HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018 Pohaha I Ka Lani Semi Report_Waipio Valley Lookout, Hamakua TMK No.: (3) 4-8-004:006PONC Grant Cycle for 2018 was 10 months late, with this,
we continued to care for the land and included pictures and
write up for January 2018 – September 2018 with our 2017
final report.
Mālama ʻĀina
Due to funds coming in late, instead of having a baby shower for one of our board member’s
ʻohana, they asked to have a mālama ʻāina instead and asked friends and family to come to
Koaʻekea to help tend to the lands instead of purchasing gifts for the baby. With the help of 40+
who came to help clean up Koaʻekea, our board member and ʻohana could have a break that was
much appreciated and the land was well cared for.
Koa’ekea, Hawai’i County PONC Stewardship
Pōhāhā I Ka Lani
October 2018 – August 2019
Hoʻomau Ka Hana
Noʻeau o Waipiʻo
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Carroll University Student Learning How To Make Ti Leaf Lei
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Weeding Gardens, Planting ‘Olena, Ti Leaf
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Kumu Ryan & His Hālau Tending To The Kalo Gardens
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Biology 156 Class with Kumu Allie Atkins
Weeded Gardens, Planted Kalo, Sugarcane, ʻUala and Kalo
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The sugarcane that was harvested was utilized to plant a large section of the bottom
area of Koa’ekea.
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HAAS Public Charter School K-12th Grade
Tended To The Gardens At Koaʻekea
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Mālama ʻĀina Days
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HĀ SUMMIT PARTICIPANTS HELPED BY REDOING
BAMBOO FENCING FOR KOAʻEKEA PARCEL
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SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS HELPED TEND TO THE
ʻĀINA
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STUDENTS FROM BIG ISLAND FARMS CAME TO KŌKUA AT KOAʻEKEA
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INTERNS FROM PEAHI ED GROUP CAME TO HELP MALAMA THE MAIʻA
PATCHES
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HAUMĀNA FROM GEOGRAPHY CLASSES CAME TO KŌKUA IN THE
MANY DIFFERENT GARDENS
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It’s been over three years and there are still layers of rubbish needing to
be removed from the land.
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Layers and layers of glass
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After picking up all the rubbish, we need to haul it to rubbish dump.
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Some Of The Groups That Volunteered
Countless Hours To Mālama Iā Koaʻekea,
Carroll University
Kumu Ryan and his hālau
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Allie Atkinʻs Biology 156 Class
HAAS PCS and ʻOhana Members
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Goldbelt Heritage Foundation, Alaska
Big Island Farms
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In between hosting of groups, Pōhāhā I Ka Lani board member and ʻohana often
goes to take care of Koa’ekea. We have been volunteering our time to cut the grass,
weed the gardens, shovel mulch, and removing trash. We volunteer our time
communicating with the groups wanting to participate in our workshops, mālama
‘āina days etc. For the past three years, it has been our personal truck utilized to do
hauling of trash, abandon vehicles, mowers, tents for workshops etc.
Aloha,
My name is Kawehi Lopez and Hawaiʻi Island is my home. Despite growing up in Hilo my whole
life, it wasn’t until high school that I realized the power of a strong sense of place. During my
first semester at UH Hilo I noticed a flyer for a volunteer day at Waipiʻo Valley. I was very
excited, especially because I had never been to Waipio. I learned that in times of famine, the
amount of food produced in Waipiʻo was enough to feed everyone on the island. Ever since that
first trip I realized how a small grassroots organization could have such far reaching impacts on
many people’s lives.
Earlier this year I had the opportunity to work at Koaʻekea with a few friends. Over the course of
a few hours we were able to weed an entire hillside and filled up over 14 contractor trash bags!
That day was special because Pohaha I Ka Lani gifted my fiance, Pila, and I with over 150 huli.
We were excited to plant the kalo and also give some away to our loved ones. A few months
ago, Pila and I were blessed to attend Pohaha i ka Lani’s poi board workshop. All of the wood
for the papa kuʻiʻai came from invasive mango that was removed from the property.This
experience was transformative and very powerful because not only would we have kalo but we
would have a board to pound our kalo on. It was also a chance to reconnect to our ancestors
and promote a healthy way of living. Attending the workshop also gave me the opportunity to
meet lots of people whose lives have been impacted by Pohaha I Ka Lani.
Pohaha I Ka Lani’sdedication to this ʻāina is awe-inspiring. It has been no small feat
rehabilitating this land from its previous state as a dumping ground. The hard work is always
worth it because when it comes down to it. Pohaha I Ka Lani believe that there should be a
board, stone, and kalo in every household. It seems like an attainable task as I got to talk with
those at the workshop. Pohaha I Ka Lani host many volunteer groups and continue to have a
positive impact on this island community and I look forward to seeing the continual
transformation of the place as a space of learning, connection, and rejuvenation.
People of all ages come to Koaekea and are able to reconnect with nature. They learn moʻolelo,
they get their hands dirty, and they foge new connections with people, As an emerging
professional in community outreach and engagement, I feel that Pohaha i ka Lani is a deserving
steward of this ʻāina and deserve to mālama Koaʻekea.
