Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 38, Number 7, 1 Iulai 2021 — MAI KA PŌ MAI [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MAI KA PŌ MAI

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By Sterling Wong, ŪHA Chief Advocate 'O ka lipo o ka lā 'O ka lipo o ka pō Pō wale ho'i Hānau kapō Darkness ofthe sun Darkness ofthe night Nothing but night The night gave birth - Kumulipo, lines 10-12 C/" "W" A "T"hen the sky was turning and the ^ % /% / earth was hot, the world was %/ %/ birthed. For millions of years, ▼ T combined processes of magma formation, volcanic eruption, and continued movement of the tectonic plate over a geologic hotspot gave rise to the Hawaiian Archipelago." So begins Mai Ka Pō Mai, a historic guidance document created to help integrate Hawaiian culture into the management of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Papahānaumokuākea encompasses the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, a 582,578-square mile protected marine region. Released to the puhlie in late June, the 48-page guidance document establishes a collabora-

tive management framework to guide the co-trustee agencies of the monument towards integrating traditional Hawaiian knowledge systems, values and practices into their management practices. "Mai Ka Pō Mai is a groundbreaking document," said Ofhce of Hawaiian Affairs CEO/Ka Pouhana Dr. Sylvia Hussey. "This document demonstrates that giving Native Hawaiian voices equal footing with federal and state entities in a complex management structure ean lead to the successful stewardship of our most precious natural and cultural resources. "Moreover, it shows that traditional Indigenous resource management is a best management practice to address climate change and other environmental challenges currently facing humanity. We hope that this stewardship approach is replicated elsewhere in Hawai' i and throughout the globe." Mai Ka Pō Mai is based on conceptual components of Hawaiian cosmology and worldview. The renowned genealogical creation chant, the Kumulipo, describes two realms, Pō and Ao, as fundamental features of the universe. Pō, the primordial darkness, is the plaee of gods and ancestral spirits. Ao, a plaee of light and eonsciousness, is where living creatures reside. Within Papahānaumokuākea, an area sacred to our kūpuna, the island of Mokumanamana (about 155 miles northwest of Nīhoa island) is known to be a powerful leina (portal) on the boundary between Pō and Ao through whieh departed spirits pass from the

realm of light. Numerous heiau on the island attest to the presence of mana. This boundary is at Ke Alanui Polohiwa a Kāne (the tropic of Cancer), the northern limit of the sun's journey on the horizon. Papahānaumokuākea also supports a magnificent diversity of life with the most extensive coral reef in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is a pu'uhonua (sanctuary) for hundreds of native species, including endangered species like the 'ilioholoikauaua (monk seal) and honu (green sea turtle), who make Papahānaumokuākea their home. "The island of Mokumanamana rests on Ke Alanui Polohiwa a Kāne, the sun's northern extent on the horizon, whieh occurs between June 19 to 21," noted OHA's Papahānaumokuākea Program Specialist Brad Ka'aleleo Wong. "Our decision to release Mai Ka Pō Mai at this time speaks to the value of Mokumanamana for us today; it recalls the cultural history of our pae 'āina and emphasizes the importance of utilizing 'ike Hawai'i for the management of our 'āina in Hawai'i." Stewardship of Papahānaumokuākea is shared by four entites who function as co-trustees: the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of the Interior, State of Hawai'i and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA). Ihe monument is cooperatively managed by these entities to ensure ecological integrity, and to protect and perpetuate Northwestern Hawaiian Island eeo-

The intertidal monitoring leam studies 'opihi and other species at Lolo (French Frigote Shools) ond elsewhere in Popahōnoumokuōkeo to provide quidance on growth cycles ond carrying copocity thot eon be used in monogement strotegies in tne moin Howoiion i lslonds. - Pnoto: Brad Ka'aleleo kVbng

The Kōnehūnōmoku Voyaging Acodemy continues to utilize Papahōnoumokuōkeo for their Hōlou Holomoono Progrom. Their work is on exomple of portnership building ond mentorship described in Mai Ka Pō Mai. - Photo: Lei'ohu Santos-Colburn

