You know you talk to me?  It’s not da same like talking to one captured kanaka, you know.  Even when I was in capturedville, I neva fit.  I don’t know if it was Viet Nam, but my ability for touch this, the Earth, is what made the difference.

 

It’s like electricity. Get Sky Father is the positive; Earth Mother is the ground. Us, da human being, is da switch. We control da ability for da current flow by turning the switch on.  If no more flow, no going have electricity flow through you from the Sky Father to the Earth Mother.  All of those things are health oriented.

 

Da kanaka live in da city, he’s being bombarded by competitive world.  In the competitive world, you either one dud, or you industrious.  In da kanaka way, when he lookin around, in his intake of information through da 5 senses, he is overwhelmed.  We surrounded.  We captured, in essence.  Da only way you can be free is something like da Hindu – “alms for da poor, alms for da poor. “  So they go on welfare.  Go live down da beach.  In their own way, they free.  But, if you ingest da kine stuff that is harmful -- heroin, junk food – that is not good.  That one choice, going make you more sick.

 

The key is how you able to see, and utilize that information to a point where you understand that it is not our fault.  Not my fault that the kingdom got overthrown.  Yes, I still mad.  I going be mad till I die.  But it’s not my fault.  Not your fault.  But it IS your fault if you remain in lōlō.

 

After that, the kanaka gotta think, how I going do with myself, even though I right – Queen Liliʻuokalani was correct. We been surrounded and drownded and consistently been hounded about the Overthrow we didn’t offend, nor defend, yet still offends us.   So your spirit now is at one handicap.

 

The solution?  Water.  H2o.  The Wai ka Pō come to our naʻau;  all da water come from da dark – mai ka po mai mākou.  If you put one rock in front da river, everything below come dry.   da water come all jam up; come stink.  In you, if you stay stuck, your spirit goin come stink.  Your body goin start stinking. 

 

Da kanaka for help himself, he gotta stop and listen to the rain.  Jus let um talk to you.  You no gotta be in da forest.  You in da city, in da ghetto, you just step right out from under the roof and you sit there and you listen.  Da buggah talk to you.  And then that how, you open the river that stuck in your spirit. The spiritual river, the physical river.  

Like how stuck kukae make your breath stink.  When your spirit stink, everything around you come stink too.  Like the old people said, the river have to flow. 

 

Identity of yourself help you too.  Helps your health.  Then you no need make believe you somebody else.  Or somebody you not comfortable being.  I don’t know how long I goin live, but I came to good conclusions about who me.  All of those things determine ATTITUDE health – very important. 

 

We have to be nice to each other.  But the bestest one – and this one more hard – is HANDLE.  H-A-N-D-L-E.  Handle whatever occurs.

 

Native warriors get double substance abuse.  Native folks, in trauma, FEEL their history.  Or they know something.  Or saw their parents.  And soldiers with PTSD, always gotta go out on the edge; “any moment now, any moment now”.  So for stay healthy, think good thoughts, stay active.  Put on goggles and snorkels.  Go in the water. The water hide you.  Because I know that’s what you going do most da time.  Hide.  Meanwhile, eat good, exercise, talk to the rain.

 

For our health, thereʻs two senses of reality: one with everybody else, and one with by yourself.  If no more nobody in the forest, no more war.    If only get one person in the forest, no more war.  As soon as get two people in the forest: war. 

 

Habits and behaviors affect our health.  Eat brown rice.  Tastes junk, but better junk taste than no taste!

 

Veterans: stay away from liquor.  Actually, now that I no drink, I say everybody stay away from liquor!  Not only the soldiers.  That beer is good fun, but although the beer subsidizes familiarity, da amount of worse get is more big.  For health!

 

Kanaka trauma same: No way you can buy one atomic bomb this weekend. Can?  That guy get about 500.  So until such a date as you can get 501 nuclear bombs, that bugga is still holding the slippa on our head.  But like a mosquito against a tidal wave, you pull your kung fu.  Ho!!  Jus before a 900 foot wave slam you…so, fly out of the way.  You have to develop the wellness for yourself. 

 

You gotta get active.  Get out of the house.  Staying in the house is oppressive.  You know da kahikos, only go in nighttime, make babies.   To me, freedom means you come out of that box.  Thatʻs why my grandfather he tell me, “Boy, me, I stay in the house too long, I go off.” 

 

And he no go church.  He tell me, “God is in the forest.”  I was back from the Army, back from Viet Nam, when he told me that.  That went help me so much in my life.  I was fortunate.  Here, I met a living kanaka who said that it’s all right not to be Christian.  And he was my elder!  Hū, dat wen help me planny!

 

Being in the movement is healthy.  Fighting for something you believe keeps you strong.  Keeps you active.  It’s harder when you are fighting for your land, your survival.