Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 3, 1 March 2016 — ʻAimalama A Solution Based on Ancestral Knowledge [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ʻAimalama A Solution Based on Ancestral Knowledge

By Hui 'Aimalama Note from the authors: We apologize for the incorrect representation ofHoku in last montli 's

pnntmg. Last month, we briefly explained the 'Aimalama Lunar Conferencethattook plaee September 2015. This was the first gath-

ering of its kind to bring together practitioners of lunar calendars and methodologies. In Hawai'i the traditional lunar calendar is referred to as kaulana mahina. If you were lucky enough to attend the conference, you might have been furiously scribbling notes during presentations while also feeling like there wasn't enough time to absorb everything that was being shared. Fortunately, video recordings of the opening presentations and keynote speeches have been uploaded to the 'Aimalama website.

Even if you couldn't attend, this information is available to everyone. Please eheek out www. aimalama.org. This 'Aimalama series in Ka Wai Ola is one way to continue, expand and deepen the sharing and learning from the conference. We will feature unique observations and photos shared by kaulana mahina practitioners fromall islands. Since the practice of kaulana mahina is very place-based andpersonal, you ean expect to read about different perspectives, different predictions, and different methodologies. Kaulana mahina practitioners continue to innovate the ways they utilize and perpetuate these skills, and we

hope this series will inspire you in your own journey to use kaulana mahina. If you would like to share mana'o from your 'āina, you

might consider participating in the Moon Phase Project. You ean email photos and observation notes to J this group at moonphaseproject@gmail. eom. If you enjoy interacting with others

on social media, you ean share photos and mana'o via Instagram or Facebook by tagging @ moonphaseproj ect . We are always looking for new contributors and we truly love hearing about the flowers and fruit in your yard, what you're observing in the oeean, and how kaulana mahina even affects your emotions. For example, earlier this year during anahulu poepoe (ten phases of fuller moons) of Kā'elo, someone in South Kona observed ka pua 'ana o ke kō - the flowering of sugar eane. In 2013, a eon-

tributor to the Moon Phase Project also documented this occurrence on O'ahu about two malama earlier, during Welehu. Imagine if our kūpuna were able to document and communicate observations as easily as we ean today. Do you think they would be in awe of the growing technology and take it to the next level of sharing and learning between communities? Do you think they would emphasize the power of our minds to retain and perpetuate their knowledge to eaeh other? It's interesting to ponder these possibilities, and it is also inspiring for us to lift up our consciousness to build upon 'ike kūpuna. ■

Some mana'o for Nana (March 8th - April 6th, 2016) On Hawai'i, the name commonly used for this lunar month is Nana. Additional names for this malama on other islands inelude Hinaia'ele'ele (Maui), Welo (Moloka'i), Ka'aona (O'ahu), and Kā'elo (Kaual). We'd like to share some mana'o from Kaua'i about what to expect in coming malama. We will be seeing the last of the koholā in our waters, but 'ua'u and 'a'o are returning to nest up mauka and mōlī chicks will hatch. Expect lots of native flowers blooming.

y AIMALAMA v > LUNAR CALENDAR /

Puakekōon Hawai'i in 2015,Photo: Courtesy ofMoon Phase Project