MAKAHANAIKE:REFLECTIVEESSAY

FINALEXAM2OF2

LOOK,SARAHCHAMPAYN
SPRING2016
POLS302
13MAY2016


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Iamstuck.Foratleastthepasttwentyminutes,Ihavebeencontemplatingwhatmylifemeans
andhowthisprojectPreferredFutureofHawaiihasimpactedme.Iamthetypeofwriterthatpaints
withelaborationandaplethoraofimagery,butforsomeunfortunatereason,Icannotcomeupwitha
singleidea.Itisasifthereisnosunshinedeckedoutwitharainbowthatsoarsthroughtheblueabyss
afterahorrendousrainstorm.Thetorrenmentingglaresofjudgementkillsmysoulandthereisnoone
heretoreally
judge
me.
Writingthisexamistormentingme.Theidealreflectiveessaywouldbeginsimilarly:WhatI
havelearnedoverthisprojectiscommunityandworkingtogethertobettertheoverallsuccessofHawaii.
Therefore,IfeelthatmykuleanatothefutureofHawaiiisgettingoutintothecommunityandto
encourageamoresuitableperspectiveonusingourresourceswisely.Nonetheless,whilethatisa
decentlyreasonableintroduction,thatisnotwhoIam.Aftergoingthroughtheprocessofimaginingthe
futureofwhatHawaiicouldorenduptobe,ithasbecomeclearthatweshouldbeproactiveratherthan
reactive.
Itisdifficulttounderstandwhatorwherewecannecessarilystarttocreatealargerimpact.Yet,
wealwaysforgetaboutourselves.Apopularlelonoeauthatreflectedmyparticipationinourproject
wasMakahanakaike:
Inworkingonelearns.
Iamusedtoplayingtheleadrolewhenitcomesto
groupprojects.Inapersonalperspective,Ihavethoughtofmyselfasabornleadersomeonewhohas
confidentlyorganizedandenvisionedexactlyhowthefinalproductwouldbe.Nonetheless,asIhave
lackedattendanceafterIreturnedbackfromJapan,Irealizedhowfaraheadmygroupwas.Insteadof
stealingthereinsofpower,Ilearnedtoworkwithmycolleagues.ThiscreatedacollaborativeresultandI
wasactuallyallowedtobeinchargeofapartoftheprojectthatIlovedthemost:creatingthemovie
trailer.
AsaKnaka,Iwouldconsider
makahanakaike
asplayinganimperativepartinimprovingas
anindividual.Allowingtheincarceratedtorehabilitateinanaturalenvironmentcouldamelioratemore


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thanjustHawaii.Inthepresentday,Ibelieveweshouldhavejusticemovementstoencouragehealthy
lifestylesfortheincarcerated.Since2008,Hawaiihasbeenhousingover6,000incarceratedinmateswith
roughly40%beingofNativeHawaiianancestry.Outofthatpercentage,twothirdsofNativeHawaiians
havebeeninprisononsubsequentincarcerations.Duetooverpopulation,alargeamountofHawaiis
inmateshavebeenrelocatedtotheContinent.Additionally,taxpayerswillfundabout$40millionper
yeartohouseprisoners.Anaverage29monthsentencefordrughandlingwillcostaHawaiitaxpayer
over$113,000.Infact,since2006,thegovernmenthasrepeatedlyincreasedthetuitionfortheUniversity
ofHawaiiatMnoaby20%forallstudentstoalleviatecostsfortheincarcerated.Insteadofhavingthe
communitypaytowardsanegativeandhopelessdreamweshouldstartredirectingourfundstowardsan
ideatoperpetuateahealthyoutcomefortheincarceratedthroughrehabilitation.Inworkingonelearns
tobecomeimprovedindividualsinsociety.
Understandably,thiswouldbeconsideredalongtermgoal.Moreover,rehabilitationhasthe
commonresultofnotbeingsuccessfulforinmates.Oncetheconvictedisbacktonormalwithinfive
years,thatsamepersonwillbereconvictedandplacedbackinprison.Undernumerousresearches,the
onlymethodofrehabilitationisperceivedwithaWesterninfluence.Thistypeofaffectdisregardsethnic
diversityandwillactuallydepriveprisonerswithsuccessfulsocialandmentalfunctions.Thereisnotype
ofrehabilitationwithaKnakaMaoliperspective.Throughcommonpracticesthatourancestorsused,
suchashooponoponoandmlamaina,Ibelievewewillseeagreatimprovementfromthe
incarcerated.UnlikeWesterninfluences,cultureswithsimilarvalues(suchasKnakaMaoli),face
situationsheadonandrefusetoignoreituntileveryonecomestoamutualagreement.Considerably,this
isanotherkuleanathatispossibletoaccomplishwithinafiveyearspan.
Prisonersdonotexcludeminors.InHawaiisYouthCorrectionalFacility,52.6%ofboysand
63.2%ofgirlsareNativeHawaiian.Withaburningpassion,Itrulybelievethatitisourresponsibilityto
healtheconvictedearly.Bydoingsowillallowthecommunitytoalleviatefuturisticproblems.Hawaiis


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prisonpopulationmakesadirectcorrelationtohomelessness,socialandculturalinjustice.Insteadof
turningablindeyetothehelpless,educatethem.
ThedevotedMartinLutherKing,Jr.arguesthathumanprogressisneitherautomaticnor
inevitable...Everysteptowardthegoalofjusticerequiressacrifice,suffering,andstrugglethetireless
exertionsandpassionateconcernofdedicatedindividuals.Wecontinuouslyfightaboutwhatiswrong
aboutotherpeople.Thereareconstantblamesthatwedonottakeaccountfor.Thisishuman
nature...Howeveritisalsoveryhumantostrugglethroughadifficulteventandhelponeanother.AsI
reflectthisprojectontome,itismykuleanatoeducateothers.Educationisobtainedindifferentmanners:
fromclassroomstocasualdiscussions.Ibelievethestrongestandmostimpactfulmethodforabetter
futurehappensinourdailywork.FuturethinkingforKnakaMaoliisvitalbecauseitiswhatkeepsus
alive.Educationisthegreatestformoffuturisticplanninganditstartswithme.