Category : Learning Journeys

Moloka‘i —

E ke hoa aloha aina

Mai ka piina o ka la i Kapuupoi, wahi kapu o KaulukukuioLanikaula a i ka wailele kaulana o Mooula ua kipa na hoa o Hokulea i na kuaaina o nae, i Halawa, i Moanui a Ahaino.  Ua ike i na awa pae o nae, Honomuni, Pukoo, a me Kamalo. He la maikai loa.  A laila i ke kaulana o ka la i Kalaeokalaau, kipa makou i na kupa o ka aina o Hoolehua, i ko lakou haawina hoomoana e ao i ka lawaia kupono i na poe kamalii a opio o ka moku o Palaau. Ua hoonanea makou i kai o Moomomi, ka ipukai o na poe noho paa i ka aina hoopulapula o Holehua.  Ua ona kai ai a nahenahe ka leo o ka aina.  Mahalo nui e ke Akua na aumakua a me na kupuna no ke alakai kiai kakoo a hoopomaikai mai ia makou poe kanaka. (Blog by Mahinahou Ross)

Under the glistening, pulsating rays of the sun, we embark on a learning journey that will shape the course of our lives.  We travel in the back of a pickup truck along a windy, dusty road that coats our clothes and skin with multiple layers of red and orange hues.  We eventually emerge at Moʻomomi on the northwest shore of Molokaʻi to a canvas of pristine sea greens and calming blues.  As described in the historical moʻolelo (story), we envision a graceful lizard resting upon the reef with scales glistening like pearls.  The moʻo (lizard) relaxes endlessly across the horizon as the day comes to a close under a lavender sky that perfectly completes the color spectrum.

On July 10, 2013, we listened and learned firsthand about the background, culture, and love of the land from Konohiki Kelson Kapule Poepoe, Opuʻulani Albino, and Kanoho Helm who shared their manaʻo (thoughts) with a captivated audience of 19 crew members and 23 community participants.  For centuries, ʻohana lived peacefully and fruitfully from the land and ocean, using traditional methods and only taking what they needed.  Moʻomomi was the ipu kai (ocean icebox) and fed all of Hoʻolehua.  According to Konohiki Kelson Kapule Poepoe, affectionately known as Uncle Mac, “We mālama this place and speak from a viewpoint of many generations…listen to nature, nature always presents the truth.”

Once the realization came that the resources were not limitless, there was an awakening of consciousness.  The decision was made by leadership to follow a plan of adaptive management that eventually led to a model of sustainability.  This had a deep and profound impact across generations, and is encapsulated in the words of 15-year old Kamakaleihiwa Purdy-Arelino,

To me, mālama honua means we’ve been given so much, it’s about time to give back.  Just take what we need and don’t overfish.  He aliʻi ka ʻāina, he kauā ke kanaka.  To care for the world, you have to know your own piko first.

Kamaka and her young peers recently participated in Lawaiʻa Camp, a four-day experience on pono (resourceful) fishing at Moʻomomi.  This unique multigenerational event is an invitation and call to mālama honua.

There is also a message for the rest of the world.  We must start with the piko by knowing and respecting our special, intricate communities.  Only then can we authentically share this sustainable aloha. (Blog by Linda Furuto; Photos by Karen Holman)

Lāna‘i (Karen Holman) —

As Hokule’a and Hikianalia set sail across the oceans that connect us all, they become a needle, threading a lei of dedicated communities around the planet that inspire us by their efforts to care for our island Earth. Our journey has only just begun and such caring has been powerfully demonstrated here at home, in the Hawaiian Islands. It was late afternoon on Lanai island, a place exemplary of community and aloha. We traveled in the back of a pick-up truck, reveling in the crisp, clean air of sparsely developed land and enraptured with the view of an expansive ocean, nestled between the islands of Molokai and Maui. Valleys were carved through red earth by the forces of nature and everything felt alive, yet as we made our way down this windy, single lane road, we could see an orange plume of silt in the ocean, hugging the immediate coastline below. We discovered both the reason, as well as an innovative remedy for this silt blanketing the reef during our learning journey to Maunalei Ahupua’a Community Marine and Terrestrial Management Area.

