Lā Kūʻokoʻa
Written by Eli Matola
Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono - The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.
Come celebrate Lā Kūʻokoʻa. What is Lā Kūʻokoʻa? In an interview, Iokepa Kekoa Kaolulokonanuiwakinekoa Kāʻeo, also known as Joseph or Kepa, explained what this means. Kāʻeo is a self described political prisoner, a UH Hilo Human Services graduate, and a junior majoring in Communication. He is currently working on putting together Lā Kūʻokoʻa.
Lā Kūʻokoʻa, celebrated on November 28, is the celebration of the recognition of the Nation of Hawai‘i as an independent state by France, Great Britain, and, later, the United States of America in 1843. Historically and culturally, it is the Independance Day for the Nation of Hawai‘i, and the day that Hawai‘i officially joined The Family of Nations. Kāʻeo says November 28 is “a celebration of Hawai‘i's independence and continence. The day is mainly to spread awareness and thought to the community, Hopefully, to have an awakening of knowledge about Hawai‘i's identity.”
The flyer for the 172nd Lā Kūʻokoʻa Celebration in Hilo. Photo courtesy of Joseph Kaolulo.
Holidays can mean a lot of things to different people; when asked what the day means to him, Kāʻeo says, “we’re trying to build in our community a sense of historical and personal identity through Lā Kūʻokoʻa. This has been a way to celebrate the Hawaiian peoples accomplishments and give them that sense of identity, so we can hopefully better manage the problems of poverty, housing, health, [and] education.”
Kāʻeo says by helping put together Lā Kūʻokoʻa, he has become more aware of his history but also the present situation of people living in Hawai‘i. Kāʻeo said he has learned, “our treaties are still intact, learning the connection between the mental and the land and, finally, learning a great deal about me and my people's history.”
Lā Kūʻokoʻa is a day for people to be aware and conscious of Hawai‘i's history. To celebrate, Kāʻeo is putting together a couple events on Saturday. These include a food independence food drive at Hilo Bandstand, from 10am-2pm, down on Bayfront. Secondly there is a potluck at Uncle Robert’s Awa Bar in the Hawaiian Kingdom Capital of Kaimū, also known as Kalapana. There will be entertainment and guest speakers from 4 till pau. All events are free, but Kāʻeo advises you bring food for the food drive, and potluck. Kāʻeo suggests you bring your “Hawai‘i Flag raised high, and a sense of pride and willingness to search for the truth.” For any information please contact Kāʻeo at jkaolulo@hawaii.edu
