The magnetic pull within the hearts of the lāhui

Aloha ‘āina: The magnetic pull within the hearts of the lāhui

“Ke Aloha Aina; Heaha ia? O ke Aloha Aina, oia ka Ume Mageneti iloko o ka puuwai o ka Lahui, e kaohi ana i ka noho Kuokoa Lanakila ana o kona one hanau ponoi. O ka Ume Mageneti, oia no ka ikaika nana i kaohi i ke kui mageneti o ke Panana, e hoopololei ana i kona kuhikuhi i ka welelau Akau o ka Honua nei, a i ka hoku akau hoi. He mea pohihihi ka ike ana i kahi i loaa ai ia mea he ume iloko o ka hao Mageneti, aka, eia ka mea maopopo loa, aia kela kui Mageneti ke hoomau la i kona kuhikuhi ana i ka hoku akau ma ka welau akau o ka honua nei. Pela ke aloha iloko o ka puuwai o ke kanaka no kona aina hanau ponoi. Aole i ike maka ia ia mea he aloha, aole hoi hiki ke hoopaaia, aole hoi e hiki ke haha ia; aka, ua laha wale aku oia, a ua lele wale aku a pili i kona aina hanau ponoi iho, me he ume la o ke kui Mageneti. I na i hookokoke ia na kui hao Mageneti i kahi hookahi, alaila, he mea maopopo loa me ke kanalua ole o ka manao, ua ume like no lakou a pau loa kekahi i kekahi. Pela hoi na lahui a me na kanaka a pau loa i noho pihaia e ka uhane aloha i ka aina hanau. E ike auanei ko lakou huki ana, ume ana, a me ko lakou kaohi ana i ka noho Kuokoa Lanakila ana o ko lakou aina hanau. Na kela aloha iloko o lakou e hoolilo ia lakou i poai hookahi, e kupaa ana, a e hakoko ana me ka wiwo ole imua o na enemi, e hoao ana e kaili i ko lakou pono Kuokoa. Nolaila, ua lilo ka hune, ka nele, ka inea a me na popilikia he nui i mea ole loa ia lakou. No ka mea, ua nui aku ke aloha no ka aina hanau mamua o na mea e ae a pau loa. He holoholona ke kanaka ke nele oia i keia ano he Aloha Aina, a i ole ia, he kumakaia paha kona ano like loa. He haahaa loa ke kulana o ke kanaka aloha ole a kumakaia paha i kona one hanau. Aohe ona noonoo hou ia he pono ka i koe iaia, a e maalo ae ana oia iwaena o kona lahui ponoi iho me ka hoowahawaha loa ia aku e lakou.”

— Joseph Nawahi. Ke Aloha Aina, Buke 1, Helu 1 25 Mei 1895

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Joseph Nāwahī says that aloha ʻāina is the magnetic pull within our hearts. And just as a compass needle is always drawn to point north, our hearts are always drawn to aloha for our ʻāina. It is that invisible pull that decides all of our actions and all of our pono, and it is what brings us together to stand as a lāhui.

On October 5th, tens of thousands of koa aloha ‘āina felt the magnetic pull within their hearts and flooded the streets of Waikīkī. The ume mageneti connected us all across the pae ʻāina as other demonstrations and acts of aloha ‘āina were carried out by kānaka on all the islands, even by those who could only join the action via live stream. The pull of aloha ‘āina has brought us together, but where it will draw us next is up to us.