Uncle Sol Kaho’ohalahala began by relaying a conversation that took place several years ago, when Nainoa expressed that if Hokule’a is to carry the message of malama or caring around the world, we must ensure that we too are living examples of Malama Honua at home. The community of Lanai is an extraordinary reflection of this value system. One and a half years ago, Uncle Sol of Lanai and Jay Carpio of Maui were selected by Conservation International as funding recipients for their community based ocean resource management plans and their dedication to be keepers of their own ocean area. Initially, funders wished to focus solely on marine related projects, however, Uncle Sol convinced them otherwise as on an island like Lanai, the ocean and the land must necessarily be managed as one whole, integrated system.

Kaalakahikina

Not only is the community looking from land to sea, but they are also looking from present to future in a comparative study over time. In partnership with the University of Hawaii and Stanford, they are conducting baseline assessments, and have already accomplished 120 dives to record existing fish, seaweed, and coral species. Maunalei is the site of traditional subsistence fishing for generations and a critical resource to the community. To capture its value, community members are participating in pakini or krill surveys to answer questions such as: Who are the fisherman? How many? How often? What methods are used? What do they take, how much, and what do they do with it? This information will help the community determine if their practices are regenerative and sustainable.

Community members are involved in these surveys and encouraged to observe the environment as they monitor activity around this important resource. Noting ocean conditions, or the quality of light, mirrors Hawaiian views of place and time in a system that connects these observations to cycles, posing questions like: is the spawning cycle the best time to fish? Management systems of the past took these elements into account. Maunalei Ahupua’a seeks to improve decision making as a community, without an external law imposing restrictions, but rather allowing the community to drive what is right.

The land of Lanai island is largely denuded of vegetation due to a 100 year history of ranching and ever growing populations of sheep and deer. Heavy rains send large amounts of clay into the ocean and the orange plume we observed from above is now a daily occurrence, churned up with every change of the tides. To address these problems, the community has turned to permaculture, an agricultural design system rooted in the observation of nature and the interconnectedness of all living things.

Uncle Sol and his family are stewards of family Hawaiian lands that have been passed down through the generations. Today, they are applying the natural design of “gabions”- barriers made of kiawe logs laid across a stream bed, acting not as a dam, but rather as a system to slow the flow of the water while still allowing it to permeate through. We visit the site in the perfect timing of late afternoon, and the kiawe grove resembles a labyrinth of golden light and innovative design.

The results of the gabions are incredible. After two large rain events, up to six inches of newly deposited silt had gathered along the sides of the gabions, silt that would have otherwise ended up in the ocean and suffocate the coral reef. Furthermore, Uncle Sol plans to vegetate the area with certain plants to hold the soil in place, interspersed with food plants. The project is addressing not only erosion and sedimentation, but also issues of food security.

Maunalei is an amazing example to help community learn what they can do to be responsible in caring for their ocean by caring for the land. The site is even used as a camp for children, where they learn to be responsible fishermen, how to care for their resources, and how take care of the land. Maunalei Ahupua’a is building a culture of caring as keepers of the land and sea, a classroom without walls, the classroom of place, and of living sustainably in our island homes. Uncle Sol sees a much bigger picture than the four acres he cares for in his ahupua’a. He is aware of the power of providing models of success and if adopted in other streams, the sediment plumes could be stopped in a short period of time. The process did not cost much money, only man power, and this, he says, “is community”. He recognizes the process as intergenerational and critical, as he tells us with passion, “we rely on this land, and it is our collective interest to take care of this land for generations”.

Uncle Sol speaks of the future with personal investment as he holds his beautiful granddaughter on his lap. The keiki (children) today, he notes “have no other view of their home except this. They are quick to define the issues, but ask them how to fix it and it is difficult. We are hoping they do not capture this as their future. We must change that image of what their potential is, change their view of what aina (land) is all about, change this place to be productive again so that they see things differently. Right now they see very little value in the land as it is and this is not the kind of image that gives them any hope.”

Maunalei Ahupua’a provides a special vision of hope for children as an amazing example of community taking charge of their place, a place that has remained within a family for generations. Uncle Sol shows us a slideshow with stirring black and white images of his ancestors. He wants the children to know the Kupuna of this land and realize that we really are following in their footsteps. Although she is very young, Uncle Sol’s granddaughter, Ka’alkahikina has a pensive look in her eyes, as though she is absorbing and contemplating the kuleana she carries for her future.

