Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 34, Number 10, 1 ʻOkakopa 2017 — Kailua's keepers of culture [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kailua's keepers of culture

/ MO'OMEHEU V ^ CULTURE r

Hika'alani spreads the message of stewardship at Ulupō Nui By Lindsey Kesel \estled behind the Windward YWCA sits a carefully stacked mound of smooth round stones. Several signs speak to the gravity of the structure, actually the remains of an ancient heiau with vast cultural significance. From the front, it appears to be an unassuming 6 feet or so high, but turn the corner and it morphs into a majestic, sweeping design that seems to reach toward the heavens. Shift your gaze from the stones to the land behind and an expansive paradise materializes - 27 acres of lush growth, with thriving lo'i patches interspersed throughout an upper level and lower level of green ground peppered with avocado, noni, kukui, sweet potato, mango, breadfruit, banana, coconut and sugarcane. This reincarnation of what Hawai'i used to embody before development took hold is no happy accident, but a product of the intense efforts of one nonprofit determined to spur a return to roots on once-sacred ground. Guided by a collective of kumu hula, scholars, educators and artisans with a long history of raising community awareness, Hika'alani is tasked with guarding the 180-feet-long, 30-feet-high state historic site known as Ulupō Heiau, whieh includes the remains of a sacred temple said to have been built by menehune to honor Hawaiian gods. The spot was a cardinal hub where ali'i kept

watch over their lands from oeean to sea, and \ a touchstone of religion, politics and culture i for the Kailua ahupua'a. The organization !

facilitates physieal restoration and place-based education in the parcel they eall Ulupō Nui, considered the piko of Native Hawaiian culture in Kailua, whieh includes Kawainui Marsh, a former 400-acre fishpond onee ripe with fat mullet and 'o'opu. Hika'alani was born out of the hula school Hālau Mōhala

'Ilima after cultural practitioners saw the need to create a home base for arts, food and culture that would revive the legacy of their Hawaiian ancestors. Today their primary aim is to establish Ulupō Nui and the equally significant tract of land called Wai'auia (behind the "Weleome to Kailua" sign) as centers of stewardship and learning where Hawaiian culture ean again thrive as it did in centuries past. Hika'alani's big dream is to restore Kawainui Marsh to its former glory as a thriving loko i'a - a task that will take extensive planning, many hands and careful administrative navigation. Engaging families along the perimeter, visitors from the mainland and around the globe, community partners

and especially schools is just as integral as their physical revitalization efforts. "In our records, we have

stories of people from all sides of the island coming together to keep cultural traditions alive," says Kīhei de Silva, the organization's cultural advisor

and an expert in the mo'olelo of the area. "Some residents think that the best way to preserve this land is by keeping people out of it, but that comes from a laek of understanding of Hawaiian history. Part of what we're trying to do is retell those stories, revive the chants i and dances, and give a comprehensive view of what took

plaee here. Our ancestors cared for Ulupō and Wai'auia through agriculture, and we're advocating for a return to that kind of stewardship." In 2015, a grant from the Castle Foundation allowed Hika'alani to hire Kaleo Wong as Project Lead for the Ulupō Nui restoration and education program. As the full-time site guardian, he leads ongoing clearing efforts that spawn both healthy symbiosis and create more space for knowledge sharing and exploration. Wong organizes all of the school visits and volunteer days, talks story with microbiologists, cultural advisors and farmers about growing strategies, and works the land with his hands daily. Maintaining a physical presence not only

lets him continuously pull invasives and foster healthy regeneration, but also deters pig foraging and houseless encampments. To date, they've cleared nearly seven acres of land, removed over 100 invasive trees and and harvested over 500 pounds of kalo, among other foods - all shared with the community, not sold. In 2017, Hika'alani received a grant from Hawai'i Tourism Authority that is now facilitating many improvements to enhanee the learning experience at Ulupō Nui. "Names have power," says Wong. "When we ask kids what they think of when they hear 'Kawainui Marsh' or 'Kawainui Swamp,' negative images eome to mind. But when we ask them to think of it as fishpond, it totally changes their view. If we ean eall out the relationship between people and plaee now, we realize the water is not supposed to be looking like that. We need to restore the fishpond for our community now more than ever." Wong and volunteers have already started on the fishpond transformation by slowly removing invasive growth from the water's surface by hand, whieh has already begun to attract endangered native birds. School visits at Ulupō Nui three times a week over the past two years have yielded hundreds of pictures of kids soaked in mud, not just playing but working the land. "It's amazing how quick a paradigm shift ean happen with the keiki regarding what is good and bad," says de Silva. "They show up thinking the dirt and bugs are gross, and before long they're covered in earth from head to toe, almost unrecognizable, carrying marsh grass, pulling weeds and having the time of their lives." ■ Volunteer with Hika'alani and lenā your kōkua at Ulupō Nui on the 2nd Saturday of eaeh month: Visit hikaalani.website or email halauhikaalani@gmail.com.

Lo'i patches are thriving in Kawainui Marsh near Ulupō Nui. - Photo: Courtesy of Hika'alani