Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 37, Number 1, 1 January 2020 — plan day focused on aloha 'āina [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

plan day focused on aloha 'āina

ByChad Takatsugi As political and social discourse surrounding Native Hawaiian issues continues to escalate, the students of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama hosted the first-ever 'Aha Aloha 'Āina. Inspiried to take responsibility for the future of Hawai'i, students dedicated an entire day to "He Aha Lā He Kūkulu? Identifying the Pillars of Aloha 'Āina." Students and teachers pai'tnered to plan the day's activities. Sessions included student-facilitated panel discussions with contemporary Native Hawaiian community leaders, workshops presented by guest speakers, a student-coordinated educational activity center, and a concert featuring performances by musical artists and scholars from the Native Hawaiian community. Mahina Melim, a senior at KS Kapālama and president of the Kia'i 'Ōlauniu club whieh was responsible for planning the event, said: "As students, we look around and we see turmoil. There is so mueh conflict and people are fighting for something they believe in. It is a harsh reminder of how

important it is for us to have an active role in making our future better through the lens of aloha 'āina. "That's why we decided it was important to set aside time to educate and inspire our fellow students and even some of the teachers about what is important to us as Native Hawaiian youth and what resources are available to aid us on our path forward." Participation in the day's activities was not mandatory, but students and staff were encouraged to attend sessions and incorporate lessons of the day into classroom discussions. An energized student body, and registration caps for eaeh activity, led to most sessions

being held at capacity. Hawaiian language kumu Jonah Kahanuola Solatorio, one of the faculty advisers who provided guidance to the student coordinators, "was impressed but not — ^ ^ . . . ^ —

: surprised" at how engaged his students were. "It is remarkable to see how passionate and motivated our haumāna ean be when we make it clear to them how important their voice is. For these students to be so interested in social, cultural and polhieal conversations so early in their lives, it

assures us that our future is in good hands," said Solatorio. This event, whieh was took plaee on November 25, eoincided with the observance of Lā Kū'oko'a, the day Hawai'i was recognized as an independent nation in 1843. ■

Members of the Kia'i 'Ōlauniu club host fellow classmates in an activity tbat demonstrates tbe traditional usage ofstar patbs for navigation and wayfinding. - Pboto: Courtesy