At the end of our experience we journey to the ocean to visit the place known as Kalaehi, a point that jets out into the ocean and points perfectly into the middle of the Pailolo channel. This special place marks the beginning mo’olelo or story of Lanai island. On a day in the future, I can see an image of people standing at this same point and also speaking of beginnings, beginnings of community action to protect and restore an island that has suffered impacts. As he considers the process of removing those impacts, Uncle Sol poses the question, “Will the aina recover? I think she will” and so too will we as we recover our relationship with the natural world and begin to care for our home in the same way our ancestors always have.

Maui (Mary Anna Waldrop) —

Waihe’e Coastal Dunes and Wetlands Refuge (June 21)

“What fires me up is reaching back into the past to see what our kupuna did to care for the land so that we can learn from them to live more compatibly in our own time.”  It was easy to get fired up listening to Scott Fisher, manager of Waihe’e Coastal Dunes and Wetlands Refuge on Maui, as he described the history and goals of this sensitive Learning Journey site.  Standing in the “Piko of the Refuge” on this the longest day of the year, the presence of the ancestors is so strong that the air feels thin. Silence can be heard. Time disappears – the past is now, the future is yesterday.

Just a decade ago, a destination golf resort was planned on this sacred space. Instead, on this historically cultural, eco-sensitive wetlands site, invasive species are continually being cleared and replanted with native species. Restoration of the ecosystem, protection and cultural preservation of the 93 archaeological sites and education are the present goals.

And for the future, Scott “would like to see water in a community supported fish pond and a habitat for native sea birds.” Relating to our aina determines how sustainable we can live. The answer to “How do you Mālama Honua?” is readily apparent at the Waihe’e Coastal Dunes and Wetlands Refuge, and not just on the Summer Solstice. Mahalo nui loa to the unhurried, valuable time Scott gave us, teaching, laughing and embracing this beautiful area. To learn more about the Coastal Dunes and Wetlands Refuge on Maui, go to www.hilt.org/protected-lands/maui/waihee-refuge.

Planting the Past for the Future in Honokōwai Valley (June 24)

Early in the morning, twelve people gathered at the Pu’ukoli’i Train Station in Ka’ana’pali to begin an Adventure of Connection. Auntie Puanani Lindsey, who for the past 14 years, has continued to carry on the love of restoring Honokōwai Valley, was our leader along with her son, Ekolu Lindsey, the president of Maui Cultural Lands. Driving slowly so as not to cover the trucks behind in a cloud of red dust, we reached the gathering area. Hiking along a narrow well-traveled trail, we were greeted with the majestic beauty of lush mountains and the verdant valley below.

Puanani chanted a kahea calling to our aumakua which was answered by Anela followed by the calling out of the pu (conch shell). The depth of the moment was felt by all. Not only were we invited to participate in being a part of restoring this sacred land that once was a thriving Hawaiian village dating back to Pre Columbus and the Great Wall of China, we were part of the present time of honoring the 4th anniversary of the death of Ed Lindsey, the Maui Treasure who began Mālama Honokōwai in 2000.

Dwayne Minton carried on an encyclopedic stream of information about every plant, tree and weed we passed. Noni, a’ali’i, akia, ulei, pokulakalaka (munroidendron), medicinal and Hawaiian uses, geographic distribution, species interconnectedness and interdependencies as well as preservation and conservation strategies flew over our heads.

Sitting beneath a towering red wall, we listened as Ekolu explained how his dad, Uncle Ed, would answer students’ questions with a question. He explained how when the Sacred Hearts School students came up to honor Uncle Ed’s passing four months after his death, that he “got” what he was supposed to do and what his part in Maui Cultural Lands was. “This is for the future, creating for the future one weed at a time, one plant at a time, to create leadership for tomorrow.”

After weeding the steepest hillside we’ve ever tried to stand on, we shared lunch while Puanani contemplated where Hokule’a crew would plant the pokulakalaka to honor the special occasion to memorialize Uncle Ed’s 4th anniversary. The Hokule’a crew cut digging sticks while the spot was chosen. It was important to Auntie Puanani that the hands of Hokule’a crew dig, plant and water the tree. “Seeing the crew in a circle as they chanted, the earth lifted, I did a pule to the earth and felt so special.” Plans to dedicate a plaque with each crew member’s name who touched the aina that day are in process.