Mahalo,
Kawehi Lopez
June 17, 2019
Aloha,
This letter is written in support of the organization Pōhāhā I Ka Lani, with whom I have had
a professional relationship for several years. Since 2014 I have brought groups of students
in my Geography classes from Hawai'i Community College and the University of Hawai'i at
Hilo to Waipi'o to work directly with Pōhāhā I Ka Lani. We have, thus far, made a total of 11
trips, bringing over 300 college and university students.
The impact on my students has been incredibly positive. Not only do my students
demonstrate high levels of engagement and enthusiasm as they learn about the cultural
and environmental landscapes of Waipi‘o from Pōhāhā I Ka Lani, but they are pleased and
honored to enter into a reciprocal relationship with that ‘āina, those lands, and
participation in the restoration and stewarding of the cultural sites of the ancient village of
Nāpo'opo'o, the loʻi kalo or taro patches, ‘auwai or irrigation system, po‘owai or water
head, as well as of Koa‘ekea at the top of the valley, where they have been involved with
planting native plants, and clearing and cleaning that historic site.
The reflections my students write following their huaka'i or excursion provide testimony
about the positive and, in many cases, transformative experience they have had at Waipi'o
with Pōhāhā I Ka Lani. They comment on connections they have made or strengthened with
the land, on the importance of the mo’olelo or histories/stories associated with the place,
on the necessity for perpetuating Hawaiian cultural practices and how vital it was for them
to experience that, on a deeper understanding of the significance clean and fresh water
plays in our lives and its role in traditional agriculture, on sustainability, on the value of
working together to accomplish tasks and goals, and so much more.
At the end of each semester, these hundreds of students have created visual projects and
artwork that speak to their profound learning and experiences at Waipi'o with Pōhāhā I Ka
Lani, which they hōʻike or present to other students. They express their gratitude to
Pōhāhā I Ka Lani and artistically and creatively represent the powerful impact Waipi‘o has
had on them personally. I have had some students share with me that their huaka'i to
Waipi'o with Pōhāhā I Ka Lani was not only the pinnacle of their academic journey, but also
changed their lives. In the work that Pōhāhā I Ka Lani does there is a lot of healing and
loha,
nurturing, not just of the land, but also of the spirit, and it is clear that this is precisely what
many of our community members need, as well as the place itself.
I will continue to bring my students to Waipi‘o to be hosted by Pōhāhā I Ka Lani, as I have
seen what these experiences can do: they inspire my students on so many levels —
academically, culturally, professionally, spiritually — and help to create a more balanced,
interdependent, caring, and informed larger community of which our students are part.
Mahalo for the opportunity for me to share a bit about the relationship my students and I
have with Pōhāhā I Ka Lani, and the deep appreciation I have for their passion and work,
for the ‘ike or knowledge they have generously shared, and for them as them as people and
dedicated caretakers of a very precious place that requires that level of commitment and
aloha ‘aina.
Drew Kapp
Instructor of Geography, Hawai'i Community College
200 W, Kawili St
Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720-4091
An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action tnstitution
Sam Houston State Universify
MEMBER THE TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY
July 19, 2019
Dear Grant Committee Members:
We are pleased to write a letter of recommendation for Pohaha I Ka Lani, a non-profit organization that is truly dedicated to the preservation of Hawaiian culture through land restoration. Our Geography department at Sam Houston State University regularly offers a Hawaii Field Course that explores both the cultural and environmental diversity of the Big Island of Hawaii. An integral component of the course involves a volunteer service day where our students have the oppmtunity to "give back" to the island. We have been working with Pohaha I Ka Lani for three years now and our volunteer day is the highlight for us all.
Our Hawaii Field Course has not been our only endeavor that involves immersing college students in the
field. As professional geographers, we have been engaged in several educational projects that focus on the celebration and commemoration of cultural heritages across multiple destinations. For instance, we regularly lead groups of students and/or professionals through the field in conjunction with courses that
focus on the interdisciplinary study of a variety of international and domestic destinations - Texas, Mississippi Delta, Italy, Spain and Morocco, just to name a few. These endeavors have provided us the oppmtunity to interact with a number of excellent field guides. Yet, we can honestly state that the
experiences Pohaha I Ka Lani provide our group are unmatched by any that we have ever worked with. The exuberance, knowledge and passion they possess for Hawaiian heritage, all of which they are more than willing to share with us, are vividly evident to everybody involved. The feedback we have received
from patticipants concerning our field experiences on the Big Island emphasize more than anything else, how all that they learned about Hawaii really came "alive" during our interactions with Pohaha I Ka Lani in Waipi'o Valley. Pohaha I Ka Lani also function as an important community nexus for a broad network
of other local contacts that we utilize during our field course. In sho1t, we know of no other organization on the Big Island that facilitates the preservation of the cultural and environmental heritage of Hawaii better than Pohaha I Ka Lani.
In our modern fast-paced world, ancient Hawaiian cultural practices and knowledge are rapidly being lost. Sometimes, the answers to our ecological and social problems can be found in looking to the past.
rHands-on learning and in-the-field activities are essential components in education. We fi mly believe and suppo1t the mission and goals of Pohaha I Ka Lani and any assistance and funding would benefit not only the students lucky enough to participate, but will have wider implications on the outside world. lf you have any further questions about our experience, please do not hesitate to contact us by phone or email.
Professor of Geography Ava R. Fujimoto-Strait Instructor of Geography
Sam Houston State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution
Huntsville, Texas 77341-2148 • 936.294.1451 • Fax 936.294.4203