It has been a long time since I have added anything new to this blog. But Kaho'olawe still haunts my thoughts. I mostly think about why the story of Kaho'olawe is so impacting. I haven't stopped researching for this project. Right now I am gathering secondary sources that will support my findings and conclude my research in the spring of 2009. Recently I read a book called The Earth's Blanket by Nancy J. Turner. It is about Native Americans in British Colombia who went through a similar movement to reclaim land that had been left desolate by loggers and farmers. What stood out to me was the idea of a "kincentric approach to nature" which suggests that everything in the universe is regarded as a relative, including the land and wildlife. This is how Kaho'olawe is seen by Native Hawaiians. Kaho'olawe is viewed as a part of the ohana (family). This is why the story of Kaho'olawe is so tragic to Native Hawaiians. Kaho'olawe was first used carelessly, and then taken away from its family. After being partially returned to its family, it was left sick and littered with bombs. When members of the PKO talk about Kaho'olawe, it is usually so emotional and passionate. Their voice vibrates with sorrow. The idea of Kaho'olawe being a family member sheds light on why there is so much emotion in the words spoken.

Kaho'olawe

I can read hundreds of books and listen to hundreds of people tell me about Kaho'olawe and never understand. Even after being there for a brief time, I haven't even scratched the surface of its intricate significance in the eyes of its people. I feel honored and blessed to have been permitted to visit such a unique and special place.

This project all along has been about the Hawaiian people and their relationship with Kaho'olawe. But being who I am, the sum of all my research can only be told through my eyes. My eyes are young and small. I can see, feel, try to relate, convince myself I understand, and then do my best to make some sort of judgment. All of it really reflects who I am as a person rather than anything else. This is true for everyone. This blog will conclude my summer research. In the fall I will come back to it. But after this I wont be adding anything more for some time. I think the best way to conclude this research is to tell of my own experience on island.

There were so many experiences that I will never forget. It started with me sitting on the shore of a little beach squishing the sand between my toes. I looked at this sand and made the connection that it would have looked a lot like the soft, clean sand of Makena if it weren't for the decades of erosion that caused the topsoil to bleed into the ocean every time the rain fell. This was depressing and instilled a feeling of loss and hopelessness in me.

What I noticed about Kaho'olawe is that it seemed to magnify every emotion in every person. There was sadness, love, joy, and peace. There was also bitterness and un-forgiveness. I felt it wherever I went, hanging on whoever I was around. This was a bit overwhelming at times.

But after sometime, something strong and true overcame any imbalance of emotion that I may have felt. And that was a sense of love and responsibility as a family that the people brought. They cared so deeply for the place as well as the people. All 61 of us were connected through this strong sense of Ohana. It was amazing to see these people passionately reach out to one another and to the land. As I walked along the shore I saw a young woman fast asleep laying on the sand, embracing it as if it were her child. I saw a baby cover herself in the thick red dirt like a blanket. These people love Kaho'olawe as they do their family members. There is no distinction between auntie, uncle, tuttu and the land. They are all connected. And they all have a responsibility to one another that runs deeper and stronger than life as we know it.

The Protect Kaho'olawe Ohana's strategy to healing and restoring the land seems to be to love it as if it were an injured child. When someone is ill, the worst thing you can do is isolate them. Being alone and sick can cause one to fall deeper into despair. Instead, if you reach out to the person, cook them dinner, clean their house, and care for them in every way that is needed, they will feel loved and will be more likely to become well. So too is what the PKO is doing for Kaho'olawe. They are bringing their children, sharing meals, talking story together, all the while including Kaho'olawe. They are bringing life with every access. Seeing this made me realize how imperative it is to strive to reconcile ourselves, no matter who we are or what we are, to the earth. This after all is what God has asked us to do since the beginning.

For The PKO, this relationship is very limited. They are only allowed maybe six days a month to be with the island. It makes it difficult to commit to too much. Hopefully somehow there will be more families and more time to spend on island in the future. I was told that if you look at Kaho'olawe on a map it is the shape of a male fetus, laying there naked in the ocean. Molokini is its umbilical cord, and Maui is its mother. Native Hawaiians are reaching out to this child to care for it and keep it alive.

