Under a harsh sun on September 10, Māhele Luna students and staff gathered in front of Pauahilani to honor the legacy of the Schoolsʻ founder, Bernice Pauahi Bishop. They gathered to sing mele, dance hula, and hear heartfelt speeches expressing their gratitude for Ke Aliʻi Pauahi.
“When I think of Pauahi, I feel deep gratitude for her and the everlasting love she gave to us,” senior Logan Andrade said. “She gave me a home filled with my people.”
Andrade had some advice for students dealing with a recent announcement of a challenge to the schoolʻs admissions policy.
“I want you to remember who we are as kānaka,” he said. “We are not just here to learn, we are future leaders [and] protectors.”
Andrade finished with some final words of gratitude: “Mahalo, Pauahi, for your vision and faith in us.”
This gathering, the Indebtedness Assembly, was one of three last week.
On September 8, students gathered in Keōpūolani Hale, where Kumu Kui Gapero and Poʻo Kaleo Pahukula shared emotional messages about resilience and Hawaiian identity.
Before the start of school on September 11, haumāna, kumu and staff waved signs in support of Pauahiʻs legacy along Kula Highway as cars honked and shakas flew through the air.
In her Ea speech at the Indebtedness Assembly, senior class president Kahaliʻaoku’uhāʻola Kana-Yarborough called for students to root themselves in history and prepare for a difficult future: “Let us remember this. Our legacy is not about taking. It is about giving.”
“Pauahi gave so we could rise, so we could heal, so we could lead with aloha. And that is what we must continue to do.”
