Click here for more info.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Native American Anthropological Scholarship
Follow this link to see a great opportunity for someone to take advantage of. It is the Society for American Archaeology's Native American Scholarship. I received it in 2004 and it allowed me to go to Rapanui for a summer field school. Please check it out if you're interested. There are a number of possible field schools here and abroad that you can think about attending in the summer of 2009. Let me know if you're interested.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Kahu Kuuna II: Foundations
Aloha ... for those students that were patient, next semester's class is finally up. Register for the class under HwSt 197D.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Maunakea Discussion
The class today engaged in a very interesting discussion focused on Maunakea. Sorren shared her experience of going to the Comprehensive Management Plan community meeting. This definitely added to our conversation. It is obvious to us that there are many issues and challenges ahead and we are concerned about the potential outcomes for Maunakea. I think that we are in agreement that there needs to be a management plan in place for Maunakea, but we don't know who should be the ones put in position to make those decisions.
- Should the University be tasked with the preparation and implementation of this managemnt plan?
- Why doesn't the State take a lead role in this CMP?
- Will the concerns of the communities involved be seriously addressed?
- Why can't OHA play a larger role in this? Or should they?
- What about the $1 a year situation?
- How does the "Ceded lands" issue play into the situation?
- What about soveriegnty concerns?
- How can this class make a difference?
- What about the gorse on Maunakea?
My question... How does any of this truly benefit Mauna a Wakea?
Friday, November 14, 2008
Hawaiʻi Volcano National Park
Although we were a small group that went to visit Tūtū Pele, what we gained was by no means small. We began our day with Keola Awong at Uwekahuna, a bluff overlooking Tūtū Pele. We offered our hoʻokupu that was prepared by our class. Keola took us to the Puʻuloa petroglyph site. It was truly amazing to witness first hand the extent of the site. We spent quite awhile there exploring the artwork of our kupuna. We then went to meet up with Bobby Camara who provided us a tremendous amount of information about the native plants in the park. We then had an opportunity to visit some of the collections that the park maintains. There is definitely a lot of mana in those collections. Mahalo to the staff at the park for always being available to share the work that they are doing in cultural resource management.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Pacific Clues TeleSchool Program
Please visit the Hawaii State Department of Education Teleschool website to view a series of short video about archaeology.
Follow this link to watch Kekuewa Kikiloi's presentation about his research on Nihoa and Mokumanamana.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Our Huakaʻi to Hakalau Forest Reserve
Out planting native plants in the Hakalau Forest Reserve with Jack Jeffery senior wildlife biologist at the reserve.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Forbes Cave Controversy
Hawaiian artifacts, including a funerary bowl studded with human teeth, are at the center of a legal battle.
Click here to read more.
Whole Foods and our Iwi
Work has been halted at this construction site in Honolulu, Friday, May 18, 2007. Construction has been halted due to the discovery of about 50 ancient Hawaiian human remains, some of which are being excavated under the plastic tarps shown in foreground. The property will be the home of Hawaii's first Whole Foods Market, an apartment building and small shops. Numerous ancient Hawaiian burial sites have been unearthed amid an island wide building boom, sometimes spurring legal battles, costly construction delays or redesigns and bad blood with some Native Hawaiians who say burials should remain undisturbed.
Click here to read more.
Walmart and our Iwi
Paulette Kaleikini stands in front of a Wal-Mart superstore in Honolulu, Friday, May 18, 2007, where 64 Native Hawaiian human remains will be buried. The skeletal remains were found during construction in 2003 and 2004 and are locked up in a trailer under a parking ramp. Kaleikini, a cultural descendant of the deceased, says the remains should have never been disturbed. Numerous ancient Hawaiian burial sites have been unearthed amid an island wide building boom, often spurring legal battles, costly construction delays or redesigns and bad blood with some Native Hawaiians who say burials should remain undisturbed.
Click here to read more
Monday, September 22, 2008
SHA 2008 Archaeology Conference
Please join this year's Hawaiian Archaeology Conference here in Hilo. October 17th-19th, 2008.Click here
Monday, September 15, 2008
Third Uhau Humu Pōhaku Conference 2008
The Kamehameha Investment Corporation (KIC) and Hui Hoʻoniho held the Third Uhau Humu Pōhaku (Hawaiian dry stack masonry) Conference September 12-14 in Keauhou, Kona Hawaiʻi. This conference is held to "promote and perpetuate uhau humu pōhaku" as a healthy and continuing practice in our Native Hawaiian communities.
Around 90 Native Hawaiians participated with the intent to network with each other, learn about the various efforts that are ongoing in our respective communities, and to explore our kuleana to "maintain traditiona
l stone structures and sites and to build contemporary sites for future use". The main activities attendees participated in were at Lekeleke Battlegrounds (with Mason Billy Fields, above left) and at the Kaloko Fishpond (with Mason Peter Keka). Numerous practitioners of uhau humu pōhaku attended and all participants gained a huge amount of knowledge from these practitioners.
These photos are from the work that took place at the Kaloko Fishpond.
Lekeleke Battle Grounds
This is the Lekeleke Burial Grounds. The year following the death of Kamehameha I in 1819 was a turbulent time for Hawaiians. The Native community was divided by the abolishment of the ʻaikapu by Liholiho (Kamehameha II) and Kamehameha I's wife Kaʻahumanu. Many Hawaiians still believed in the traditional ways, beliefs, and gods. One chief named Kekuaokalani (Liholiho's cousin), called "The Last Defender of the Hawaiian Gods" by Kalākaua and his wife Manono led their warriors to battle against the forces of Liholiho to defend the traditional ways.
