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Courtesy: Frank and Cheryl Nathaniel

About the Author

Naka Nathaniel

Naka Nathaniel was an Editor-at-Large at Civil Beat from January to September 2024. Naka returned to regular journalism after being the primary parent for his son. In those 13 years, his child has only been to the ER five times (three due to animal attacks.)

Before parenting, Naka was known as an innovative journalist. He was part of the team that launched NYTimes.com in 1996 and he led a multimedia team that pioneered many new approaches to storytelling.

On 9/11, he filmed the second plane hitting the South Tower. His footage aired on the television networks and a sequence was the dominant image on NYTimes.com.

While based in Paris for The New York Times, he developed a style of mobile journalism that gave him the ability to report from anywhere on the planet. He covered the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan and was detained while working in Iran, Sudan, Gaza and China. He is one of a handful of Americans who has been in North Korea, but not South Korea. He worked in 60 countries and made The Times’s audience care about sex trafficking, climate change and the plight of women and children in the developing world.

Besides conflict, The Times also had Naka covering fashion shows, car shows and Olympics. He did all three of those events in the same week (Paris, Geneva and Turin) before going to Darfur to continue reporting on the genocide (it was the fifth of sixth trips to the region.)

Naka lives in Waimea on the Big Island.


Noho ʻoluʻolu nā Kānaka Maoli he mau haneli kaukani ma waho aʻe o Hawaiʻi nei. Noʻu iho, ua kūpono koʻu hoʻi ʻana i ke kulāiwi. 

Kā ka luna hoʻoponopono nota: Unuhi ʻia na Ākea Kahikina. Click here to read this article in English.

Ka nota na ka luna hoʻoponopono: ʻO Naka Nathaniel kā mākou mea kākau nūpepa hou, a nāna nō e lawe mai nei i kekahi kuanaʻike i kakaʻikahi loa– he Kanaka Maoli ʻo ia nāna i noho ʻole ma Hawaiʻi, akā ʻaʻole mō ka piko i ka hoʻoilina a me ke one hānau o kona ʻohana. Ke noho nei ʻo ia ma ka Moku o Keawe ma hope o kona hana ʻana a puni ka honua ma ke ʻano he mea kākau nūpepa no New York Times, a ke lawe mai nei ʻo ia i kona maka a me kona lima kākau nūpepa no ka huakaʻi ʻana i kekahi wahi hou a kamaʻāina naʻe. 

ʻO ka nīnau ʻana i ke kūlana o ke kanaka he kupa a i ʻole he kōlea, ua kūʻokoʻa nā koho kekahi i kekahi. Koe aku naʻe ia ma ka wā e kūʻokoʻa ʻole ai ia mau koho. 

Ma hope o ka neʻe ʻana o mākou ʻo kaʻu wahine a me kaʻu keiki i ka Moku o Keawe ma ka hopena o kēlā kauwela aku nei, ua hoʻopololei iki wau i nā kānaka nāna i ʻōlelo maila, ua hoʻi wau i ʻaneʻi. Koe aku kekahi kauwela ma ke Kulanui o Hawaiʻi ma Mānoa, ʻaʻole nō wau i noho iki ma Hawaiʻi.

Eia naʻe, ma koʻu nīele ʻia ʻana e kekahi hoa kōlea, “Pehea ka lōʻihi o ka noho ʻana o kou ʻohana ma ʻaneʻi nei?” Ua hoʻēheu akula wau me ka ʻōlelo ʻana aku, “He 800 mau makahiki, ʻoi aku nō paha.”  

  • Civil Beat stories ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi

ʻO kaʻu wahine ʻo Meredith, makemake ʻo ia e haʻi aku i nā kānaka, ʻo wau he Kanaka Maoli, a ʻakahi nō wau a noho mai i Hawaiʻi nei. Ua hoʻohaʻahaʻa wau i kēlā manaʻo. Akā naʻe, kuhi wau i ke koʻikoʻi nui o kēia neʻe ʻana i koʻu ʻohana nui. Aia nō i ke kuanaʻike. 

ʻIke wau iaʻu iho me he kōlea lā, no ka mea, ʻo koʻu makuakāne — ʻo ia hoʻi ʻo DaFada — ua haʻalele ʻo ia iā Hawaiʻi ma ka makahiki 1967 no ka hana ʻana ma nā Mākala ʻAilana. Ua haʻi akula koʻu ʻAnakala Duke iā ia, he wahi ʻoihana ʻimi kālā wikiwiki kēia no kekahi makahiki, a hoʻi koke auaneʻi ʻo ia i Hawaiʻi nei. Ua lilo kēlā makahiki i 17 mau makahiki me kekahi wahine a ʻehā mau keiki i hānau ʻia ma ka mokupuni ʻo Kwajalein. 