Having Hokule’a crew members honor Ed Lindsey, one of the original island voyagers on Mo’olele, symbolized the connection of the Valley to the ocean. “Honokawai Valley is our canoe,” Ekolu stated. “We are connecting the Valley to a different kind of world. We are sharing our culture, grounding our culture.” It wasn’t only Auntie Puanani who had tears this day. Each of us felt the connection to Uncle Ed, whether meeting him for the first time or knowing him well. As we returned, it was possible to see the “fleet of canoes” across the ocean he dreamed of. We thank the Lindsey ‘ohana for their kindness and generosity.

Click here for more about Mālama Honokōwai Valley.

Olowalu, Maui (Miki Tomita) —

We began our Olowalu journey with Keola Sequeira, one of the original craftsman of the double-hulled voyaging canoe.  Uncle Keola shared with us his research and experiences into hull design and canoe building of Mo‘olele, a 42-foot double-hulled sailing canoe and the soon-to-be-launched double-hulled voyaging canoe Mo‘okiha. Joined by members of the Olowalu Cultural Reserve, crew members learned about the history of canoe building in that historic Olowalu location.

Led by Uncle John Duey, we were blessed to lay our eyes upon the largest grouping of kiʻi pōhaku on Maui, at the base of Puʻu Kīlea.  As the crew moved quietly and respectfully to view the many images, Uncle John told us about the volunteer-led loʻi and ahupuaʻa restoration projects of the Olowalu Culture Reserve.

Ki‘i Pōhaku. Photo by M. Tomita

Uncle Charlie Lindsey led us through the lands that are kuleana to his family, pointing out key features in the landscape related to voyaging and star navigation.  He also recounted to us the history of the land, from its past as a thriving ahupuaʻa through its use for growing sugar cane, to a description of what he and his ʻohana envision as the future of the area.

Hiking a Ridge. Photo by M. Tomita

From this vantage point, we were able to simultaneously view Pu‘u Kukui, Haleakalā and Kaho‘olawe, and the shower-cloud bridge that brings moisture from Maui to Kaho‘olawe.

Shower-cloud bridge from Maui to Kaho‘olawe.. Photo by M. Tomita

We were moved by Aunty Rose Lindsey to think deeply about our purpose and intention as we make our Worldwide Voyage –about what our protocol and our canoe means to us, both the physical canoe and the canoe we sail into the future.  She asked us to consider how ready we are for a journey such as this, and to make ourselves ready as best we can in all ways, prioritizing our culture, our canoe and the safety of our crew – he waʻa he moku, he moku he wa‘a. (“The canoe is an island, and the island a canoe.”)

Maui (Miki Tomita) —

Crew members spent the morning learning from and working with the dedicated leadership of  ʻAoʻao o Nā Loko Iʻa O Maui, the non-profit organization dedicated to revitalizing Koʻieʻie Loko Iʻa for educational, archaeological, cultural, and recreational purposes.

According to the organization, “We feel that this fishpond is a symbol of the Hawaiian culture and history.  Therefore, it must be preserved as a monument to Hawaiʻi s past and an icon for the future.”

Led by Executive Director Joylynn Paman and President Kimokeo Kapahulehua, ʻAoʻao O Nā Loko Iʻa O Maui works to accomplish this by both physically restoring the 3+ acre loko kuapā, and by supporting community work days and education outreach to learners of all ages.

Ko`ie`ie Fishpond, also known as Kaʻonoʻulu Kai Fishpond and Kalepolepo Fishpond, is located in Kihei, in the Kaʻonoʻulu Ahupuaʻa of the Kula District of Maui.

Photo by Miki Tomita

As we worked side-by-side to gather pohaku that were moved off the wall by weather and human impact, our volunteer coordinator, Uncle Mack, provided us with moʻolelo and historical accounts related to this very special place.

Uncle Kimokeo, respected and beloved leader of this organization and community-building effort, posed thoughtful questions about the work we were doing at the fishpond to engage us to think deeper and find the multiple layers of meaning in this effort to revitalize rather than restore the fishpond.

