Blood Quantum by Abigail Boroughs -SOLD! —PURCHASE PRIZE AWARD!

Blood Quantum, a poem written by Naomi Losch, expresses the struggle of many Hawaiians. Losch, born in 1945 in Kahuku, O'ahu, is of Hawaiian, Tahitian, Chinese and Haole decent. She is a retired professor from the University of Hawaii Manoa with more than thirty years of experience teaching Hawaiian language and culture studies. The Hawaii Homes Commission Act grants persons of more than 50% Hawaiian blood eligible to lease homestead land with the intent to provide economic self-sufficiency. 5(f) refers to the clause in the Admissions Act (An Act to Provide for the Admission of the State of Hawaii into the Union) that provides for Hawaiians. OHA stands for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. —PURCHASE PRIZE AWARD! Blood Quantum We thought we were Hawaiian Our ancestors were Liloa, Kuali_i and Alapa_i. We fought at Mokuohai, Kepaniwai and Nu_uanu, And we supported Lili_ulani in her time of need. We opposed statehood. We didn_t want to be the 49th or the 50th, And once we were, 5(f) would take care of us. But what is a native Hawaiian? Aren_t we of this place? _O ko m_kou one h_nau k_ia._ And yet, by definition we are not Hawaiian. We can_t live on Homestead land, Nor can we receive OHA money. We didn_t choose to quantify ourselves, 1/4 to the left                1/2 to the right 3/8 to the left                5/8 to the right 7/16 to the left               9/16 to the right 15/32 to the left            17/32 to the right They not only colonised us, they divided us.