Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 31, Number 6, 1 June 2014 — 8tudents of all nationalities beam with aloha at Lā ʻŌpio [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

8tudents of all nationalities beam with aloha at Lā ʻŌpio

By Francine Kananionapua Murray For the first time the World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education included a full day of educational activities for high schoolers, fittingly named Lā 'Ōpio, youth day. The students were amazing - enthusiastic sponges - excited to be there to learn about eaeh other's culture. About 400 attended Lā 'Ōpio, 250 students from five islands in Hawai'i and about 150 students from around the world - Alaska, Aotearoa, Australia, Canada, New Mexico and Norway. The students were beaming with pride as the various youth groups

performed for eaeh other. And as audience members, the students were attentive, very supportive and respectful of eaeh other. There was so mueh aloha among this group of 400-plus as they navigated from workshop to workshop exploring song and poetry writing, leaming to use technology with a native lens, and more. What a wonderful world this would be if all eountries treated eaeh other like these students did. Hawaiian artist Solomon Enos encouraged the students to unleash their

creative and artistic forces in the Native Artistry in a Contemporary World workshop, where eaeh painted a small rectangle canvas, with the plan of putting together all 180 pieces to create a 18-by-9-foot art wall that will be the backdrop at the closing ceremonies of WIPCE. Athletics were not forgotten. Lāiana Kanoa-Wong challenged the youth group both physically and mentally to incorporate an indigenous worldview, their culture and values to excel in sports and games, while

teaching them traditional Hawaiian games. Lā 'Ōpio, held May 20 at Kamehameha Schools-Kapālama, culminated in the presentation of the Youth Indigenous Declaration to Mililani Trask, who said she would share it with the United Nations. The declaration was written over the past several months by an 'Aha 'Ōpio (youth eouneil) of student representatives from Kamehameha Schools and schools of Nā Lei Na'auao Native Hawaiian Charter School Allianee, whieh were the eohosts for Lā 'Ōpio. ■

Students participated in athletics at a workshop led by Lōiana Kanoa-Wong. - Photo: Francine Murray

In a Lā 'Ōpio arts worbhop, Theresa Baptiste from New Zealand, left, and ōuinn Weaseltail from Saskatchewan, Canada, show their creations, destined to be showcased as part of the backdrop at WIPCE's closing ceremony. - Photo: Lynn Cook