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Ohanas on Big Island, Hawaii Kona and Hilo

Kinisou Chapur. Gaisa Gashigeshig

Aloha & Mahalos

Good morning y’all from the comfort of my home in Seattle, Washington. Arriving 20 minutes earlier than scheduled, they awarded us a seat on the tarmac for the same amount of time. There’s another plane loading at our assigned gate. Thanks to the Pineapple Express for bringing us home early, but these Seattle crew messed up our timing by keeping another aircraft at our gate. 

Gotta say thank you to the man above for bringing us home safely. And especially for allowing us to meet our OHANAS on Big Island. I got to meet my Remathaw brothers in Kona and my Nefoutirow family on the Hilo Side. Thank you to Wiwi for bringing us together, yet again, and for protecting and guiding all of us throughout our time on Big Island. Also my special RESPECT and MAHALO to King Kamehameha and the Hawaiian Natives for sharing their beautiful island and beautiful ocean with us, especially sharing the harvest from the land and sea. I will be forever grateful. Mahalos. 

I am so grateful to meet my REMATHAW brothers and am very impressed with their collective OHANA tradition. It embodies the REMATHAW spirit of commitment to cooperation, teamwork, and love of one another. Us REMATHAW, especially on foreign soils, no one is a land to himself. We are all brothers and sisters! And that is what I witnessed in Kona. Sa rol hachigchig, brothers. I cannot thank you all enough for an awesome experience, and especially to witness that the spirit of REMATHAWS live on. 

As the name REMATHAW reflects, we are the people of the sea. We harvest when we want to and know exactly where, why and how. We know the factors such as current, wind, tide, the sun, the birds, people and all that stuff. Gare meta iye melwe? Auggie, you are the man! The OIHS class of 1989 was the best in everything, from you know where to the end of the globe. Hahahahaha. All that talk my brother made me homesick already. If we can, we have to relive the OIHS days, brother. The only thing missing from that trip was spending time with our dear brother, the now infamous king of HONOLULU, Mr. Fethal. 

 
Meeting my NEFOUTIROW family was a blast too. Our host and sister, Kachen, KINISOU chapur for everything. You are always amazing, bringing our OHANAS from everywhere. From Grandma to the uncles, nephews, nieces; MAHALOS from our family. To brother Wiwi, thank you very much for bringing your family together again. And especially for watching over us the entire trip. I can feel your presence amongst us and we will never forget you. Your legacy lives on in each and everyone of us. The main theme of our togetherness in your name was to carry your legacy of commitment to Family, Culture, Education, Hard Work, and Community.

It was a trip of a lifetime as we met our Ohanas on both sides of the beautiful island. Felt the Aloha spirit driving and sightseeing.

The only sad part of my trip was noticing the homelessness of our native peoples. And I said ours, because we are after all islanders. And as islanders, no matter which island we are from, we always treat one another with respect. We take care of one another.

Our islands, especially the islands of Hawaii, are colonized and the Western culture was forced upon its native people. I cannot overlook that harsh reality, and to witness it up front, is painful to contemplate or to think about. We cannot come to these islands without thinking of what happened and why things are happening today, to our native brothers and sisters. Money had mostly taken over these islands.

 

Quick Summary of Our Big Island Trip

Meeting ohanas

local coffee

respect to the king & people

remathaw brothers

nefoutirow family

Homelessness