We need to define the worth of cultural values today. We must not forget that ideas do not hold value unless we desire them.
The values we learned as children are not the same values we live by as adults. Although the ones we acquire as children stay with us throughout our lives, they become meaningful as we experience and remember life as it once was.
The standards we value are to help us shape and guide our lives, so that we can realize our full potential. In many cultures, a “good life” is always achieved by our belief in the values that we hold to be true:
- Hoʻohiki – keeping your word
- Hoʻomanawanui – patience
- Kela – excellence
- Kūpono – honesty
- Alakaʻi – to lead
- Koa – warrior
- Haʻahaʻa – humility
- Huikala – forgiveness
- Hoʻomana – spirituality
- ʻIkaika – strength
These values encompass the aspect of life through the eyes of Native Hawaiians and their world view.
Mahalo nui loa,
David V. Kahalewai, III
Pālolo Valley