Ua maikaʻi ko DaFada noho ʻana ma Kwajalein. Ua noho ʻo ia me ka ʻauhau ʻole, ua mālama ʻo ia i ke kālā he nui, a ua hoʻonaʻauao pū ʻia kāna mau keiki me nā keiki a nā mea noiʻi kao lele ma kekahi kula liʻiliʻi i lako loa. 

Akā ma ka makahiki 1984, ʻo ia ka wā i pau ai ka palapala ʻaelike aupuni a kona haku hana, ua pono ʻo DaFada e koho: E hana ma Oʻahu a i ʻole e hana ma ke keʻena home o kona haku hana ma Teseta. 

Ma ka waena o nā makahiki 1980, pono $300,000 i ke kūʻai ʻana i ka hale no ka ʻohana he ʻeono kanaka ma Oʻahu, a pono $100,000 a emi aku ma San Antonio. Ma Teseta, hiki iā ia ke hoʻouna aku i kāna mau keiki i nā kula aupuni i mahalo ʻia e ke aupuni no ka maikaʻi loa o ke aʻo ʻana aku, nā pāheona, a me nā haʻuki. He koho paʻakikī nō ia, akā ua lanakila ke koho i pili i ka hoʻokele waiwai a me ka hoʻonaʻauao, a ua hōʻalo mākou iā Hawaiʻi no ka hele ʻana i San Antonio. ʻAʻole hiki iaʻu ke ʻōlelo, ua ʻāpono wau i ka pepili pale kaʻa, “ʻAʻOLE WAU I HĀNAU ʻIA MA TESETA, AKĀ UA HŌʻEA WAU I ʻANEʻI ME KA WIKIWIKI I HIKI!”

Ua paʻakikī ka pae ʻana, keu hoʻi ma ko mākou wā i hoʻolauna ʻia ai i nā kahakai ma Teseta. Ma Kwajalein, ua pāʻani mākou i ka maʻemaʻe loa o nā kai o kēia honua nei. I ko mākou kipa ʻana i Hilo (he luna kinai ahi koʻu kupuna kāne ma laila,) ʻo mākou ʻo koʻu mau kaikuāhine, ʻaʻole mākou i makemake e hele i nā kahakai i maikaʻi ʻole. Ua makemake mākou i nā mea i noho ʻole ma Kwaj: ʻo McDonald’s, ke alakaha mea pāʻani ma Long’s a me ka hale kiʻiʻoniʻoni ma Waiākea. Hoʻomanaʻo koʻu mau hoa hānau no Hilo, ua ʻāpono nā mākua i ko lākou mau hoa hānau kuaʻāina Pakipika e noho i mua o ke kīwī, a ua hoʻēhu ʻia naʻe nā keiki kupa e hele i waho. 

Ma Teseta, ma hope o ke kalaiwa ʻana he ʻekolu hola i ke Kūʻono o Mekiko, ua holo wikiwiki mākou ʻo koʻu mau kaikuāhine mai ke kaʻa keʻokeʻo ʻo Oldsmobile i kahakai. Akā naʻe, ʻo kēlā “kahakai,” he ahu paua wale nō i waiho ʻia akula. Ua huli mākou iā South Padre Island, a ma laila i paʻa ai ko mākou mau wāwae i ke kēpau mai nā wili ʻaila mai ma kai mamao. 

No laila, ua hemo mākou i nā kalipa, a ua lilo mākou i poʻe Teseta nāna i noho pili ʻole i kai me nā inoa Hawaiʻi ʻano ʻē. Ua aʻo ʻia akula mākou e ʻōlelo aku, “Yo soy Hawaiianos.” Ma ka ʻōlelo ʻana a kekahi kanaka penei, “No ke aha ʻoe e noho ʻole ai ma Hawaiʻi? Inā no laila mai wau, ʻaʻole nō wau e haʻalele,” ua hoʻēheu wau me ka ʻōlelo ʻana, “ka hoʻokele waiwai.” 