This was a very impacting experience that I will remember. This is only my view. Being on island and speaking to different people has showed to me that there is still so much hurt and pain attached to the abuse of Kaho'olawe and its people. I believe it is important to recognize and value this pain. But more importantly we must love and nurture the land so that we can receive mutual blessings. In this we honor each other as well as the Creator.

Returning

I had a great time in Oahu. I read three books. Currently I am reading, Hawaiian Antiquities by David Malo. This is such a thorough book about ancient Hawaii. What is really amazing are all of the Hawaiian names for everything. There is a name for every day of the month that refers to the moon. There are hundreds of names for different depths of the ocean. For example, "...kau-au where the shoal water ended; and outside of the kua-au was a belt called kai-au, ho-au, kai-o-kilo-hee, this swimming deep or sea for spearing squid, or kai-ee-nalu, that is, a surf-swimming region....Outside of this was a belt called kai-uli, blue sea squid-fishing sea kai-lu-hee, or the sea-of-flying fish..." And it goes on and on. The Hawaiian language wasn't written down until the 1800s. As you can see, its structure has already changed since the time this book was first published in 1902. Reading David Malo's Hawaiian Antiquities has been very helpful to my research. What strikes me the most is just how in tuned to the natural world native Hawaiians historically were. They studied and memorised every aspect of their environment

I also did a few interviews, one with Kylee Omo and Derek Mar, and one with David Blevins. Derek and Kylee have been devoted to Kaho'olawe since their first experience with the island. In the interview Derek focused on the the responsibility that he felt to restoring and perpetuating healing to the land. Kylee spoke of how the island is a reflection of an individual's life. Its story is a story of mistreatment and abuse, but also a story of regeneration and healing. She says that everyone can relate to that story on a personal level. This interview was so enjoyable and refreshing. I also interviewed David Blevins. He was born and raised in Molokai and only went to the island one time as a teenager. His story is unique because he comes from perhaps the least developed of all the Hawaiian islands. What struck him the most when he went to Kaho'olawe was how healthy and plentiful the marine life was, and in contrast how desolate the island's surface appeared. He, unlike any other interviewees didn't have a "connection" with the land. His love is for the people of Molokai. His interview was important because like Derek and Kylee pointed out at the end of their interview, not everyone has that connection. It is good to get many perspectives.

I also had time to catch up with some really good friends. On top of that I got to spend Independence day with my cousins. It was so much fun getting together with them and watching the fireworks. The house is always filled with happy little children and ono grinds (really good food).

I love These Islands

E mau ko kakou lahui, e ho'omau.
E mau ko kakou 'olelo, e ho'omau.
E mau ka hana pono o ka 'aina
I mau ka ea o ka 'aina i ka pono.
I ka pono--o ka 'aina!!

Ho'oulu ka pono o ka 'aina, e ho'oulu.
Ho'oula ka nani o ka 'aina, e ho'ola.
Ho'ola la, Ho'oulu la, a ho'olaha
I mau ka ea o ka 'aina i ka pono.
I ka pono--ka 'aina!!

Let's strive to keep our nation alive, let's strive.
Let's strive to keep our language alive, let's strive.
Let's strive to preserve the good of the islands
So that righteousness may continue to be with us.
All that's good--in the islands!!

Build the greatness of Hawai'i, build them.
Restore the goodness of the islands, restore them.
Restore!! Build, and sustain them throughout the world
So that righteousness will fill the land once again.
Every good--in the islands!!
-Alvin Kaleolani Isaacs, Sr

