The University of Â鶹´«Ã½ at ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ will begin installing new bilingual signage based on kānaka ʻōiwi (Native Hawaiian) knowledge and values. The new signs will be placed in front of 20 of the campus’ main buildings starting July 2022 with the Life Sciences building and Bilger Hall. The first two signs will be in place in time for the start of the fall 2022 semester.
The project aligns with UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹¡¯s commitment to being a that includes evoking the importance of place among haum¨¡na (students), staff, faculty and the community. Kānaka ʻōiwi divided the islands into ahupuaʻa (land division usually extending from the mountains to the sea) that were made up of subdivisions called ʻili ʻāina, each with its own name and purpose. According to an 1882 historical map of ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹, multiple ʻili ʻāina intersect on the ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ campus.
The new signs will feature the building¡¯s name and the name of the ʻili ʻāina the building is located in. There will also be markers installed in different locations on campus that will indicate where ʻili intersect.
The first ʻili marker is tentatively scheduled to be installed in early 2023 near Hamilton Library where four ʻili intersect—Wailele, Kauwalaʻa, Puahia and Pilipili.
“This project represents a collective effort to continue to intertwine precious ʻike Â鶹´«Ã½ (ancestral Hawaiian knowledge) within the campus¡¯ very foundation and identity,” said UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ Provost Michael Bruno.
“We aspire to expand upon our integral mission to become a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning that is reflective of Indigenous ways of knowing deeply rooted throughout Hawai?i.”
N¨¡n¨¡ i ke kumu, Look to the source
The initial concept for the unique project was developed through collaborative research and proper consultation with UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ kānaka ʻōiwi faculty, staff and executive leadership. The university then commissioned renowned Hilo-based design studio Sig Zane Kaiao to create the overall cultural concept and the unique watermark used on the signage and markers that features an ʻohe kapala (bamboo stamps) design.
The placement of the signs is based on how ancient kānaka ʻōiwi placed heiau (temples). Each sign will point toward different landmarks in and around ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹, such as the Waʻahila Ridge or Lēʻahi (Diamond Head) on the coast. There will be a medallion at each sign with a QR code that will link to an interactive website with information about the specific location.
The signage and wayfinding project is guided by the UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ , a commitment that campus projects represent UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹¡¯s core values as identified in the , and informed by regularly updated data. Launched in Summer 2019, the project is spearheaded by the UH (UHCDC) at the UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ School of Architecture, led by principal investigator Brian Strawn and co-investigator Karla Sierralta, along with a team of staff, student research assistants and graduate students.
The project is a joint venture of the UHCDC, Office of the Vice President of Administration, Sig Zane, N¨¡lani Kanakaʻole, Kūhaʻo Zane (Sig Zane Designs), Daniel Friedman (UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ Campus Architect), Kaiwipunikauikaw¨¥kiu Punihei Lipe (UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ Native Hawaiian Affairs Program Officer) and Wayfinding Consultants (Two Twelve).
