Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 32, Number 8, 1 August 2015 — Lānaʻi: Honoring our past to enrich the future [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Lānaʻi: Honoring our past to enrich the future

By Alexis Panoneillo i I 'Ike Hou lā Lāna'i, To Know Lāna'i Onee Again" I is a four-week cultural enrichment program hosted by the Lāna'i Culture and Heritage Center that took I plaee this summer from June 8 to July 3. During that time, the Lāna'i Culture and Heritage Center, in partnership with Pūlama Lāna'i, provided students with plaeebased education, connecting them with their community and the living natural environment of Lāna'i. While students explored Lāna'i Hale and worked to restore lo'i kalo and loko i'a, they also captured video footage of their experiences. "Our approach is to give students stories of plaee, so they will learn how they fit into this larger, living environment and that opens the door to a universe of learning," said Kepā Maly, executive director at the Lāna'i Culture and Heritage Center. "During the program, our haumāna (students) began the restoration of the kuapā (fishpond wall), but it wasn't just 'work fishpond,' it was about learning the environment, how to manage the watershed, how to manage sediment loading, how to restore the 'āina to be elean and healthy again." The summer program builds haumāna's connectedness to their island home. Cheleigh Clarabal was one of E 'Ike Hou lā Lāna'i's 26 students who helped to rebuild the kuapā of the fish- SEE LĀNA'I ON PAGE 11

<MO'OMEHEU v www.oha.org/kwo | kwo@OHA.org CULTURE / NATiVE HAWAiiAN » NEWS | FEATURES | EVENTS

Above, Lo'i: During tbe four-week program, 26 sfudenfs fook parf in a plaeebased education curriculum, connecting them with their community and the living natural environment of Lōna'i.

Above, Fishpond: Students restore the Waia'ōpae fishpond on the I eastern coastj line of Lāna'i. -I /ideoscreen | captures: Lāna'i I Culture & Heritage Center

Right, Hula: Kepā Maly teaches students hula and mele, including the oldestsurviving mele from Lāna'i, "Nāna'i Kaulahea." This mele was first recorded in 1 860, in Hawaiian language newspapers.

LĀNA'I

Continued from page 8 pond. Clarabal shared, "Knowing that my kūpuna have touched these rocks made me feel more special because my kūpuna are fromLāna'i, rooted three generations long. And if I have mo'opuna and they touch those same rocks that me and past generations have, that's gonna be really special." At the end of the program, students compounded their video footage and created a mini documentary sharing their thoughts and reflections on new understandings of their culture. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs offered a space at its Lāna'i office for students to edit and create the video. OHA's Lāna'i Outreach CoordinatorAmthony Paeheeo volunteeredhis time to mentor the students. Drawing from his background in film production, he gave haumāna tips on videography and editing using Final Cut Pro.

I "The video creation component of the program gives haumāna an outlet for sharing their experiences with the rest of Hawai'i and helps perpetuate the stories of Lāna'i through a visual medium," said Paeheeo. To view the video created by the E 'Ike Hou lā Lāna'i students, visit youtu.be/pOuBYa9jYyO. In 2008 and 2009, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs provided grant funding that helped to build the Lāna'i Culture and Heritage Center. Since its establishment, the Lāna'i Culture and Heritage Center has created numerous cultural and educational programs that honor Lāna'i's past and enrich its future. Watch OHA's video news story on E 'Ike Hou lā Lāna'i on our Vimeo ehannel: vimeo.com/ ohahawaii. ■ Alexis Panoneillo is a student intern in OHA 's Digital Medi.a Program.