North Shore NewsStudents and staff from the University of Hawa’i at Manoa made ready the grounds of the Waialua Courthouse on Saturday April 28, 2018 to welcome and celebrate a special group of Waialua community members. Under an overcast sky, tents were erected, tables and chairs set up, flowers, lei and photos arranged, and computers and sound-system readied. Cooled by the brisk Moa‘e tradewinds, the kupuna (elders) began to arrive.
Kupuna are living sources of knowledge, culture, identity and community values. Their personal connection to place over time is incredibly valuable as different people, perspectives, and values descend on our rural community. Kupuna experiences, memories and historical continuity are at risk of being lost unless we actively record and preserve them.
The ten kupuna who graciously agreed to participate in the field school provided the graduate and undergraduate college students a unique opportunity to document and preserve their life histories. The kupuna participating are George A‘i, Van Anana, Kanani and Keith Awai, Gay Bisch-Timon, Emmaline Causey. Mary and Herbert Chun, Francis Forsythe and Jock Sutherland.
Through the interview process, memories of Waialua and Hale‘iwa from the early 1940’s up to the present reveal a rich, historical narrative of people deeply connected to place and to each other. These recollections recall a social and cultural history of Waialua that is quickly fading into the past.
As the field school progressed, meaningful interactions between kupuna and students developed as students established rapport and trust with the kupuna, learned interviewing skills, received training in audio/ video recording, transcribed the multiple interviews and developed an online platform to preserve and share these valuable stories.
Under the guidance of na Kumu Kawika Tengan and Malia Evans, the 18 students explored the traditional and contemporary history of Waialua, learned and chanted oli that honor this ‘aina, visited and connected with numerous wahi pana, and attended workshops and huaka‘i with experts in oral history/ ethnography, cultural traditions, and place based mo‘olelo. Home base for the field school was the Waialua Courthouse, where students were encouraged to venture beyond the physical and academic boundaries of a college classroom and establish relationships with community based on mutual respect, trust and reciprocity.
Successful community projects are dependent on individuals and organizations within the community and we extend our humble appreciation to Moki Labra, Cultural Expert & Practitioner and Maka Valdez, president of the Waialua Hawaiian Civic Club. We are grateful to Richard Pezzulo and Dori Galapia for weekly use of the courthouse, and Bishop Nate Burgoyne of the LDS-Waialua who kindly allowed the students to utilize the church grounds for interviews. We are deeply grateful to our ten kupuna who trusted us with their life stories and welcomed us into their hearts and homes. Mai kapae i ke a‘o a ka makua, aia he ola malaila. Do not set aside the teachings of one’s parents for there is life there (Pukui 1983).
A community that understands and appreciates its unique history will seek to preserve it. Come join the field school staff (Kawika Tengan, Malia Evans, Hannah Anae & Ku‘ulei Freed) on Wednesday June 20, 2018 at the Waialua Courthouse at 6:30 p.m. to learn more about the project.
Check out the following links to view a few kupuna life histories created by the students.