Ma mua o ka Lā Kalikimaka ma ka makahiki 2021, ua kipa maila koʻu hoa hānau ʻo Cheri, kāna kāne ʻo Bobby, a me kāna mau keiki no Oʻahu i ka hale mākaʻikaʻi o koʻu mau mākua ma ʻŌlaʻa. Ua noho mākou ma ka lānai me ke kūkā kamaʻilio ʻana a me ka ʻakaʻaka nui ʻana. Akā, ua hele a kaumaha nō ke kamaʻilio ʻana ma muli o ke kūkākūkā ʻana i ke kūlana kūikawā o Hawaiʻi. Ua haʻi akula wau iā Cheri i koʻu ʻiʻini e hoʻonui i kaʻu e hana aku nei. Ua ʻōlelo akula ʻo Bobby, “Kanaka, e hoʻi home mai.” 

He kuʻi pololei kēlā i koʻu umauma: Kanaka, e hoʻi home mai. 

He kāhea nō kēlā e pane ai. 

Hoʻomākaukau ʻo Cheryl lāua ʻo Frank Nathaniel e haʻalele iā Kwajalein no ka lele mua ʻana o kēia mea kākau i Hawaiʻi, ʻo ia kahi āna i hoʻokipa ʻia ai ma ka hale hoʻolulu mokulele o Honolulu e kona mau kūpuna ʻo Harry lāua ʻo Katherine Nathaniel. (Na Frank lāua ʻo Cheryl Nathaniel)

ʻAʻole ʻo wau wale nō ka mea i lohe i ke kāhea. ʻO koʻu kaikuahine ʻo ʻAuliʻi, ua neʻe ʻo ia i ka Moku o Hawaiʻi i ke kau hāʻulelau. I ʻelima mau makahiki aku nei, ʻo ia ka wā i hōʻike aku ai ka helu kanaka ʻAmelika, ma o nā kānaka nāna e noho nei ma Hawaiʻi, he 53% ka nui o nā kānaka i hānau ʻia ma Hawaiʻi, ua ʻōlelo aku kēlā kiaʻāina aku nei, “Nui ʻino nā kānaka he nui o ko kākou kaiāulu i hāʻawi pio wale a neʻe mamao aku.” 

ʻAʻole kūpono kēlā. ʻO nā kānaka nāna i haʻalele, e laʻa me DaFada, koʻu mau ʻanakala, koʻu mau ʻanakē a mē nā hoa hānau, ua ʻimi lākou i ka nohona e ʻoi aku ai ka hoʻokele waiwai a me ka hoʻonaʻauao ʻana. ʻAʻole kēlā ka hāʻawi pio ʻana, ʻo ia naʻe ka ʻimi ʻana i ka mea maikaʻi loa no kāu mau kānaka e aloha aku ai. Ua hāʻawi pio wale anei ka ʻohana o kēlā wahi kiaʻāina ma ko lākou haʻalele ʻana iā Okinawa?

Ma o koʻu noʻonoʻo ʻana i ke kūlana he kupa a he kōlea, ua kūkākūkā wau me David A. Chang, ʻo ia ka hoʻopaʻa moʻolelo no ka University of Minnesota a nāna i kākau iā “.” ʻAʻole wau kākoʻo i nā lepili, akā ua mahalo ʻiʻo wau i kona hoʻolauna ʻana i ka manaʻo ʻo malihini maoli. Ua hōʻupuʻupu ʻo ia (a me nā kānaka ʻē aʻe) i kēia kākau ʻana i pili i ka neʻe home ʻana i Hawaiʻi. 

ʻAʻole māua ʻo ʻAuliʻi wale nō nā mea i hemo i ke kūlana he malihini maoli. He pūʻulu koʻu o nā Kānaka noho ʻAmelika nāna i neʻe maila i Hawaiʻi. Ma Kina, kapa ʻia mākou he mau “Hai Gui” a i ʻole he mau “Honu”– he mau kupa nāna e hoʻi ana i ke one hānau ma hope o ka hoʻonaʻauao ʻia ʻana a i ʻole ka hana mamao ʻana. 

Ma ka wehewehe ʻia ʻana o ka neʻe ʻana o nā “Honu” Hawaiʻi i ʻaneʻi nei, ʻo ka mea i pili pū ai lākou, ʻo ia hoʻi ka loaʻa ʻana o kekahi hale hoʻokipa — he hale i loaʻa i nā mākua a kūpuna hoʻi — i hiki iā lākou ke noho koke ma laila. ʻO kēlā ke alahele wale nō no kekahi maoli malihini e hoʻi mai ai i Hawaiʻi. ʻO ka noho hale ʻana, ka noho hale ʻana, ka noho hale ʻana. ʻO ia ka pilikia hoʻokele waiwai nui loa ma ʻaneʻi. 

