"I ku mau mau" sounds more obviously like a call to action. It includes the line:

I ku mau mau
I ku huluhulu
I ka lanawao

Stand together, haul with all your might under the mighty trees.

At the formal investiture of the trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, trustee Haunani Apoliona stood at the podium at the front of Kawaiha'o Church and talked in broad terms of the continued struggle for Native Hawaiian benefits and entitlements. "Political activism isn't short-lived, nor is it one-shot," she said. "We must not save political activism for only election time."

At the same moment, across the street, her general words were turned into specific action as hundreds came to testify against the forced sale of land belonging to the estate of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop benefiting Kamehameha Schools.

Donna Wong, wearing one of those black T-shirts, said in her testimony, "You lessees chose to buy a lease. That's different from fee-simple. You knew that. That was your choice. We choose not to sell our land."

Those who argued to force the sale of the lease pointed out that Kamehameha Schools will get fair market price for the land. The thought is that the landowner will lose nothing, that it is an equitable solution.

However, that kind of thinking assumes that money and land can have the same value. The value of a piece of property in Hawai'i is, traditionally, emotionally, even spiritually, unique to that place and, in many ways, beyond a price.

For the lessees at Kahala Beach condominium, the council's vote was a step toward owning their piece of paradise.

For those in the black T-shirts, it was another government-backed attack on ali'i land.

From the governor's inauguration to eighth-grade graduation to UH sporting events, we sing in quiet tones, "Hawai'i's own ... we will defend with spears."

The thing that requires defensive action is the erosion of what rightfully belongs to Native Hawaiians. The spears we have are words and ideas, truth and righteousness.