Hawaiian Life Lessons, pt.2 (Hawaiian Health)

The church that I attend with Gary & Karen - Waiokeola UCC (Waiokeola means living water) - is doing a lecture series on health (The Ministry of Healing). Each Sunday, after the Aloha Coffee Hour (where I get my free lunch), they have a guest speaker present on a topic of health. This past Sunday, they had a presentation on Hawaiian Culture and Health. Naturally, I was interested and decided to attend.

The presentation was given by Stephan R.P.K (Kalani) Brady, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.P., who is the Interim Chair of the Department of Native Hawaiian Health at the University of Hawai'i John A. Burns School of Medicine. (Say that 3x fast!) The bio in the program reads as follows:

"Kalani Brady traces his roots to the Keli'ikanaka'oleaipolani family from Kaua'i. He graduated from St. Louis High School, received an A.B. cum laude from Harvard University, Ph.D. from University of Hawai'i School of Public Health, and an M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

In addition to his private practice as a primary care physician and responsibilities as Interim Chair of the Department of native Hawaiian Health at the University of Hawai'i John A. Burns School of Medicine, Dr. Brady has also published numerous articles, given oral presentations on a variety of topics, and sung in many musical productions throughout the state. For 27 years he has been the tenor soloist at Central Union Church. He is the doctor of the weekly program "Ask the Doctor" on KHON FOX Channel 2 Morning News.

For his presentation Kalani Brady will talk about Native Hawaiian Health and Culture: Past and Present, and discuss Hawaiian healing practices."

The first observation I made was that this Dr. Brady did not look Hawaiian. I was confused about why someone non-Hawaiian would be giving a lecture on Native Hawaiian health. Then he informed the audience of his ethnic background, including how he is also decendant of missionaries who came to the islands, and happens to look full "Haole" but is really part Native Hawaiian. Just goes to show you... don't judge a book by it's cover!

The following are my notes from the presentation. They are most likely scattered and random, but hopefully you can follow along and learn something, as I did. :)

• 22.10% of Hawai'i's population is still part Native Hawaiian, which is an increase from just 30 years ago
• Cannakamowree - the people (Native Hawaiians), derived from the Hawaiian terms Kanaka Maoli (Kanaka = mankind, Maoli = indigenous/native)
• Hapa = mixed race
• When Dr. Brady was in grade school, youth were beaten (corporal punishment) for speaking ʻŌlelo Hawai'i (Hawaiian Language). This trauma runs deep into some portions of Hawaiian identity
• Ka Ma ahanui - triangle of Polynesian islands (largest nation on Earth). Outsiders/foreigners see the "islands [as] insignificant," but that is not the case.
• Ha = breath of life. Hawaiians used to share breath and spirit by placing foreheads together and breathing in each other's breath. This led to massive outbreak/spreading of foreign diseases once they were introduced to the islands because Hawaiians were "immunilogically virgins."
• 300,000-800,000 Hawaiian population decreased to just around 40,000 in less than a century. Still today, Native Hawaiians lead in mortality rates in Hawai'i
• Females used to be killed for eating pig. It was considered a sacred animal only eaten by men for special occasions.
• Health of Native Hawaiians is closely related to how much one identifies with their culture. Health is connected to "spirit occasions" - one has to heal the spirit before they can heal the body. Need social/cultural/economic/political changes.
• Three things rooted in the Hawaiian culture: Nā Akua (Gods), 'Aina (nature/land), Kanaka (mankind). Removing one of these aspects, such as land, was like removing part of the soul.
• January 17, 1893, Hawaiian islands/land was stolen ("ceded") from Queen Lili'uokalani by unlawful Dole Provisional Government. This was planned in the basement of Union Church
• 1898 the land was ceded by unlawful Dole Republic to the unlawfully occupying United States
• 1993 (100 year anniversary of stolen lands) - the U.S. submitted a formal apology to Hawaiian islands (Bill Clinton signed Senator Anaka's resolution, bill has not yet been passed).
• Psychological issues: geographical disparities (doctor's in cities, natives are rural), deeply rooted beliefs in traditional practices, being culturally sensitive ("nothing left but Aloha")
• Cultural Conflict:

  WEST	Kanaka Maoli
  Materialism	Spirituality
  Individualism	Collective Holism
  Private Property	Communal
  Capitalism	Caring/Sharing

• At indigenous Hawaiian schools, students don't strive to be first in class because that separates them from the rest of their peers/community. If students don't strive to excel than they don't excel.

Dr. Brady made A LOT of points, and I was scrambling to write them all down. I'm sure I missed some of them, but this is an overview of what he lectured on, and hopefully you got something out of it like I did.