Pressing concerns surrounding the Red Hill water crisis and overall wai (water) access critical to loʻi kalo (taro patches) and loko iʻa (fishponds) across the state were at the center of a new series of forums held at the University of Â鶹´«Ã½ at ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹.
To foster advancing the protection of ʻ¨¡ina (land) and wai through policy and law, the UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ hosted the inaugural on December 15, at the East-West Center. Approximately 200 participants attended the conference that brought together academic researchers from UH, esteemed community leaders and advocates to discuss ailing issues and the need to turn to ancestral innovation to help solve them.
“The university can really be a catalyst to uplift what¡¯s happening in our community to try to link our research and our mentoring of students to actually solve real-world problems for our islands today,” said Kamanamaikalani Beamer, who is the Dana Naone Hall Endowed Chair in Hawaiian Studies, Literature and the Environment at Â鶹´«Ã½nuākea and a professor at and the .
Kaipulaumakaniolono Baker, a PhD student at UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ opened the conference with an oli (chant), followed by remarks from Â鶹´«Ã½nuākea Dean Jon Osorio and Beamer who rallied attendees to passionately chant ʻOla i ka wai, which means water is life. He also dedicated the conference to Dana Naone Hall, a k¨¡naka maoli (Native Hawaiian) environmental activist. This was followed by the first panel focusing on the significant role wai has in feeding Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s communities.
Wai sovereignty and justice
A major focus of the conference was on the current state of water management and access in Â鶹´«Ã½ and how state leaders can utilize research compiled at UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ and ʻike (knowledge) from aloha ʻ¨¡ina practitioners steeped in rich wisdom passed down from k¨±puna to address problems impacting the islands.
“I think here in Â鶹´«Ã½ we can really look towards our ancestral systems that solved [issues] for our islands at different scales in different times but are still very viable and valuable for our future today,” Beamer said.
Wai, ʻAi and Iʻa
The first panel featured aloha ʻ¨¡ina leaders from loko iʻa, loʻi kalo and wai advocates who expressed the importance of restoring stream flow in critical areas across the pae ʻ¨¡ina (Hawaiian archipelago) which can help to support the production of food and customary rights. Panelist H¨k¨±ao Pellegrino from Hui O N¨¡ Wai ʻEh¨¡ spoke of more than 100 streams on Maui that are currently diverted and the need to restore them.
Wai and Red Hill
The second session addressed strategies on decontaminating water impacted by the Red Hill fuel spill and revealed traditional maps listing freshwater resources on Oʻahu. The panel featured UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ Professor Kapua Sproat (Ka Huli Ao), Ernie Lau (Board of Water Supply), Wayne Tanaka (Sierra Club of Â鶹´«Ã½) and Camille Kalama (Kaʻohewai).
Lau lamented that there are still 400 million gallons of fuel sitting over the aquifer and advocated conference attendees to push for the Navy to defuel tanks. “If another spill happens, ‘Oh my gosh, our poor wai,’” Lau said.
Special keynote
Renowned philosopher, political activist, public intellectual and author Cornel West will headline a moderated keynote discussion following the summit at Kennedy Theatre 5–7 p.m. West will speak on imperialism and the occupation of Â鶹´«Ã½, while placing the islands within the context of peoples¡¯ movements for liberation and justice across the world.
“Dr. Cornel West has been one of the most influential thinkers of our time when it comes to race, social justice, economic justice, and the liberation of oppressed peoples and occupied nations,” Beamer said. “He is a globally recognized philosopher and progessive activist for human rights. He is one of the most impressive speakers and academics one can witness.”
Organizers plan to host the Piʻo Summit annually with themes highlighting aloha ʻ¨¡ina and sustainability, and how to advance local policy issues as well as increase collaboration. The summit is hosted by Pōʻai Ke Aloha ʻ?ina, a project of the Dana Naone Hall chair, which aims to elevate aloha ʻ¨¡ina practices within our community.
Event sponsors include the , , Â鶹´«Ã½nuākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge, , Â鶹´«Ã½ Alliance for Progessive Action, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, ʻ?ina Aloha Economic Futures, Kanaeokana and Sierra Club of Â鶹´«Ã½.