Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 40, Number 9, 1 September 2023 — Supporting La'i'ōpua 2020 [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]
Supporting La'i'ōpua 2020
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OHA grants are helping La'i'ōpua 2020 bring a variety of programs to Native Hawaiians residing in the Kona Coast community By Ed Kalama Their programs pretty mueh cover the gamut. They include after-school enrichment classes for West Hawai'i students, cultural experiences on topics like papa ku'i 'ai and pōhaku ku'i 'ai, culinary lessons (both teen and adult classes), and a music education program centered on instilling in haumāna the mele and mo'olelo of their island. Set on Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) in the piko of the Kealakehe 'ahupua'a, La'iopua 2020 is a West Hawai'i nonprofit organization that brings together the Kona community for collaboration, inspiration, and knowledge sharing. The organization features a Community Hale, constructed in 2018, that includes a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen and a co-working center with conference and meeting rooms and event spaces. "The mission of our organization is to identify eommunity needs, foster the creation of community facilities, and coordinate programs for Native Hawaiian homesteaders and Native Hawaiians residing in the greater Kona Coast community," said Rebecca "Kawehi" Inaha, who has served as the group's executive director since December 2021. "Our programs are intended to provide social, recreational, vocational, eeonomieal, educational and cultural opportunities, as well as infrastructure for the eommunity. The spiritual and cultural values of the people of Hawai'i are the core of La'i'ōpua 2020's programs." Hawaiian Home Lands community-serving entities
such as La'iopua 2020 were created to provide facilities, services, and programs to their homestead community per a regional plan whieh was developed with DHHL beneficiary consultation. La'iopua 2020 holds regular beneficiary consultations and provides forms of eommunication to their homesteader community to ensure mission alignment with those they serve. La'iopua 2020 has been the recipient of two $10,000 'Ahahui event grants from the Ofhce of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA). 'Ahahui grants support community events that serve as enrichment opportunities on Hawaiian culture, aina stewardship, eeonomie opportunity, food sustainability and strengthening 'ohana. The first, awarded in 2021, funded four "Under the Kona Moon" virtual events whieh featured Hawai'i Island kūpuna, artisans and experts sharing stories, mele and memories. These "talk story" sessions were then distributed via Nā Leo puhlie access TV and worldwide on YouTube, through social media, and the organization's website.
The second Ahahui grant, awarded in 2022, funded the creation of the Kona Mele video whieh featured musicians and kumu hula of Kona performing a special rendition of the mele Kona Kai 'Opua. Available on La'i'ōpua 2020's website and on YouTube, a live launeh of the video was held in July 2022 in Kona. "We have been deeply inspired by the works of Project Kuleana and Mana Maoli and realized a musical video whieh captured the many gems' Kona has to offer was a wonderful opportunity to create precious memories, living legacies and maintain pride in our community," Inaha said. In June of 2022, OHA awarded a $141,000 community education grant to La'iopua 2020 for its "Wa'a Project," intended to assist haumāna by improving their knowledge of Native Hawaiian language and culture and traditional learning systems. The Wa'a Project introduces the art of eanoe building, sailing, and non-instrument navigation among haumāna attending West Hawai'i K-12 puhlie, charter, and immersion schools within the Kealakehe, Kohala, and Konawaena school complexes. "The captains and crew of our educational doublehulled sailing eanoe La'i'ōpua, whieh was constructed at La'iopua 2020, facilitates cultural hands-on experiential learning opportunities focused around the traditions of our ancestors," Inaha said. A curriculum has been developed by La'iopua 2020's wa'a captains and cultural experts and during the spring and summer of 2023, the wa'a welcomed more than 450 students to its decks. "Some school classes eame to our facility for their experience, and in other instances, the wa'a journeyed to schools for an afternoon experience. In eaeh case, students learned mele and oli related to the eanoe and her lineage, they learned to tie various knots whieh are used to secure the vessel, they were introduced to a star compass and how to use it to navigate, and they heeame familiar with the parts of the eanoe. Mea'ai taken on voyages was also discussed and keiki were introduced SEE LA'I'ŌPUA 2020 0N PAGE 21
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LA'I'ŌPUA 2020 Continued from page 20
ua|juiiuiiv.v;j. i iiuiu. lu i u|iuu i. w i. w to modern methods of food preservation whieh today's wa'a crews use on their voyages," Inaha said. A series of fall visits have been scheduled, and visits will continue into the Spring 2024 semester. By the end of program in 2024, La'iopuas goal is to have reached 700 Native Hawaiian keiki in West Hawai'i. "The Wa'a Project uplifts our haumāna by providing a quality, culturally based educational opportunity to support their academic achievement and learning. Just as importantly, the keiki enjoy learning about La'i'ōpua ffom her captains and voyaging experts. The best thing is the knowledge that hundreds of island keiki have had a 'voyaging' experience, whieh familiarizes them and, hopefully, excites them about navigating by the stars," Inaha said. "La'iopua provides a plaee for the Native Hawaiian community to eome together to build upon and share Hawaiian values. Most importantly, they support our Native Hawaiian haumāna through their program's use of culture with the goal to help our haumāna reach success in all they do. The value in assisting a community organization such as La'iopua in providing the needed supports - cultural, academic, and social-emotional that are specific to Native Hawaiian haumāna - ean make a difference in the lives of the individual student, their 'ohana and the larger community," said OHA Grants Ofhcer Chantelle Belay. "We're very thankful for the OHA grant program," Inaha said. "The Under the Kona Moon and Kona Mele" grants allowed us to capture the priceless eultural knowledge shared by kūpuna and artisans, whieh will live on for generations to eome. The Wa'a Project is capturing the interest of our keiki, giving them the opportunity to see, touch, and learn about voyaging from experts. "These grants have supported our organization's mission and enabled us to offer programs whieh help the lāhui to learn and grow as Native Hawaiians." ■
Lessons aboard the Lū'i'ōpue suiling eunoe offer culturul honds-on leorning experiences. - Photo: La'i'ōpua 2020
La'i'opua 2020's Wa'a Project introduces West Howoi'i students to conoe building ond non-instrument navigation. - Photos: La'i'opua 2020
La'i'opua's Kona Mele video featured area musicians and kumu hula and a live launch event.