Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 13, Number 10, 1 ʻOkakopa 1996 — Summer fun on Kauaʻi with Nā Pua Noʻeau [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Summer fun on Kauaʻi with Nā Pua Noʻeau

Here is a story of Matthew Kawika Ortiz (age 12) who spent two weeks on Kaua'i in the Nā Pua No'eau Summer program. Nā Pua No'eau is funded in part hy OHA. I've had a fun summer! For two weeks I was at the Nā Pua No'eau "Holo Moana" seamanship program on Kaua'i. I was happy to go and it tumed out to be a fun filled two weeks. Learning was not restricted by four walls, as a matter of fact, our theme phrase was "learning by doing." In the moming, Kumu Pai would teach us Hawaiian values, phrases, songs, chants and hula. The values that I remember most were waiwai and lōkahi. Waiwai means rich in morals and values and lōkahi means unity. Kumu Steve taught the boating

basics and water skills. He was a certified captain and he introduced us to various types of sea-

faring equipment. Some of the test equipment were the bottom grabber whieh would take samples from the bottom of the oeean, a seichi disk for measuring turbidity, and a leadline for measuring depth. We would prepare ourselves for departing on our 26-foot whaler, Ka'imi. Before going out to sea we would have to proof eheek all our equipment for safety and

water sampleing. Anchored off Kalapaki Bay, we would test the salinity and tmbid-

ity of the water and compare it with the nearby smail boat harbor water. We'd also compare bottom sampling. The harbor sample was muddy and heavy and Kalapaki Bay's water was elean and sandy. The Kaua'i Rescue explained about the rescue jet ski and its uses, capabilities, cost and rescue equipment. We all rode on the jet ski.

After luneh we wouid write in our log and review what we had learned and observed that day. Kumu Steve assigned us to individually draw diagrams of what our 26-foot whaler looked like. In one of my favorite aftemoon classes we studied the anatomy of sea urchins. We handled the body parts of various species and stuck them on Petri dishes to observe their orifices. On the last day we sailed five nautical milēs offshore and cast our bottle messages into the oeean. We didn't know where our bottle messages would end up because the currents could take them anywhere. Mahalo to the coordinator of the Kaua'i Nā Pua No'eau, Kamuela Aea, Kumu Steve,

Kumu Pai and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Through them I was enriched in boating basics, sailing, Hawaiian values, and water safety. I learned how to respect the oeean as a powerful, dangerous, useful and important resource. I was better informed about the variety of job opportunities available to me regarding the oeean. It was two weeks well spent!

"In the morning, Kumu Pai would teach us Hawaiian values, phrases, songs, chants and hula."

Matthew Ortiz