Hiapo Perreira
Name Hiapo Perreira
social media @HiapoKPerreira
Age 47
Town/Moku no Kapaulu, Honolulu; noho ma Kaʻūmana, Hilo
Island Hawaiʻi Island
Leadership Category Education
Nominated by Keʻalohi Reppun
Share with us a little about yourself and what you do.
ʻO Hiapokeikikāne Kichie Perreira koʻu inoa, he keiki au no Kapahulu, Oʻahu, a noho ana i koʻu ʻāina hoʻokama i Hilo Hanakahi nei he 30 paha makahiki. He kāne wau na Hanakahi (Kalua), a he mau mākua māua no Keanokualani (15) lāua me Keakamaluhiwa (11); i Kapakaua Home o ka laʻi o Kaʻūmana ko mākou ōpū e unoho pū nei. Kia koʻu mau hoʻoikaika ʻana a pau o kēia nohona kanaka ma luna o ka ʻauamo pū a me ka pai ʻana i ka lāhui ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi i loko o kaʻu ʻoihana aʻo o ke Kulanui o Hawaiʻi ma Hilo, a pēia pū ma ka papahana hoʻokumu hou ʻo Kauluwao—he papahana hoʻoulu a hoʻoikaika ʻike Hawaiʻi i loko piha o ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi no ka pono nui o nā kumu aʻo kula kaiapuni a puni ʻo Hawaiʻi Aloha nei.
Why is the work that you do important to you? The community?
He koʻikoʻi loa ka hoʻōla, ka hoʻoulu, a me ka hoʻoikaika ʻana i ke kūlana o ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, ʻoiai ʻo ka ʻōlelo ko kākou kanaka ʻana e Kanaka ai. He aha ke “Kumulipo” no kākou ke paʻa ʻole mai ka ʻōlelo nona mai kona ʻike? He aha nā haʻawina o “Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī” ke hiki ʻole ke hoʻomaopopo iho i ka ʻōlelo nona mai kona ʻike? He aha hoʻi kēlā hana kēia hana ke ʻike ʻole ʻia ka ʻōlelo nona mai kona kumu ʻana mai ka pō mai? He koʻikoʻi loa no kākou a pau ka ʻimi ikaika ʻana e ʻike i kā kākou ʻōlelo, ʻo ke ala hoʻi ia e pili pū ai me nā kūpuna ma ko lākou mau pōʻai kamaʻāina e ʻīnana hou aʻe ai kākou i loko o kēia au hou nei.
Share with us the qualities of leadership you admire and how you express those in your life.
E nānā i ke kanaka, ʻo ia ana ke kumu maikaʻi loa. E puka ana kona manaʻo kūkulu i loko o kāna ʻōlelo, i loko hoʻi o kāna hana, a ma laila e aʻo mai ai ʻo ia i ka hana e hana ai, i ka hana hoʻi e hana ʻole ai. ʻO ia kanaka nō naʻe, he kanaka ʻo ia. I ka wā e hana pū ai, e hana pū me ka maʻemaʻe; i ka wā e kōkua ai, e kōkua pū me ka ʻoiaʻiʻo; i ka wā e huikala ai, e huikala me ke aloha. He kanaka ʻo ia, he kanaka wau, he kanaka kākou, a ʻoiai nā kumumanaʻo kiʻekiʻe o ka nohona kanaka, he kanaka ke kanaka e pōkole mai ana paha kāna hana, e paʻewa mai ana paha kona manaʻo, e hemahema mai ana paha kāna ʻōlelo. E alu hou a e ʻimi mau i ka hoʻoholomua. Hoʻokahi wale nō ala hāiki a ka ʻike me ka naʻauao, ʻo ka paʻu. E paʻu i ka hana a kō. Inā he hoʻōla i ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, e ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, e kākoʻo i nā kula ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, e hoʻoulu i nā papahana hoʻoikaika ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. Mai loko mai o ia hoʻoikaika ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi ʻana e ʻike ai no ka Hawaiʻi ʻana, e ahuwale mai ai ka ʻike kupuna no ke aloha ʻāina, no ke aloha lāhui, no ke aloha kanaka. Ma laila a mau ko kākou Hawaiʻi ʻana, ma laila a mau ko kākou ʻano alakaʻi ʻana.
Who has inspired you to do the work that you are doing?
“He ʻeha ka ʻike ʻole.” He puanaʻī kēia na koʻu makua hoʻokama ʻo Gerald W. Duarte i aʻoaʻo mai ai iaʻu i mea paipai iaʻu i ka ʻimi pauaho ʻole i ka ʻike o nā kūpuna. Palupalu kona kino hua ʻōlelo, kūkonukonu hoʻi kona manaʻo ʻiʻo, a he ʻeha maoli nō ke ʻike iho pēlā. “E hoʻoikaika iho i hiki ke kaukaʻi ʻia, ʻaʻole naʻe e kaukaʻi aku.” He puanaʻī kēia na kaʻu kumu ʻo Kauanoe Kamanā i aʻoaʻo mai ai iaʻu i mea paipai i ka hoʻoikaika ʻana, ʻaʻole e lilo nā ʻehaʻeha like ʻole o ka naʻau he aliʻi e alakaʻi ʻia ai kaʻu hana a hana ʻole paha. E ʻimi mau i ka hoʻolana me ka hoʻoholomua, ʻaʻole e pihō i ka hukihuki o ke au o ka manawa. He mau hiʻohiʻona ia e makeʻe ʻia e aʻu. E hana, e hoʻoikaika! Ke pua ka ʻōlelo o ka waha, e hoʻokō; ke hoʻokō, e hoʻohaʻahaʻa a e hana hou; ke hana hou, e hoʻopili i ka poʻe ma ia aʻo ʻana e lau ai ka ʻike a maʻa i waena o nā hoa pili like. Hoʻokahi wale nō ola kanaka ʻana, e aho ke kuʻupau ma ka hāʻawi e ulu mau aʻe ai.
What is one word that describes something you are excited about for the lāhui?
ʻŌlelo
What is one word that describes a pressing issue that is facing our lāhui?
ʻŌlelo