Significance

My time on Oahu so far has been quite productive. I have finished a few books, visited the Bishop Museum, gone to an orientation for access to Kaho'olawe with the Protect Kaho'olawe Ohana, and confirmed two interviews. Its exciting. I never knew I was such a closet nerd.
A Call For Hawaiian Sovereignty, written by Michael Kioni Dudley and Keoni Kealoha Agard is one of the books that I have recently read. It opened my eyes to the illegal and unethical actions that Europeans and Americans alike took toward Hawaiians through out history. The Hawaiian monarchy was illegally overthrown on January 17, 1893 by a small group of money hungry businessmen. After the overthrow these men appointed government officials without a proper election and hastily shipped off for Washington to propose annexation into the union. The intentions were strictly for financial gain. This newly instated government owned the majority of Hawaiian lands and major sugar cane plantations. In order to receive a secure price for their sugar that superseded that of other international growers, Hawaii needed to become a territory. When the bill reached Grover Cleveland, he opposed it and ordered an investigation to be conducted on the matter. His conclusion was that the overthrow was against the will of the Hawaiian monarch and the majority of Hawaiian citizens at the time. He also referred to the deployment of the U.S. Navy in Honolulu as an "act of war." He further writes, “I suppose that right and justice should determine the path to be followed in treating this subject. If national honesty is to be disregarded and a desire for territorial extension, or dissatisfaction with a form of government not our own, ought to regulate our conduct, I have entirely misapprehended the mission and character of our government and behavior which the conscience of our people demands of our public servants.” (pg 24). Even though Grover Cleavland was opposed to the annexation and believed it was the duty of the American government to make things right, no action was taken by the U.S. government. This was the end of the Hawaiian Monarchy.
This book is very relevant to Kaho'olawe because to many, Kaho'olawe is a political symbol. Firstly, a nation needs land. Even though Kaho'olawe is small and badly abused, it belongs to the sovereign nation of Hawaii. At one time this little island sustained a substantial population. Before the introduction of goats, the island was more heavily vegetated, which as a result caused a greater percentage of rainfall. In the access orientation to Kaho'olawe, we were asked to wear water shoes for the landing because the beach is covered in river rocks. Geological history reveals that Hakioawe was where two rivers met. With malama (care) and aloha (love) for the 'aina (land), it is possible to sustain a notable population once again. The author strongly expresses how crucial it is for native Hawaiians to have a strong relationship with the land. He writes, “…If Hawaiians were to survive as a culture and as a race, they had to get back to the land and to reestablish their ties with nature”(pg 66). This book is also relevant and important because it points out many unjust circumstances in the political and legal arena that prevent or make it challenging for native Hawaiians to reestablish their own sovereign nation.
Overall this book was very helpful because it broadened my perspective and furthered my understanding pertaining to where native Hawaiians are coming from in their passionate reconciliation to the land.

Oahu

Even though Oahu and Maui are both known to be desirable destinations, they have very little in common. Honolulu is a large city packed with an extremely diverse population. For this Maui girl it takes a little getting used to. I have enjoyed my time so far. Today I went to an orientation with the Protect Kah'oolawe Ohana. I and three others were prepped on safety precautions, Hawaiian protocol, and other important topics pertaining to visiting the island. I am actually really excited to visit. Kim, who did the orientation also recommended some very good books about people who have been involved with Kaho'olawe. This was so helpful for me because it has been hard to research books that specifically focus on Kaho'olawe. I went down to the used book store and picked up three of them. I spent at least an hour there because there were so many books on Hawaiian culture and people. I will have to go back.
This trip has also been good for me because I am reconnecting with good friends and my cousins who live on island.

More Research And Transcribing

Lately I have been reading the book, Shoal Of Time: A History Of The Hawaiian Islands by Gavan Daws. This is a great book that is easy to read. But at the same time it is heavy and packed with information. Retaining it all is impossible. I am starting to make connections with my interviews and research. What I find the most intriguing is the consistent desire through out history for native Hawaiians to have a progressive and integrative relationship with the rest of the world. When King Kamehameha the first ruled he worked toward unifying the islands and preparing them for a broad world view. He traded with all sorts of merchants from all over the globe, at the same time being true to his ancient traditions. Daws writes, "With all this traffic back and forth Honolulu produced some strange juxtapositions of old and new. Kamehameha lounged in all but naked outside a European house being built for him. Native chiefs had Western names tattooed on their arms.... The American traders held Fourth of July celebrations with rickets and fireworks in the royal yam patch," (pg 48). Its very interesting to see a society that has been isolated from the Western World for hundreds of years, embrace it while holding true to their own ideologies. Many interesting coincidences took place through out Hawaiian history to prepare for the integration of the two societies. One example of this was the doing away with the ancient kapu system that Hawaiians lived by. In Pre-European times, Hawaiians had different kapus or taboos that were strictly enforced by Hawaiian priests known as Kapunas. One kapu was that men and women were forbidden to eat with each other. After king Kamehameha the first died, his wife Queen Kaahumanu challenged this kapu by persuading Kamehameha the first's son, Liholiho the new king, to dine with her. After doing so, the entire religious system was broken. Priests no longer had the same authority. The women's role in society took a complete 180 degree turn, and idols and temples all over the islands were destroyed. The Hawaiian islands were without a national religion. Within just a few months of this happening the Protestant missionaries arrived. Naturally, the general population of Hawaii embraced Christianity with great enthusiasm. Unfortunately the diplomatic hospitality of the native Hawaiian's was abused by secular and non-secular foreigners alike.
What is fascinating to me is the progressiveness of the society, but at the same time their ability to preserve their traditions. This is spoken of in the two interviews that I have done so far. Both narrators talk about using modern technologies in a culturally minded way. Mike Nahoopi'i used the example of building houses out of modern resources while using traditional chants and blessings during the building process. This could be described as living in a modern world with a native mindset so to speak.
I have finished transcribing my second interview. This interview is filled with thoughts and ideas on culture and tradition. I hope you enjoy it.
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dg48z7r4_12dds74wht

