The passing of my friend Kumu Hula Akoni Akana has led me to reflect on lives we come in contact with. Those people who have made a difference in our lives. We all have them. They may not always be there, you may not always talk to them, but their influence has contributed to who you are today.
Once, we were all very young, we all loved hula and Hawaiian culture, and we all made Maui our home. A group of us who collectively were Na Kinimakalehua. We wanted to make a difference in our community, we wanted to find outlet for our collective creativity, and we wanted to have the rest of Hawai'i remember that Maui is here. Toward this end we would have overnighters where we talked, read, discussed, and did huaka'i. Where we let our minds wander to phrases like, "wouldn't it be great if...", or "how about...", or worse yet "let's do it!". Out of this grew stage productions, protest gatherings, passionate projects, and lifelong friendships.
For Akoni, his passionate project was Moku'ula. At the time everyone thought he was crazy to want to raise a long buried island in the middle of a baseball park in the middle of Lahaina. Many said it would never happen. Many were wrong. Akoni gave the remainder of his life to bring the glory back to Moku'ula. His dream will come to fruition and his legacy of passionate aloha for this place will remain with us all. Aloha dear friend...you will not be forgotten. Aloha kaua.
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