Sustainability is known by many different definitions. Some say its through action, while others say its through the words we speak. Lets turn to the root word of that which is sustainable. Sustainable means the ability to be able to be maintained at a certain rate or level, or, the ability to be upheld or defended. I can relate this to our honua, earth. We need to be more sustainable so that this place can last and have a positive impact on the future generations. I am very much thankful for the personal characteristics and traits that being sustainable has taught me through this class. While we are trying to be sustainable and have sustainability in our actions through growing plants and learning about food and land, I have also learned about being humble, taking care of our responsibilities, reaching out and providing for others, as well as learning the knowledge of history and insight that can be passed down from generation to generation. So very much in sustainability I am thankful for the opportunity where I can learn from others to help boost and gain my knowledge and insight into a whole new level of greatness.
0 Comments
Responsibility and taking self-action is not always in the vocabulary of some people in today's society. Many of us are either too lazy or are too busy with the life style of today's world that we are not able to do things that can make us more sustainable or more eco-friendly. Individually it would be hard to make a chance on our own, but if we find motivation, inspiration, and drive, that is when we can truly make a difference for and with others. We can become more responsible for our own food production my taking small steps. These may incluse, growing a plant or two in our garden/yard, recycling materials, reusing items that can be used again, as well as reducing the amount of trash, pollution, and harm that we do to the environment. These are ways where we can be more responsibile, take care of our earth, and live a healthier lifestyle all ultimatley taking care of the ideology of becoming better caretakers of our aina and our wahi pana. Though we may not a see a direct connection, there is always good thing that come out of changes our lifestyle to become more sustainable.
Being given this oppportunity to experience this place was amazing. Before going, I used to see this island a lot as I used to paddle for the school and practices were held right there. But now being able to say I have been there and experieced the place is a whole new story. Our job there was to internalize the place using our senses and observations as well as to give back to the place by doing service. During this time, I was part of the data collection team and by data that I collected was on the salinity and pH levels of the water around the island as well as in the loko iʻa. I got to really feel the hurt that this island endured. Hearing the chanting of the native birds crying out in plea, to the native sea snails that lay hidding under the rocks from the danger that lies ahead, I got to get one on one with nature and understand that we need to do something to protect our land for the future generations. I want to give others the opportunity to get connected to our land and stand up for it. One huge aspect that hit home on this trip was when aunty spoke to us about its history and the struggles that this place endured, which caused broken lives, hearts, and ultimately land. All in all, like Ghandi said, "Be the change you want to see in the world", lets be the first ones to make a move to change this world for the better!
We will be going on a learning opportunity trip to Mokauea island located at the kai area of kapālama ahupuaʻa. Traditionally this placed housed the master navigators and fishermen of our people. There I hope to learn about the things that reside there, such as the animals, life, plants, and invasives. Another aspect that I really want to learn about is the ancient moʻolelo or stories of the place along with the history. One major aspect that I hope to experience on this learning trip is to feel the mana and hurt that is here at the place. This wahi pana has experienced great negative change and so it will be interesting to feel this change in my heart and through my eyes, using all of my senses to understand the responsibility that I now have to care for this place.
Makahiki is an aspect of our Hawaiian culture, if anything, the biggest aspect of our culture that makes us Hawaiian. This was about half of our calendar year, consisting of games, fun, minimum work, praise to the God Lono, giving thanks, and ringing in the New Year. During the time of Makahiki, the best craftwork, woodwork, featherwork, fishing, hunting, and many other things were given to the Gods and the Aliʻi to show thanks and paying respects to them. The aliʻi nui, kahunas, and many others, carried the big staff, Lonoikamakahiki, around the island collecting the goods "taxes", that the people would offer in this time. Games that strengthened skills, knowledge, intelligence, and reaction were played to train people in certain ways. Also during this time, there was no battles or war that took place as it was forbidden. But what does the word Makahiki itself, actually mean?