Heavily armed with guns, Liholiho's warriors defeated Kekuaokalani and his warriors at this site. Their slain bodies were covered with pōhaku and to this day remain buried here at Lekeleke.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Hoʻi I Ka Pono: A film about Molokai
Here is a short video that speaks to what stewardship is all about. The Molokai community is rallying together to maintain its life style. Rallying to protect their way of life as practiced for centuries by our kupuna.
Click here to view a video by Matt Yamashita.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Click here to read about Maui's ʻAnakala Charles Maxwell's understanding and participation in the protection of our kupuna's iwi.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
...E hoʻi i te pito o te henua...
Discussions are underway to plan for a huakaʻi to Rapanui. HLS staff will begin planning for a Fall 2009 Pamaomao class to prepare students for a cultural and educational exchange in Spring 2010 in Rapanui. Select learners from the Kahu Kuʻuna Track and the Mahiʻai track will be afforded an opportunity to experience this fascinating place. Considered one of the most isolated islands in the Pacific, Polynesian explorers traveled here and populated this tiny island. Probably best known for the monolithic stone statues called moai, Rapanui was a thriving society. In the summer of 2004, I spent 6 weeks doing my graduate fieldwork and I was truly impressed by the landscape, people, and culture of Rapanui. We are excited at HLS to be able begin planning for this exciting opportunity. "Rivariva!!"
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
Hawaiian Archaeologist's Newest Discovery
Follow this link to see what archaeologist Kekuewa Kikiloi is doing at Mokukapapa.Thursday, July 31, 2008
Planned Huakaʻi's for Fall 2008
Kahuwai with archaeologist Keone Kalawe.
At the time of the Mahele in 1848, the ahupua‘a of Kahuwai was granted to Victoria Kamāmalu, the daughter of Kīna‘u and Kekūanāo‘a. Kamāmalu inherited the lands of her mother Kīna‘u and Ka‘ahumanu. Kamāmalu’s lands were the inheritance of the kuhina nui and were part of the largest single award of lands at the Mahele. Upon Victoria’s death in 1866, the lands were passed to her brother Lot Kamehameha and then to Princess Ruth Ke‘elikōlani in 1872. Upon Princess Ruth’s death in 1883, Kahuwai was passed to Bernice Pauahi Bishop and became part of her perpetual estate in 1887.
Today, the land is managed by the Kamehameha Schools, Land Assets Division. The village settlement at Kapele Bay evolved over hundreds of years of continuous occupation. Little is known of its early history. The rocky bay provided coastal access and may have served as a place to launch and land canoes used to fish the rich windward shoreline.
Early settlement may have evolved around the bay and expanded inland with a mix of house sites, agricultural fields, trails, heiau, burials and other sites. It is clear from the density of sites and structures that Kahuwai was well populated and that both lawai‘a (fishing) and mahi ‘ai (farming) were important parts of daily life. The large size of some walls and trails may also indicate an ali‘i presence in the village that could direct the building of large structures.
The first written accounts of life at Kahuwai come from the Rev. William Ellis, who traveled around the island in 1823. His journal indicates that 150 people gathered to hear him speak at Kahuwai. Subsequent research in tax records show 17 households paying taxes from Kahuwai in 1863. Twenty years later in 1882 only two households were reported. Permanent residency at Kahuwai may have ended in the early 1900s.
(from Imua April 2004)
Monday, July 14, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
Kaʻū Kiʻekiʻe Summer Bridge 2008
These photos represent some of the activities in a two-week summer class held in Pahala for residents of the Kaʻū area. Classes were held in the newly renovated Pahala Clubhouse. Students met from 8:00am to 1:00pm each day and
explored the connections between Hawaiians and their surrounding environment. The class, Kahu Kuʻuna I: Natural and Cultural Resource Stewardship, allowed students to develop and regain their understanding of the unique relationship that Hawaiians maintain with the elements and each other.
Using this as a foundation, students then explore the world of Cultural Resource Management (CRM) and see how this cultural foundation can define how they can bridge traditional perspectives and stewardship methods with the ever-changing landscapes to become more efficient stewards towards realizing our kuleana here to Hawaiʻi.
The Kaʻū area is rich with natural and cultural resources that are constantly under the threat of encroaching development. The residents of Kaʻū are known to be fierce in the face of adversity. This class will provide the students and the community with an additional tool to further assist them in their struggle to keep Kaʻū as pristine and free from the rampant irresponsible processes associated with development. Awareness and pro-activeness are important steps towards being able to maintain our cultural foundations for future generations.
Friday, May 9, 2008
HwSt 197 Semester No. 1 Complete
The experimental course HwSt 197: Kahu Kuʻuna I is pau! From its rocky beginnings to a successful hōʻike this first class went well. As a new teacher, I have learned a lot about myself as a teacher and also ways in which I can further develop this course. I hope that the students were able to sift through some of the confusion at times and were able to take a little bit of info with them as to the importance of the connection we, as people of this ʻāina share and understand that we have a kuleana to malama this special place and the special and unique things associated with the stewardship of our wahi kupuna. I hope that the creation of this blog allows for new and former members of this class a place to share experiences and information. The important thing to know about the creation of this track is that the only way we can move towards making and effecting positive change to a system that has been resistant to culturally appropriate methods and perspectives is to begin these discussions, explore the practices, form collaborative relationships, and unite in a cohesive manner from a solid foundation of cultural integrity.
So to those of you who endured this first semester I say to you... mahalo... and of course remember to continue towards becoming warriors for the ʻāina!
House Resolution Concerning the Creation of a M.A. Program @ UH-Hilo in Cultural Resource Management
Follow this link to see the House version of a bill to support the creation of a new M.A. program at UH-Hilo. Dr. Peter Mills has been actively pursuing this new program and has been working with HawCC to develop a collaborative environment to facilitate a bridging for our students. Note the mention of the Kahu Kuʻuna track in the bill.
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