Transcribing

Yesterday I began transcribing the first interview. I had never completely transcribed an interview before. One hour of speaking had turned into twenty eight pages, double spaced, of writing. It was hard and took many hours. The hardest part was knowing where to put commas and periods. I have enough trouble as it is with grammar.

There is a really nice south swell right now and I have been able to get some surfing in with my dad. It has been a good way of escaping the monotony of transcribing. I am proud of myself for getting it done though. Here is the link if you are curious about how it went. It was really fun and Mike had some beautiful things to say about culture and the future of Hawaii and Kaho'olawe.

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dg48z7r4_10fg6k7wgp

Second Interview

Today I interviewed Kapono'ai Molitau. He is the Cultural Specialist for the Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission. This was an amazing experience. He is very in tune and connected to his Hawaiian culture and has been since an extremely young age. Before the interview he asked me what I hoped to do with the interviews and information that I gathered. He told me that he had been a part of other oral history projects that simply get shelved and nothing is made of them. He told me that he hoped that it would touch people and make them aware of what is going on in Hawaii and perhaps inspire people to care for the land where they live. I promised him I would do my best. He is a true Hawaiian that spoke of being the physical embodiment of his culture and representation of his ancestors. He spoke of the concept of the land being the chief and man being it's servants. Rather than ruling the land we are to care for it and love it. He talked much of the ancient history of Kaho'olawe and the voyage his ancestors took across the ocean from Tahiti. Honestly this interview was overwhelming. I was on the verge of crying at times because he was so filled with a strong authoritative passion for his land and culture. I will really have to go through this interview a few times to be able to grasp and remember all that he talked about.

Chants and Mythologies

The book Kaho'olawe Na Leo o Kanaloa, printed by 'Ai Pohaku Press is a compilation of different chants and mythologies (Meles and Mo’olelos) that make mention of the island Kaho’olawe. It is the most extensive compilation in existence. It also had many beautiful photographs taken by various well known photographers over a four-year period.
A few things about these chants and myths really impacted me. The first thing was that it answered some questions about the mythological history of the island. In the previous book that I read Kaho’olawe by Inez Macphee Ashdown, the folktale she told of the island was that it was a creation of the god Kanaloa that never came to life. That is how it acquired the name, “the island of death.” I was curious about what native Hawaiians in the past as well as the present think about that mythology. What I learned is that this island has many different mythologies. It is said to have three demigod mothers, to be a place of refuge for chiefs of ancient time, and a sacred place that the shark god protects by cruising its cliffs. It is referred to as a child, a “gleaming vagina,” and a "tenant farmer". As I can tell there are many myths that change over the generations and are different from island to island and family to family. Today it has taken on a new purpose. Rowland Reeves writes in the introduction, “Their chants express what the island has come to represent to many contemporary Hawaiians: over the past two decades, this ‘island of death’ as it was once called, has become a place of cultural refuge and cultural rebirth.”
Another aspect of these chants and stories that had an impact on me was that the native Hawaiians are carrying on these oral traditions today. One chant in particular stood out to me. It was composed by Harry Mitchell, an elder of the Protect Kaho’olawe Ohana group. It gives the entire history of the island. First it links its birth to many different deities. Then it goes into the time of king Kamehameha, the time of when their traditions were challenged by their ali'i (royalty), the western influence and forbidding of practicing ancient religion and culture, to the time of goat and cattle ranching, to the military use, all the way up to present day. This chant has become the anthem of Kaho’olawe. It is amazing to see a people reconnect with old stories, cultures and traditions, to continue the practices into their modern day lives. It shows a strong, progressive perspective on culture.