When understanding the makawalu of a name, everyone can interpret it in different ways. In the Hawaiian language, one word can mean many things, and the way you break up big words can be interpreted one way or another. For makahiki, I interpreted that into two words. One being Maka, eye. The other being hiki, or to arise. The reason why I believe that this is the correct makawalu for this time is that the beginning of the Makahiki season is signaled by the rising of the "7 seven sisters" constelation, called makaliʻi in Hawaiian. Being that my makawaly on Makahiki means the eyes that arise, it makes sense that the "eyes" are refered to the 7 stars in the sky that "arise" to signal the time of Makahiki season. Thus why I believe that this meaning seems correct and appropriate to believe about the name Makahiki. This past week we had the opportunity to attend a cultural workshop at Kaiwakiloumoku, which is our Hawaiian cultural center here at the Kamehameha Schools. We learned about various activities that our ancestors competed in as well as the significance each one brings to real life actions. Traditional and modernized foods were present and added to the festivities. One game that was brand new to me this year was noʻa. It basically is a "find the hidden kukui nut" kind of game where your team hides your hands under a piece of kapa. Then you folks but hide the nut in one of your hands. When time is up you must take your hands out from under the kapa and the opponent team must choose the correct hand that your team has it in. It was a great game and our team loved it! We played it six times and had a blast. That day was an amazing experience that has helped strengthen and bring my knowledge about my Hawaiian culture to a new level. Papa Mau Piailug is one of the famous navigators of all time in Polynesian history. He was a way finder who helped the native Hawaiians reconnect the knowledge of ancient pacific voyaging using the natural elements. Born and raised on a tiny island called Stawal in Micronesia, Papa Mau grew up learning the art of ancient voyaging by heart. When the time came and the need to restrengthen the knowledge was great, Papa Mau answered the calling. Teaching Nainoa Thompson along with other famous people, Papa Mau ultimately was the hero that allowed this knowledge to be past down from generation to generation. Mau helped with the strength of the Polynesian Voyaging Society and its efforts to bring the art back to life. His legacy still lives on today as more and more of our lāhui are learning and taking into action the art of traditional navigation. I decided to do this Discover's Day about Papa Mau as our class was given the opportunity to sail on Hōkūleʻa the next coming months and learn first hand what being a kanaka Hawaiʻi is all about.
The IUCN conference was a great opportunity for youth like myself to engage in nature knowledge and understanding of greater sustainability and what other organization are doing to save/conserve our planet earth. I engaged in waʻa navigation with PVS (Polynesian Voyaging Society) and immersed myself into the view of NASA and their ways of the conservation of nature. From this educational learning opportunity I was put into a group to figure out ways to involve todays youth in nature conservation. Our ideas were very innovated and out of the box. It was an amazing way to obtain higher level of thinking and I have been inspired to make a difference for our future. Especially for the future of our lāhui.
Kuʻu Home Kūlaiwi is the place where our roots stem from. The place of ʻāina piko connection to our kūpuna that can be traced back to Papa and Wākea. A place of sensibility and pride, of compassion and love. Although I live in Kāpalama on the island of Oʻahu, I do not call this place my kūlaiwi. My kuʻu kūlaiwi lies in the ʻōhiʻa lehua forest on the bed of the lava rock on Mōkūokeawe. I trace both of my family lineages back to this place, the island of Hawaiʻi. Every time I take a huakaʻi to this place, I feel at home. I feel the ʻeʻeka wind of Kona, Hawaiʻi filled with my ancestors mana brushing on my skin like a hala paintbrush painting genealogy on kapa. I can hear the rustling of the leaves in the forests and the birds singing a song of moʻolelo to my ears. I can taste the Konakū rain as it brings me life for the future. I can see Mauna a Wākea standing tall and high, reminding our lāhui to never give up hope on our people, our ʻāina. All these things tell of a magnificent place where I call home. One With Nature One doesn't realize how much we are disconnected from our heritage, culture, and especially our ʻāina. Advancements in the 21st century have changed the minds of our people from outdoors learning to TV couch potatoes. Today I had the opportunity to sit with nature one on one to learn from it first hand rather than from a textbook within a four walled classroom. After spending about an hour outdoors, one thing came to me, nature can teach us a lot more things than we expected rather than from an 8 inch screen. The wind gusting through the cracks in leaves, insects landing around looking for food, birds singing songs of worship to one another, and trees proclaiming this land are all but a few things that make our ʻāina magnificent. True beauty is hidden within the air of our forests, our oceans, and our kula. I have come to love being outdoors. A key thought came to my mind today, "What was it like back in old Hawaiʻi? What did the kuahiwis with all the native flora truly look like?". But one thing is for certain, I will never get the opportunity to experience the true native land our ancestors with my own eyes. Blog #2 Being a Hawaiian scientist means that you find ways to better our lāhui through sustainability and ʻāina connections while at the same time reconnecting the past to the present in our way finding. Through blood we are all considered "Hawaiian Scientists" but what can make us different is the way we approach problems and how our solutions help to better all things long term rather than short short. Blog #1 This picture symbolizes who I am and where I come from. It was taken during my first Rugby Game with our schools first ever Rugby Team, Kamehameha Boys and Girls High. I have ties to the game of Rugby as well as the place where this game was, Kahuku. Due to this connection of my love for Rugby, my best friends that are in it, as well as the place where it was taken, is the main reason why this picture symbolizes who I am and where I come from.
|
AuthorBeing Hawaiian isn't just understanding who you are and where you come from, but feeling within your nāʻau the passion to learn ʻike to pass on to the future lāhui. Here is my journey through Mālama Honua and how I am making a difference here in Hawaiʻi. Archives
December 2016
Categories |