Mo/ Ka Pō Mai was developed through a collaboration of Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners, and scientists and administrators representing various agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the State Department of Land and Natural Resources, the National Oeeanie and Atmospheric Administration, and the 0ffice of Hawaiian Affairs. Pictured here are some of the contributors to the auidance document. Front row (l-r): Kalani Ouioeho, Keoni Kuoha, Kalena Blakemore, Lori Walker, Kanoe Steward, Nai'a Lewis, Kate īoniolo, Amanda Boyd, Hōkū Cody, Lauren Kapono, and Cynthia Vanderlip. Back row (f-r): Alyssa Miller, Umi Kai, Pua Kanahele, Ka'aleleo Wong, Kekuewa Kikiloi, Kamaile Puluole-Mikhell, Candace Gonzales, Kalō Baybayan, Pueo Pata, Moani Pai, Pelika Andrade, Hōkū Pihana, Andy Collins, Athline Clark, and Kem Lowry - Photo: Papahānaumokuākea Mahne Nahonal Monument

systems, Native Hawaiian culture, and heritage resources for current and future generations. As a guiding document, Mai Ka Pō Mai articulates the values and principles for 20 strategies within five management areas that are in alignment with Native Hawaiian culture and values, as well as with federal and state agency mandates and missions. The document was developed as a result of regular, ongoing meetings that began in 2010 between representatives of the four co-trustee agencies and members of the Native Hawaiian community (i.e., the Papahānaumokuākea Native Hawaiian Cultural Working Group). Ihe specific kuleana of the Cultural Working Group is to provide advice and recommendations through OHA to the Monument Management Board. These meetings initially focused on the 2008 Monument Management Plan (MMP), whieh included two action plans relating to Native Hawaiians: The Native Hawaiian Community Involvement Action Plan and the Native Hawaiian Culture and History Action Plan. Consultation with the Hawaiian community was part of an effort to build an early action plan strategy that would integrate 'ike Hawai'i into the actual management of Papahānaumokuākea; Mai Ka Pō Mai will serve as the foundation for the update of the MMP, whieh is currently underway. "Mai Ka Pō Mai was birthed by the Native Hawaiian community and represents our vision for how we should mālama this special plaee," said Kekuewa Kikiloi, chair of the Cultural Working Group. Kikiloi continued, "We always believed that the cultural and scientific elements of the monument should not be managed in siloes. We thank the co-trustees for eommitting to a major paradigm shift by supporting Mai Ka Pō Mai, whieh incorporates Native Hawaiian culture and values in every aspect of management."

Acting field supervisor of the US Fish and Wildlife Services' Paeihe Islands Fish and Wildlife Office and Papahānaumokuākea Monument Management Board chair Greg Koob said, "The Board is privileged to have a guidance document that integrates traditional Hawaiian knowledge systems, values and practices into the management of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument." Koob also expressed his sincere appreciation for OHA and for the efforts of the members of the Cultural Working Group. "We are excited to have been part of this collaborative effort," added Miehael Tosatto, regional administrator for the National Oeeanie and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Fisheries Paeihe Islands Regional Office. "Every day we work hard to live up to our commitment to care for oeean resources. Integrating Indigenous and traditional knowledge with sound science is key to this success as we move forward in approaches to resource management." "NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is pleased to have supported this plan from the outset," said Athline Clark, NOAA's superintendent for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. "Hawaiian culture is a foundational element of monument management. We will continue to honor and perpetuate spiritual and cultural relationships with this special plaee." Designated as a national monument 15 years ago, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world. In July 2010 it was also designated the United States' first mixed (natural and cultural) UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site. ■ For more information visit www.papahanaumokuak.ea. gov. To read Mai Ka Pō Mai visit oha.org/maikapomai/.

Bonnie Kahape'a-Tanner, Chelsea Dickson, and Kealakai Kanaka'ole make their way down the slopes of Mokumanamana after spending the evening studying the stars and their relalion to the island's many heiau and manamana (upright stones). These activities are examples of the strategies and outcomes described in Kūkulu Ho'omana and Kūkulu Hō'ike of Mai Ka Pō Mai. - Photo: Brad Ka'aleleo LVorrg

Kepo'o Keli'ipa'akaua and Leimomi Wheeler conduct archaeological surveys on Nihoa documenting the many wahi pana (sacred sites) while also weaving in mo'olelo, oli, and other traditional forms of information in order to properly tell the story of these locations. - Photo: Brad Ka'aleleo Worrg