Punahou Middle School students from the spring-fed waters of Kaneloa visited Ulupo yesterday, December 1, for a hands-on introduction to the spring-fed lo‘i of Kanepolu. They were hosted by Kaleo Wong and Maya Saffery who led them in the ceremonial eating of ko (the word means "sugar cane" but also "to fulfill" -- thus the eating of ko can symbolize a request for fulfillment) followed by the telling of mo‘olelo, the sharing of oli, and the restoring of taro lands. Mapuana and I got there at the end of their stay, just in time to hear the "how did it ko" circle. Many kids said that they hoped to have fun and did, but several spoke of the value of learning about the living land and its still-living stories. We were quite impressed (in Mapuʻs words, "I donʻt think this is the same Punahou I went to"), and we offer our mahalo to teachers Lorelei Saito and Kaniela Lyman-Mercereau for helping Hika‘alani in its efforts at ‘aina-based education. -- Kihei de Silva

Go Kailua coverage of Huli ka Lima i Lalo, our September fundraiser at Hale Kealoha. Mahalo to the folks at GK and to our own Lynn Cook for coordinating the piece. -- Kihei de Silva

I spent the morning with students from the Semester at Sea program. They just arrived on their boat in Hawaii this morning and are leaving tonight for Japan. The 12 hours they had in Hawaii was spent in our Kailua Ahupuaʻa learning about us, the descendents of the land. – Kaleo Wong

Aloha hou,

Kids from the YMCA winter break program walked down the hill again to be with us in the loʻi at the mole o Ulupō. Waele loʻi and hoʻopuʻepuʻe hou was the main work today. As with the other YMCA groups that have come to work with us all week, this is part of the new YMCA commitment to learning and engaging with wahipana in their back yard. 

Having kids with us always leaves us with a full naʻau because the paradigm shift is quickly seen through the comments they make. After the morning offering of mele and introducing ourselves situating ourselves to Ulupō, it was time to go into the loʻi to mālama hāloa. Exclamations from the kids, which are not unusual, come out in the tune of "Do we have to go in there?" "Thats gross." "Is there stuff [crayfish, fish, etc.]  in there?" 

However at the end of the day, which is always the usual, pleas of "Do we have to leave!?" "Can we go into THAT loʻi?" "Can I keep it [crayfish or fish]?" are heard. My favorite of the day comes from a boy who originally didn't want to go in the loʻi. Shortly after he went in, he was covered in mud from head to toe from his own doing, and said to his friends, "I have the beauty of the loʻi all over me".

So many problems can be solved if we all had some TAROpy every once in a while. Worldview is quickly changed when we reestablish relationships with the land and Haloa. It is easy to see what we need to do to perpetuate the life of the land in righteousness. If the kids can do it, so can the rest of us.

Ke aloha.
Kaleo

​Aloha mai,

Today we had the YMCA youth program from Kailua, Kalihi, and Mililani come down to Ulupo to learn, grow, and help hoʻōla hou i ka ʻāina. The hana of the day besides the continual hoʻokamaʻāina action that happens with every group, was to waele loʻi both makai of Ulupō and down the slope next to Kawainui, as well as huki kalo and harvest uala. Although the puʻe uala wasn't as full as we would have wanted them to be, our puʻuwai and naʻau were overflowing with aloha watching our keiki interact with haloa in loʻi that has been planted and replanted in for many generations spanning over 1000 years. An example that we traveling down the righteous path of aloha ʻāina, renewing our relationships with kūpuna, and rededicating ourselves to ʻāina. 

Photos by Sean Aoki, a student in the YMCA program.

Ke aloha,
​Kaleo