Blog Archives

Aloha ʻĀina In All Sizes, 1 to 120

10/21/2017

My naʻau is full (and my kino is a little sore) after a full weekend of aloha ʻāina at Ulupō and Kawainui. First, @manuiwa, his hoa hana Ryan and I got to welcome Mahina and her makua/my kumu...to our beloved kulāiwi. Mahina will be with us throughout her freshman year learning about and engaging in the cultural practices that we are trying to restore to the piko of our ahupuaʻa. Through moʻolelo, mele, eating of kō, and huli-ka-lima-i-lalo work, the five of us began this new relationship with each other and the ʻāina of Kūkanono. This intimate form of aloha ʻāina grew in size and scale the very next day when we, along with our awesome partners, hosted our 2nd Saturday workday with over 120 community members and college students. Again, our stories set the foundation, our ceremonial eating set the tone, and our work tied us to the moʻolelo of this ʻāina of Kailua. Both circles I stood in on those 2 days - big and small - were impactful and fulfilling, reminding me that aloha ʻāina of all sizes can feed us in enriching and satisfying ways. –Maya Saffery

Photo courtesy of Kaleo Wong

KUPU and Kalāheo High School

10/20/2017

As reported by Kaleo Wong at our last Hika'alani board meeting, close to 3,000 service-learners have worked at Ulupō Nui ("Greater Uupō," our name for the reclaimed lands that extend from the heiau to Kawainui) since the first of this year. This, as we tell all of our kōkua, is in keeping with the oldest of Kawainui traditions: community engagement. According to Samuel Kekoʻowai, people from Kailua and its neighboring ahupua'a came regularly, in great numbers, to mālama the pond and the lands surrounding it. Thus did we thrive; thus will we again return life to our 'āina. –KdS

Photo: Kaleo Wong

Kailua's Men Powered by Poi from Ulupō

10/12/2017

Stoked with our Molokaʻi Hoe top 10 finish yesterday. Even more stoked that what played a big part in our successful crossing was that a week before the race, we took our Kailua open men program to Ulupō to huki kalo for our poi for this years race, and kanu kalo for next years race. –Kaleo Wong

Photo courtesy of Kaleo Wong

Nice Article in the Latest Ka Wai Ola

10/10/2017

Hana, Hula, Moʻolelo, and Pū Paʻakai

10/10/2017

Kumu Kahikina de Silva's papa hula Kukunalā (the Kukunalā hula class) met at Ulupō on the first Sunday of October to work, dance, tell stories, and share food. Mahalo to the Kukunalā families for their support and to Kaleo and Maya for helping to make it happen. –KdS

Photo: Kaleo Wong

We Are Still Here

10/4/2017

I love being able to help @manuiwa host groups at Ulupō. Every group is awesome and contributes so much, but I have to say that those who are from Kailua and our neighboring ahupuaʻa are the most special because they allow us to engage with our immediate community, help them to reconnect to their kulāiwi, and cultivate a sense of pride for their home that will hopefully reestablish relationships and regenerate responsibilities to aloha ʻāina. This past weekend we got to welcome students and teachers from Kailua Intermediate School who are a reflection of the community described in our foundational moʻolelo of Mākālei; paddlers from Kailua Canoe Club, a hui waʻa who can trace their origins back to community-lead ʻāina restoration efforts at Ulupō; and haumāna of Hālau Mōhala ʻIlima whose hoʻokupu of mele & hula reminded us all of the importance of telling our stories in the exact places that they took place. They all added their mana to our piko of Kailua and they hopefully took home something meaningful as well. I know Kaleo and I did. My goofy, joyful smile in this picture is proof. Eō ko Kailua! We are still here! – Maya Kawailanaokeawaiki Saffery

Photo: Kaleo Wong

The Most Important Crop

10/1/2017

130 Kailua Intermediate 8th graders walked up the the hill to the piko of Kailua to learn from the land why our ahupuaʻa is the bestes ever.... We had an opening circle and then split them up into 5 stations, mo]olelo (with Maya), kilo/kākau (with David Lau from the YMCA), loʻi (me), heiau (Ryan), and water quality (Derek Esibill, Manning Tate, and Hinano). There was also a wash-up station that one of the KIS teachers manned. We ended with a closing circle. Even though it felt rushed because there was so much students and so little time, it was a great day...The most important crop we can mahi is the aloha ʻāina relationships between our keiki and our ʻāina/wahi pana. – Kaleomanuʻiwa Wong