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.
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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
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