Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 27, Number 8, 1 August 2010 — First Nations gathering to highlight health, healing [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

First Nations gathering to highlight health, healing

By Kathy Muneno Four years ago, a large group from Hawai'i - keiki to kūpuna and all ages in between - fonned a large circle stretching nearly to the walls of a ballroom in Edmonton, Canada. Participants were discussing how to accept "the torch" as the next

host nation of the Healing Our Spirit Worldwide (HOSW) gathering. With song? Through dance? It now seems a simple dilenuna compared to the

enonnousresponsibility that followed. Four years of

hard work cuhninates next month when hundreds of indigenous peoples from across the globe and those who serve indigenous conununities congregate in Honolulu in the spirit of healing and celebration. "This is an opportunity to focus on the strengths of our respective conununities and promote them," says Kim Birnie of Papa Ola Lōkahi, a nonprofit that works to improve the health and well-being of Native Hawaiians and the organization facilitating Hawai'i's inaugural hosting of Heahng our Spiiit Worldwide - the Sixth Gathering from Sept. 3 to 9. HOSW originated with a focus on substance-abuse issues and programs in indigenous conununities. The gathering has since grown to include a focus on health and governance and indeed has turned into a movement celebrating indigenous peoples. It recognizes that spiritual, social and physical healing and empowerment are most successfully achieved through indigenous knowledge, traditions and cultural pride. A master eanoe builder, voyager and navigator, Maori elder Hekenukumai Hector Busby will share the Maori peoples' revival of their voyaging traditions after Hōkūle'a's voyage to Aotearoa 26 years ago. "We're very lucky to get involved with the Hawaiians in 1984," he said. "From that, we were able to regain some of our lost traditions, like navigation, so it's only right that I take part and offer what I have to share," Busby says. The story is a reflection of Hawai 'i's history and heahng. Busby emphasizes, "If it wasn't for the Hōkūle'a and of course when we're talking about Mau (Piailug), our teacher who just passed away, we would never have gotten the art of celestial navigation back." Other speakers and panelists from Hawai'i, Canada, Australia, Alaska and elsewhere will cover topics including mental health, environmental health, leader-

ship, self-determination, indigenous research and disease prevention. All presentations fall under the HOSW covenant, whieh reads in part that "Knowledge and wisdom are our partners and we must enrich them both and use them well if our children are to build a meaningful future." Indeed, children too are a large part of the gathering, receiving as mueh attention as the adults. There are programs for keiki ages 5 to 12 and 'ōpio ages 13 to 21. The 'ōpio track includes workshops, social events and conununity service projects that the Youth Planning Coimnittee, whieh includes many young adults, designed. It even created its own HOSW youth web site and Facebook page.

Birnie says, "If we are going to assure the future of our people, it is important to include the youth in meaningful ways. Efforts to improve and maintain a healthy people must be taught to, improved upon by and perpetuated by the adults of tomorrow." This will be the sixth gathering of HOSW, whieh convenes every four years. Through donations and grants, including from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, whieh provided $100,000, there will be four days of presentations centered at the Hawai'i Convention Center and a total of 1 1 days of activities and trips stretching across the Islands. One is tempted to eall HOSW a convention or conference as it offers workshops, panels, keynote speakers and the like, but as you ean see, it is quite unique. Eaeh day begins with a holo wāwae (moming walk) around Magic Island at 6:30, there will also be a choral festival and talent showcase, excursions to sacred sites and neighbor islands, an Intemational Indigenous Culture, Arts and Heahng Festival at Waimea Valley, lots of music and dance and an Indigenous Marketplace. And organizers have plans to ensure the outcomes of this gathering will carry forward, beyond the next HOSW. "The networking, the sharing, the validation of indigenous strengths are all significant, but we also plan to produce a record of the best practices to share broadly afterward," according to Bimie. But before that, there will surely be a gathering of Australia's aboriginal representatives next month, perhaps in a ballroom at the Hawai'i Convention Center, as they prepare to take the torch as the hosts of the 2014 Healing our Spirit Worldwide. ■ Kathy Mimeno i.s a contributing \vriterfor Ka Wai Ola. She i.s a weekenā weather anchor at KHON2.

SCHEDULE 0F EVENTS Here's a look at some of the activities anel presentations. Additionally, cultural and other excursions will be offered from Sept. 6-12. > PRE-GATHERING EVENTS Thurs., Sept. 2 UH vs. USC tailgate and football game Fri., Sept. 3 'Awa ceremony, Keaiwa Heiau State Park Sat., Sept. 4 lnternational lndigenous Culture, Arts and Healing Festival, Waimea Valley Sun., Sept. 5 0pening Ceremonies, Kualoa Park > PRESENTATIONS Mon., Sept. 6 8:10 a.m. Weleome: 0HA Chairperson Haunani Apoliona and Nainoa Thompson, event Co-Chairs 9 a.m. Stevenson Kuartei, M.D.; Belauan, Minister of Health, Republic of Palau 2:30 p.m. Kamoa Quitevis, 0HA Research Analyst, will discuss environmental health Tues„ Sept. 7 8:10 a.m. Weleome: First Nations of Canada 8:30 a.m. Shawn Atleo; Ahoussaht First Nation, National Chief 11 a.m. Claire Hughes, a former Branch Chief at the state Health Department and veteran columnist for Ka Wai Ola will address culturally based training for health professionals Wed„ Sept. 8 8:10 a.m. Weleome: Tāngata Maori of Aotearoa 8:30 a.m. Hekenukumai "Hector" Busby; Te Rarawa/Ngati Kahu Maori, Elder 4:20 p.m. Rawiri Paratene; Nga Puhi Maori, Film Director/Writer/Poet Thurs„ Sept. 9 8:10 a.m. Weleome: Aboriginal Representatives of Australia 10 a.m. lndigenous Research Collaborations panel includes Dr. Kamanao'pono Crabbe, 0HA's Directorof Research 11:30 a.m. Closing Ceremony > M0RE INF0RMATI0N www.hosw.com www.hoswyouth.weebly.com 597-6550 hosw201 O@papaolalokahi.org

HEALĪH

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Kim Birnie

Maori elder Hekenukumai "Hector" Busby, in 2008, ata pwo ceremony performed by Mau Piailug, graduating Busby and three other navigators from the South Pacific. - Photo: Courtesy ofcourtesy Cherie Shehata