness in a contested case involving a proposed development project that threatened the lifestyle of Ka‘ü and the traditional fishing village of Miloli‘i. “What I saw at that time was how hard Alan … and the other attorneys from NHLC worked. They were consumed by incredible passion and commitment to protect those areas … and they worked tirelessly in support of the preservation of those communities. In the end, the Land Use Commission voted to approve the petition, but they laid down 25 stipulations, which basically killed the project. “Throughout the years, I’ve asked the question, What would Hawai‘i look like without Native Hawaiian Legal
Corp. and Alan Murakami? The work that they do in terms of protecting the iwi, burial sites and the rights to those on the (state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands) waiting list and the life ways and lifestyle of Native Hawaiians – particularly those in rural areas – is just so critical to the sustenance and sustainability of cultures.” Murakami said the NHLC “gave me the opportunity to do exactly what I wanted to do with this career,” calling it “the best job in town.” “People have to make choices in life as everybody on the corporation has done – everyone from the attorneys to the secretaries to the support staff. They’ve all made a choice of what kind of work they want to do, and the Native Hawaiian Legal Corp. really stands out as a stellar example of serving people who might not otherwise be heard.” Kü Kahakalau Kü Kahakalau is the Founder and Director of Kanu O Ka ‘Äina, the first public charter school in Waimea on Hawai‘i Island, which promotes a
womb-to-tomb model incorporating community, culture and family in its offerings, including a bilingual preschool program, higher education and adult education. Kamehameha Schools CEO Dee Jay Mailer described Kahakalau as “an educational leader and a visionary” whose work has transformed education. She praised Kahakalau’s strength, wisdom, determination and flexibility, all done with aloha, adding later that with a name like “Kü,” “There’s no question about the honor of that kuleana.” “She has sacrificed much to bring so many dreams to reality and has paved so many paths for all of us to walk on,” Mailer said. Kalei Kailihiwa, Director of Kamehameha Schools Ho‘olako Like, which supports start-up and conversion Hawaiian-focused charter schools, said Kahakalau is an agent of change. “People who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do,” she said of Kahakalau, who also co-founded and
directed Hälau Wänana: Indigenous Center for Higher Learning, which is Hawai‘i’s first state-approved teacher education program that’s not affiliated with a western university. “I am absolutely humbled and honored to stand in the shadow of the work that you do.” Kahakalau said she is privileged to see what our youth are capable of doing. “They have infinite potential and they can do anything and everything that they want to do, and all we have the privilege of doing is helping them along and watching them grow and watching them blossoming.” Kahakalau – whose daughters ‘I‘inimaikalani and Pölanimakamae, performed the song E Pili Mai for their mom – thanked her family and husband for their support. “When you ask the students what is different about this way of education, they will be the first to say, it’s the aloha,” Kahakalau said. “Because of the aloha of kumu, because of the aloha of our community, we have been able to grow and to move beyond our wildest dreams.”