Research

For the last few days I have been doing research. I read a book called Kaho'olawe by Inez Macphee Ashdown about the island Kaho'olawe before it was seized by the U.S. military for ammunitions testing. It was leased from Hawaii by the MacPhee family in the early 1900s. Before that it was used by sheep and goat ranchers. The impact of the goats on the island resulted in almost complete deforestation. A few of the requirements for the MacPhee family were to eradicate the island of goats and reforest the land. The family was almost completely successful in doing this. By the time the Navy seized the land in 1941, there were only about 50 goats left and the island had been turned into a very successful cattle ranch.
There is a lot of mythology about this island that the author touched upon. During her time, the island was reffered to as the "island of death." I am assuming this is because of the devistation caused by the goats when her family first arrived. According to Macphee, Kaho'olawe means "gatherer of driftwood."
Scattered all over the island there are many historical sights. The author of the book recollects when a big boulder fell from a cliff and exposed an ancient burial of a warrior chief. Inside were his bones, his feather cape, an outrigger canoe, and various other items meant for him to take to the afterlife.
The book was interesting. I also indexed my first interview and scheduled my second. It will be on Tuesday with the Cultural Specialist of the Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission.

First Interview

Today I interviewed Mike Nahoopii. He has a long standing relationship with Kaho'olawe that goes back about twenty seven years. He is now the Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission Executive Director. The interview was about an hour long and went really well. He is a really animated person that is used to giving interviews. He talked about when he first went to the island as a boy in 1981 for a camping trip and how you could find archaeological sights all over the island. Later in his Navy career he got involved with the island again by being put in charge of the Navy's ammunitions clean up and restoration project. It was really interesting to hear his perspective on the cultural significance of the island. He also helped me to understand the idea of the island being entrusted to the state and one day being given back to the Hawaiian Sovereign nation.
The interview went well. He said he enjoyed talking about all of it because a lot of times he has all these thoughts about the Kaho'olawe and his culture, but doesn't have the opportunity to really focus on them because he is so busy with other projects. I will give him a copy of the recording and transcription when I am done. I really liked doing it. Now I am going to contact a few more people for interviews. I might have to go to Oahu for the next one. Should be fun.

Restoration

Today I volunteered with the Leeward Haleakala Watershed Partnership. We planted Nioa trees. They are native to Hawaii. We went to the side of the Volcano Haleaka, that faces the southern part of Maui. There is a water shortage on this part of the island. The watershed partnership hopes to reintroduce native trees like Koa wood to what once was forest. But because of the introduction of goats and sheep, as well as harvesting of precious woods and the introduction of invasive plants, is now pastureland. In doing this they hope to create a watershed. The trees, especially the Koa, are good for catching the clouds as they drift across they mountain range. This in turn will make a wetter environment.

McNair Summer

I am spending the summer in Maui because of the McNair Scholars program. It is a program that prepares you to enter grad school by assigning you a faculty member as a mentor, preparing you for the grad school entry exams, providing funds to do a summer research project of your choice, publishes your finding in a McNair journal, and enables you to do presentations on your summer research findings.

I chose Maui because I used to live here and have family on island. I have always loved Maui so much. My project is an oral histories project. I intend to interview native Hawaiians that have been involved in the restoration of the island above, Kaho'olawe. This island is about eight miles off of the southern coast of Maui. For fifty years it was used for ammunitions testing by the U.S. Navy. Before that it was used as a cattle ranch. Because of the grazing and ammunitions testing, the island is suffering from serious erosion. After having 70% of its surface cleared of exploded and unexploded ammunition, it was given back to the Sovereign Nation of Hawaii. At this time there is no Sovereign Nation of Hawaii that is recognized by the United States Federal Government. So it has been entrusted to the Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission. This is a state organization that was created after the island was given back to the Sovereign Hawaiian Nation.
I wanted to get about five oral histories of native Hawaiians that have been involved somehow. Ive only been here a week and have made a lot of progress I am really excited about how all of this will turn out.