According to Uncle Kimokeo, “to revitalize is not the same as to restore – we say revitalize because we want to be clear that the work has to bring back life into the community, from the organisms in the pond to the ones on the land, to the people”.

In addition to working to revitalize this community, Uncle Kimokeo travels the world in his canoe to learn and teach about sustainable living and the interconnectedness of all water of our Island Earth from a Hawaiian cultural perspective.  Thank you so much to the leadership and volunteers of ʻAoʻao o Nā Loko Iʻa O Maui for welcoming is into your work, and for all you do to support and develop commitment to mālama Hawaiʻi and mālama honua in our communities!

Photo by Joylynn Paman

Click here for more information about ʻAoʻao o Nā Loko Iʻa O Maui and Koʻieʻie Loko Iʻa.

Maui (Miki Tomita) —

E ke hoa, aloha aina

O Akua ka po, Akua ka la,

Nani palena ole ke kau malie o ka mahina o Akua i luna o makou ka ohana o Hokulea ma Maalaea

Kau ka la i luna i kona hale, O Haleakala, Kipa makou ka ohana o Hokulea i ka aina o na kupa o Waihee.  Ua nanea makou i kahakai me na ohana e kanu  ka limu, e malama i ke kahakai o ia aina.  He la maikai no ia e malama honua.

– Mahina Hou Ross

Crew members spent the morning getting to know Maui from a limu-based perspective, with Alison Napua Barrows of Waiheʻe, Maui, through her work with the community and ecosystem of Nā Wai ʻEha, Maui. We joined kumu, kūpuna, and Maui ʻohana in learning about native and invasive varieties of limu, methods for removal and replanting, and different aspects of environmental quality and water systems particular to Na Wai ʻEha including the aquatic species within.

Crew and community helped to clean limu, separating invasive limu and other debris to prepare limu for planting. Kumu Napua and her group collect limu from Kanaha Beach, where the active surf and healthy reef provide fragments that can be gathered and sorted.  The limu is then replanted at Waiheʻe, in waters that Kumu Napua and her family have had the privilege and responsibility to mālama for generations

Photos by Kelly Kong and Miki Tomita

Captain Kealoha Hoe shared with the group information about the Worldwide Voyage and our focus on mālama honua and mālama Hawaiʻi; in particular, he shared about his ʻAi Pono program and how culturally-grounded foods and food practices are critical in keeping us grounded as we travel the world on this voyage.  Limu places a central role in traditional dishes, and limu knowledge remains part of the ʻAi Pono program.

Photos by Kelly Kong

A big component to this restoration project is strengthening the Waiheʻe community.  Kumu Napua envisioned the project to include weekend activities with keiki and kūpuna in the area: “It has helped the families, the families with generations before them who were fisherman on this very reef to reconnect to that knowledge and start teaching it to their children.  This has been a voyage for me, in a sense to return home, to be able to follow in the footsteps of my tutu, who passed the kuleana to me to mālama the ʻāina here in this area.  We work with other families to mālama this area, and we are fortunate to pass this along to the next generations.”

Kumu Napua also shared her personal experiences with Hōkūleʻa: “I have been fortunate to sail on Hōkūleʻa a few times with Nainoa, getting the feel of the ocean and winds… That short sail, and today’s experience with you, have only added to the learning experience and helps bring things into focus.”

Thank you so much to the leadership and volunteers of Waiheʻe Limu Restoration Project and especially to Kumu Napua Barrows for welcoming us into your work, and for all you do to support and develop commitment to mālama Hawaiʻi and mālama honua in our communities!

Kumu Napua Barrows, along with Crew Members on this Learning Journey Mahina Hou Ross and Matt Kanemoto, are members of the Kūlia I Ka Nuʻu program of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s Curriculum Studies Department. This program focuses on supporting Hawaiian students’ success in science and related STEM fields through providing professional development opportunities for teachers related to place- and culture-based education and participating in authentic science communities.

Click here for more information about the Kūlia I Ka Nuʻu.

Click here for more information about Kumu Napua and her efforts with the Waihe‘e Limu Restoration Group to restore both limu and cultural practices and knowledge associated with limu (article in Maui Nō Ka Oi Magazine).