ʻĀina (land), culture and community generated an even deeper meaning for a group of students (haum¨¡na) from the and this summer. After strictly attending classes during the pandemic from behind a computer screen, actually visiting wahi k¨±puna or ancestral sites where Native Hawaiian royalty roamed centuries ago, sparked vivid emotions.
Haum¨¡na participated in a , a four week long program where college credits are earned while working with historical and cultural experts in the archaeology field. This summer, students spent time conducting field work in H¨¡m¨¡kua on Â鶹´«Ã½ Island in a region where famous high chief ʻUmial¨©loa was born and raised. Haum¨¡na focused on ethnography and ethnohistorical research and ʻ¨¡ina-field techniques such as mapping and recording boundaries using GPS at various wahi k¨±puna in the area that will be used for restoration work.
UH Hilo junior Lucon Route completed the program feeling refreshed and recharged in his pursuit of an agroforestry and Pacific Islander studies degree.
“This internship has far surpassed my expectations and provided me with fortunate experiences with knowledgeable mentors and skills that influenced my decision of interest within my academic studies under agriculture,” Route explained. “I highly recommend those who are interested within the line of preservation history to try and apply.”
The paid internship program is spearheaded by , a non-profit organization overseen by Kelley Lehuakeaopuna Uyeoka, a UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ archaeology and UH Hilo anthropology alumna.
“The primary goals of this program are to develop leaders and advocates in Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s Cultural Resource Management field by training more Native Hawaiians and kamaʻāina in both the cultural and technical sides of heritage stewardship, so they have a strong cultural foundation, elevate their kuleana to our places and communities, obtain higher education degrees, and gain professional skills to eventually secure jobs,” said Uyeoka.
Visionaries behind the organization¡¯s steadfast mission also include Professor Kekuewa Kikiloi (, UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹), Professor Kathy Kawelu (, UH Hilo) and Tiffnie Kakalia (, John A. Burns School of Medicine) who are members of the board of directors at Huliauapaʻa.
The internship program launched in 2010 with support from Kamehameha Schools and has mentored more than 70 haum¨¡na through conducting community based research and has transported participants to wahi k¨±puna across ka Pae ʻ?ina o Â鶹´«Ã½ Nei (Hawaiian archipelago), from Â鶹´«Ã½ Island to Kauaʻi.
Restoring pilina (connection)
Research is also safely conducted inside the classroom to prepare for fieldwork. Haum¨¡na were led by instructor Kepoʻo Keliipaakaua, who is also a PhD student in the Department of at UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹. The face-to-face interaction was refreshing after an unparalleled year of social distancing.
“It made such a big difference to be able to physically be in the same room with these haum¨¡na where I could pick up on little cues, like a haumana letting out an audible sigh, that tipped me off to the fact that there was maybe some sort of research roadblock that I could help them through,” Keliipaakaua said. “It’s one thing for haum¨¡na to learn about the different winds, rains and moʻolelo (story) connected to an ʻ¨¡ina through lectures or readings, it’s a completely different experience for haum¨¡na to be able to set foot on ʻ¨¡ina and feel these winds and rains themselves while feeling, and smelling the landscape around them as they connect their own personal experiences in these places with moʻolelo of ancestors and akua (deities) who interacted with these ʻ¨¡ina in the past.”
This summer, Uyeoka¡¯s organization partnered with community-based hui (organization) (huiMAU) which specializes in educating younger generations on wahi k¨±puna restoration in H¨¡m¨¡kua.
“We understand that we may not see or taste the fruits of the seeds that we plant today in our lifetimes, but that is part of the exchange to restore balance,“ said Noʻeau Peralto, huiMAU executive director and a UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ political science and Hawaiian studies alumnus. “That is why it is so important that we invest our aloha, our time and our mana (power) in cultivating the future generations of aloha ʻ¨¡ina in our place. Ultimately, the future generations will inherit the fruits of our action or inaction.”
