Sometimes it takes a long time, much frustration and a series of little deaths to figure out that a relationship just isn't going to work.

In the legend of Kahalaopuna, as King Kalakaua told it, the beautiful daughter of the Manoa wind and rain was betrothed to Kauhi, a man of brutal jealousy and righteous indignation.

Kauhi heard false rumors of Kahalaopuna's unfaithfulness. Unwilling to be convinced of the truth of her virtue, Kauhi took her life.

Five times Kauhi killed Kahalaopuna. Five times she was brought back to life. Each time, she went back to him to try to change his heart — except for the last time. By then, she realized doing the same thing would only bring the same result. Instead, she aligned herself with allies of good conscience and righteous purpose. And she lived.

And so goes the bill that would establish federal recognition for Native Hawaiians. For six years, money, effort and political maneuvering have gone toward turning the hearts of those who refuse to see the history of the overthrow as fact and the current situation of Native Hawaiians as unfair and untenable. It has lived and died and lived again.

This most recent death of the Akaka bill may have been the most brutal yet, with purposeful misinformation fueling attacks of righteous indignation. It was heartbreaking and rage-making to hear some of the made-up arguments being tossed around like truth — like how Hawaiians can't be tribal Indians. Well, no kidding! Oh, but talking crazy is an effective distraction technique.

Surely this latest attempt to breathe life into Akaka's namesake legislation is tied to his re-election campaign. If he wasn't having to run hard against Ed Case and show proof after that snarky Time magazine article, Akaka and his buddies might not have mustered the considerable effort to bring the bill forward. Indeed, Sen. Barack Obama, the Democrats' darling and Hawai'i's "third senator," speaking in favor of the bill, sounded more like a campaign supporter at an Akaka rally, going on about what a great job Akaka has done for Native Hawaiians and all of Hawai'i.

But clearly, going before the same killers will result in the same death. Time for a new approach.

In some versions of the legend of Kahalaopuna, Kauhi is banished from the land but escapes to the sea where he becomes a shark. Though she is warned to keep herself safe, Kahalaopuna goes swimming in the ocean, where Kauhi catches her and ends her life a final time.

And there is a lesson in that sad ending, too: The fight for justice isn't won once; it is a long process that requires endurance, vigilance and flexible strategy.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.