Ma koʻu nūnēnūnē ʻana i ke kūpono o ka lepili kūlana he kupa a he kōlea, ʻaʻole hiki iaʻu ke hulikua i kekahi manaʻo i hōʻupuʻupu ʻia i kēlā kekeke aku nei e ka mea kākau ʻo Gish Jen. Ma kāna puke ʻo “,” he huaʻōlelo akeakamai kā Jen no kēia manaʻo: ʻo ia ka interdependent context. ʻO kekahi o kāna laʻana, ʻo ia nō ʻo “Travelers Among Mountains and Streams,” he kiʻi i pena ʻia e Fan Kuan ma ke kenekulia 11. 

Kākau iho ʻo ia: “He hana nui loa kēia, a ʻane ʻehiku kapuaʻi ka lōʻihi, a ʻo ia kahi e nui aʻe ai nā kuahiwi kiʻekiʻe a me nā uhiwai ākea, a liʻiliʻi hoʻi ka lōʻihi o nā hoki a me nā kānaka e kū kokoke ana, ua ʻōlelo ʻia, he kiʻi ona iho ia…ʻAʻohe mea o laila e hōʻike aku ana, he pono kona hoʻonui ʻana iā ia iho a i ʻole kona kāohi ʻana i ka ʻāina, ʻo ka ʻēkoʻa nō kā ke ʻano o ia kiʻi. Wahi a ka maka, ʻoluʻolu wale ʻo ia i ka noho ʻana me he māhele interdependent liʻiliʻi o ka nui ʻano holoʻokoʻa.” 

No laila, ma ka pōʻaiapili interdependent, he kupa wau. Ma laila nō e pā ʻoluʻolu ai kuʻu naʻau i ka nui ʻano holoʻokoʻa. ʻO ka ʻoluʻolu i pā ai koʻu naʻau i koʻu walaʻau ʻana me DaFada ma ke kelepona ma koʻu kalaiwa ʻana ma ke alahele ʻo Kawaihae ma hope o ka hoʻomaʻama hoe waʻa ma ke kakahiaka. He wahi kanaka liʻiliʻi nō wau ma o nā mauna nani lua ʻole, he kanaka hoʻi nāna e walaʻau nei i koʻu mau kūpuna e noho ʻole nei i ke ao kanaka, akā noho nō lākou i ke ao ʻuhane. 

Wahi a ka ʻelepaio, ʻo ka lei o ka lanakila no ke kupa o kekahi mokupuni, ʻo ia nō ka haʻalele ʻana i ka mokupuni. Noʻu, ʻo ka lei maoli o ka lanakila, ʻo ia nō ka haʻalele ʻana, ka hoʻi ʻana, a me ka lawe pū ʻia ʻana mai o nā kānaka i aloha nui ʻia i laila. 

Ua kākoʻo ʻia kēia papahana e ka ʻOhana o Harry Nathaniel, Levani Lipton, ka ʻOhana Mar, a me Lisa Kleissner.


Read this next:

Ua Pupū Ka Hoʻolālā ʻAna No Nā Papa ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Ma Nā Kula


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About the Author

Naka Nathaniel

Naka Nathaniel was an Editor-at-Large at Civil Beat from January to September 2024. Naka returned to regular journalism after being the primary parent for his son. In those 13 years, his child has only been to the ER five times (three due to animal attacks.)

Before parenting, Naka was known as an innovative journalist. He was part of the team that launched NYTimes.com in 1996 and he led a multimedia team that pioneered many new approaches to storytelling.

On 9/11, he filmed the second plane hitting the South Tower. His footage aired on the television networks and a sequence was the dominant image on NYTimes.com.

While based in Paris for The New York Times, he developed a style of mobile journalism that gave him the ability to report from anywhere on the planet. He covered the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan and was detained while working in Iran, Sudan, Gaza and China. He is one of a handful of Americans who has been in North Korea, but not South Korea. He worked in 60 countries and made The Times’s audience care about sex trafficking, climate change and the plight of women and children in the developing world.

Besides conflict, The Times also had Naka covering fashion shows, car shows and Olympics. He did all three of those events in the same week (Paris, Geneva and Turin) before going to Darfur to continue reporting on the genocide (it was the fifth of sixth trips to the region.)

Naka lives in Waimea on the Big Island.


About IDEAS

IDEAS is the place you'll find essays, analysis and opinion on public affairs in Hawaii. We want to showcase smart ideas about the future of Hawaii, from the state's sharpest thinkers, to stretch our collective thinking about a problem or an issue. Email news@civilbeat.org to submit an idea.

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