" ‘O ke aloha ‘āina ke kūkulu pa‘a o ko‘u ola, no ka mea, ‘o ka ‘āina ke kumu mua loa. ‘O ka ‘ike ‘āina a me ka ‘ike kupuna ka mea e alaka‘i ai i ko Hawai‘i i ke ala kūpono a i ola ai kākou a pau."

" Aloha ‘āina is the pillar that guides my life because ‘āina is our first teacher, showing us how to care for and respect all the beings of this place. Love of land and ancestral knowledge has and will continue to empower all of Hawai‘i to truly thrive."

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»Pono Fernandez is the Evaluation Specialist for the Office of Hawaiian Education where she began her journey with the Department in 2018. She is also a cultural practitioner in the arts of hula, oli, lauhala weaving and featherwork and holds a BA in ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i and English and an MA in ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.

" ʻO Pilina ka waiwai Hawaiʻi i koʻikoʻi noʻu. Hōʻike ʻia kēia waiwai ma kēia ʻŌlelo Noʻeau, “I leʻa ka hula i ka hoʻopaʻa”. E like me ka hula ʻana, aia no nā ʻōlapa i maʻalahi ka ʻike ʻana. Akā loaʻa nā hoʻopaʻa kekahi, ʻaʻole hiki ke ʻike ʻia i nā manawa a pau me ka maʻalahi, akā na lākou ke kuleana e mālama i ka pana i mea e hōʻea ai i Kahiki (ka hopena). Pōmaikaʻi au no kaʻu kūlana ma ke Keʻena Hoʻonaʻauao Hawaiʻi, ʻoiai hiki iāʻu ke ʻike i nā pilina like ʻole ma waena o kō mākou keʻena a me nā hui ʻē aʻe e like me nā poʻe hana o nā complex area, nā hui kaiāulu, nā ʻāuna kumu kula, a me nā haumāna kekahi. ʻO ka pilina makamae noʻu ʻoia koʻu pilina me kuʻu ʻohana OHE, ma muli o ko mākou kūpaʻa mau ana me ka pahu hopu e hoʻomau i ke aʻo aku ana o ka ʻike kūpuna ma ka ʻOihana Hoʻonaʻauao. "

" The Hawaiian value that stands out for me is Pilina (connections, relationships). This is expressed in the ʻŌlelo Noʻeau, "I leʻa ka hula i ka hoʻopaʻa" (The hula is pleasing because of the drummer). Some may be ʻōlapa (dancers) and more visible while others may be hoʻopaʻa (chanters) that may not be highlighted but are vital to provide the beat to keep everyone together, moving toward the same Kahiki (destination). As a part of the Office of Hawaiian Education, I have the privilege of experiencing the various pilina between our office and other state offices, complex area personnel, community organizations, school faculty, and students. I would say that my most treasured pilina are with my ʻohana OHE because of our unwavering dedication to move ʻike Kūpuna (ancestral knowledge) forward throughout the system."

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»Keola Kaʻuhane is a Hawaiian Studies Resource Teacher in the Office of Hawaiian Education. He started teaching at Molokaʻi High and Intermediate school and also served as a Resiliency Counselor at Moanalua Middle school. The majority of his career in education was at King Intermediate school where he served as a Student Activities Coordinator, Outreach Counselor and most recently a Hawaiian and Polynesian Dance teacher before starting two and a half years ago at OHE.