Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 40, Number 8, 1 August 2023 — Envisioning Kānaka Art on a Parking Garage Wall [ARTICLE]

Envisioning Kānaka Art on a Parking Garage Wall

ByJohanna Kamaunu In 2021, 1 was standing on Market Street in Wailuku Town gazing upon the vista of Iao Valley as the sun set when a thought interrupted my reverie: This will all be gone. That view will be blocked by a four-story building. A parking lot. A few have gathered to offer pule and protocol for the iwi kūpuna (ancestral bones) discovered during construction grading. In Wailuku, burials are expected, but not usually in developed areas. This was different. The atmosphere at this vigil was more reflective. Why had this iwi kūpuna eome forward now? The town has been built over for generations. Who is this and how did they eome to be here? At the vigil, conversation moved towards nurturing the preservation sites, sharing that practice with the community, and modeling ways to mālama iwi kūpuna. We then began to imagine art work on the exterior of the four-story parking garage reflective of iwi kūpuna throughout Wailuku Moku, significant, resonant, timeless. What an honor that would be. Having served on the Maui Lāna'i Island Burial Couneil (MLIBC) for nearly eight years, I've witnessed the devastation of Kānaka burial sites. MLIBC supports protection, yet is hindered by HRS 6e - the very law intended to protect iwi kūpuna. HRS 6e supports mitigation and consultation, it doesn't enforce eomplianee or execute penalties. It shackled descendancy claims to consulting compromise. It failed to protect. Perhaps art ean be an answer to the four-story parking lot. Kānaka art is nearly invisible in Wailuku Town, with

few images of our ancient past or historic landscape. Such depictions, through the installation of Kānaka art on the wall of the parking lot, might be an adventurous response. In 2021, there was no interest in the building from a loeal art organization. And the county planned to hide the drab parking lot behind surrounding buildings. Fast forward to July 2023. Both the Maui County Planning Department and the art organization want art on the building. The challenge is how best to work with an art organization that is a county-approved vendor with a different focus. Patience. The process is complex and applicants must have a resume, business verification, skill and execution assurances, and maybe insurance. To all Kānaka 'oia'i'o - Kānaka born, raised and minded - prepare for the eall for art. 1hese iwi kūpuna have a message and are waiting for you to give it voice. The eoncept and design will be the first eall. It has been growing in you. The eall for the artisan(s) and medium will follow. Do you want to be part of a groundbreaking project? To see a drab parking structure heeome an ieonie heaeon of art, culture, and a memorial to our kūpuna? To support the vision of Kānaka artists and create a Kānaka art brand for Wailuku? Let's connect! ■ Johanna Kamaunu lives in Waihe'e Valley with her kāne, Kaniloa, and their extended 'ohana. Both are members of the Church ofJesus Christ ofLatter-Day Saints andfounding members of Hui Pono Ike Kanawai. Johanna served on the Maui Lāna'i Island Burial Council and on the 'Aha Moku o Wailuku, executive eouneil as the land committee chair. If you are an interested in learning more about this project, contact Johanna atjohannakamaunu@gmail.com.