Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 10, Number 8, 1 August 1993 — Kahana Valley: keeping traditional Hawaiian culture alive [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kahana Valley: keeping traditional Hawaiian culture alive

by Patrick Johnston For four generations Wenceslao Garvida and his family have lived in Kahana Valley. They have fished, farmed, prayed and maintained a lifestyle that to many might seem basic, but to the Garvida family is all they have ever wanted and needed. In the late 1960s the state bought the valley from the Mary Foster estate with the intention of converting the area into a park. Tenants were asked at the time what they wanted to do and they opted for a "living park" concept, an area that would be run like a park but allow residents to eontinue living there. After 23 years of legislative haggling and inaetion, valley residents last month signed a lease that would allow them to stay on the condition they devote some of their time promoting the predominantly Hawaiian culture of the valley. For Garvida, the state's deci-

sion to tum the valley into a "living park" is no problem. "1 would like to see our Hawaiian culture spread out instead of locked in a vault," he sa>s. To keep the Hawaiian culture alive, but in a context that is more real-to-life than tourist showcase. is one of the goals of the park. L'sing a combination of agriculture. fishing, crafts, and

music, the park wants the residents, many of whom still lead very traditional lifestyles, to be active proponents of Hawaiian culture, educating others and sending a message that there is a plaee for Hawaiian culture outside the tourist hotels and culture centers. Says A1 Rogers, park manager, "This is a good ehanee to educate the public as well as get native Hawaiians back to their culture." Kahana Valley State Park is already providing educational programs for students and other interested groups to introduce traditional Hawaiian agriculture and arts. The difference now is that, under the terms of the new lease agreement that residents have signed, eaeh household must put in 25 hours a week participating in cultural activities. Before the program was established there was a limit to how mueh the park could offer. Rogers explains, "In the past we didn't have enough manpow-

er to maintain the programs like the taro patches. With the new system, residents will be required to do some of the work. This doesn't mean carrying out menial tasks but they will have to maintain the programs on a cultural basis." Not all residents will be able to participate in park activities right away. The new lease that residents have been asked to sign means that most will be relocated further up the valley. Residents, many of whom have full-time jobs, must finish building their homes before they ean contribute 25-hours of their work week to the program. Because many have small incomes and savings they will have to build their homes themselves. Thirty-one families live in the park right now. The 25-hour obligation applies only to the household, not eaeh individual, so eaeh member, including outside 'ohana, ean pitch in to make sure the time slot is filled.

The park hopes to eventually offer over a hundred different cultural activities. These will include agricultural programs like pounding taro, fishpond activities, musical performances with oli, hula and playing instruments, and artistic programs like making

natural dyes and weaving. "I want Hawaiian kids to be learning about Hawaiian culture and not wasting their time drinking," says Garvida. Garvida is an artist who produces several different traditional art forms including 'ull'uli and ipu. Fortunately for the park, Lydia Dela Cerna, a well-known weaver and long-time contributor to the Hawaiian art scene, lives in the valley and ean provide leadership and teaching for visitors and residents who want to know more about traditional crafts. The valley is also fortunate to have freshman state Rep. Ululani Beirne live in the valley. Beirne was active for years in the move to establish a living park. She helped see that the lease agreement was carried out and tried to pass legislation that would get some of the revenue from water leases at the end of the valley used to help promote the park's

cultural activities. Beime explains, "When water is used stream levels drop and this affects the wildlife like the 'ōpae. ... I would like to see revenues from that water used for cultural programs." The water is now leased by O'ahu Sugar. The legislation was not passed but Beirne wants to re-introduce it in next year's legislature. Kahana is one of 0'ahu's wettest valleys and a rare example of a complete ahupua'a with fishing rights, one of the reasons the state chose to buy it initially. "It was a wonderful opportunity to get a whole ahupua'a on one tract," explains Rogers. "and it's one of only a few that have kuleana fishing rights." In 1987 the bill was passed in the Legislature that set in motion the lease agreement that was put into effect this spring. Park manager Rogers was hired at the time. He will be joined later this year by a program coordinator who will oversee resident activities.

"I would like to see our Hawaiian culture spread out instead of locked in a vault." Wenceslao Garvida

Elementary school students on field trip at Kahana Valley State Park.

Kahana valley residents gather for an impromptu 'ukulele performance.

Lauhala demonstration in Kahana Valley.