To celebrate World Water Day, Sheenru Yong was invited by our sustainability team at East-West Center to share her inspiring creative action talk story workshop on water.
I was recently asked by a friend, Ulu Cashman, to write a reflection of my experience in Kahoolawe. In our FaceBook message discussion Ulu asked: "What is your Ala Loa?" Based on your experience(s) on Kahoolawe, what have you learned about the island and yourself by working on the Ala Loa and what you see is your own Ala Loa." Here's my response. Anoa ai me ke aloha! Warm greetings! I’m Lelemia Irvine of Waianae, Oahu. My first huakai to Kahoolawe was in May, 2014 with my sister, Aliah, and the Native Hawaiian Science and Engineering Mentorship Program. My second huakai with PKO was in September, 2014 to Ulupalakua, Maui with my cousin, Pohai. The purpose of our visit to Kanaloa was to help extend the alaloa. Today, going to Kahoolawe is a pilgrimage: hoi i ka piko—the return home. It is spiritual. It is a give, a take. When I think of “what is your ala loa” the phrases that come to the forefront are: aia i hea? auhea? Ai hea? Mahea? I hea? Hea? In other words, where is the place to go? The alaloa is a network of a single or many pathways that have a direction and a magnitude. The alaloa of Kohemalamalama is being built as we speak, a belt road around the island. Despite the recent U.S. military destructive use of the island, Kanaloa is a symbol of Hawaiian National resilience. There, I finally understood the phrase “an island of war turned to an island of love”. We are all on a huakai, a journey. The alaloa is the physical and spiritual pathways that our journey takes. On the alaloa of Kohemalamalama, I felt my ancestors in the lepo of my hands lift, place and set the pa pohaku. At that moment, I truly experienced indigenous engineering in action. The heartbeat, our ancestor’s breath are strong, there. They never leave us but their voices are louder, there. For myself, working on the alaloa was a re-awakening, re-connecting and confirmation: to really live in the naau. I’m the node of many interconnected alaloa. My alaloa is to be a faithful Son, Brother, Cousin, Uncle, and future Father. My alaloa is my commitment to the Lahui. My alaloa is to use our knowledge systems with engineering to achieve Mauli Ola (well-being, pono, balance, maluhia) for our environment and people in sust-AINA-able and harmonious ways. We are all at different stages of our alaloa. No forget the beginnings and enjoy the scenery as you carve a path for others to follow. |
Lelemia Irvine, Blog Author
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© J. Lelemia Irvine. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without expressed and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to J. Lelemia Irvine with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. |