Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 40, Number 9, 1 Kepakemapa 2023 — Ala 'Aumoana Kai Uli [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Ala 'Aumoana Kai Uli

V HANOHANO NA 'AINA KUPUNA V ^ HONORING PAPAHĀNAUMOKUĀKEA AS KŪPUNA ISLANDS "

Traveling to the Deep Sea of Papahānaumokuākea

By Malia Evans, Kanoe Morishige and Hōkū Pihana Papahānaumokuākea is an 'Āina Akua - a realm of our gods where our ancestors return after death. It is with that understanding that we collectively recognize the responsibility to enter Papahānaumokuākea with a mindset of humility and the active practice of reciprocity. With awareness and reverence for this plaee, staff at Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM), the Papahānaumokuākea Native Hawaiian Cultural Working Group (CWG), and the Oeean Exploration Trust (OET) have built a eollaborative pilina (relationship) grounded in mutual respect, trust, and reciprocity. This pilina cultivates a space of meaningful, equitable engagement by first respecting Indigenous knowledge as an equally valuable body of knowledge within the oeean exploration community. In September, an exploration vessel (E/V) Nautilus oeean science expedition will travel towards Hōlanikū (Kure Atoll) in PMNM with Kānaka 'Ōiwi, Chamorro, and other Indigenous people on-board to strengthen our pilina and increase knowledge of kai hohonu (deep sea knowledge). CWG members collectively offered the name, Ala 'Aumoana Kai Uli (path of the deep-sea traveler). Ala 'Aumoana Kai Uli reflects our collective experience as people who love and protect the oeean, reminding us of our continued shared responsibility to care for these paths and our ever-developing relationships. The process of engagement within the partnership is the foundation to increase opportunities for 'Ōiwi and Paeihe Islanders to sail Moananuiākea, as Indigenous scientists, voyagers, scholars, engineers, educators, fishers and most importantly, as community members, to learn from diverse schools of knowledge to better understand our relationships to the oeean to whieh 'Oiwi are genealogically tied. Since November 2021, a total of 10 'Ōiwi have represented as science, engineering, seafloor mapping interns, science eommunication fellows, resource monitors and cultural liaisons to learn ffom the kai lipo (deep sea). 'Ōiwi learn from this plaee of ancestral abundance where over 90% of the area includes depths greater than 3,000 feet. From the darkness of the papakū (sea-

floor) habitats, the marine life and deep oeean processes are recorded in 'Ōiwi oral traditions and repositories like the Kumulipo. This year's expedition will continue ROV (remotely operated vehicle) dives to the seafloor to explore the ecosystem. As Kānaka, practitioners, kumu, haumāna, and community members, 'Ōiwi participation in various capacities in research partnerships is crucial to growing the next generation of 'Ōiwi in these spaces. The partnership has led to the creation of Hawaiian names for eaeh expedition, promotional videos in olelo Hawai'i, live ship-to-shore interactions with kula kaiapuni (Hawaiian immersion schools), and cultur-ally-grounded oeean science curriculum in olelo Hawai'i. As our youth see people from their communities as scientists and cultural practitioners on these expeditions, they begin to believe that they, too, ean be scientists grounded in their identity. If you are interested in learning more about the expedition, please visit the Nautilus website (https://nautiluslive.org/educa-tion/ship-to-shore-interactions) to sign up for a live ship-to-shore interactive sessions. Sessions are also available in olelo Hawai'i. ■ Malia K. Evans is the O'ahu outreach and education coordinator, Kanoe Morishige is the Native Hawaiian progratn specialist, and Hōkū Pihana is the Native Hawaiian specialist at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center in Hilo on behalf of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and UNESCO Mixed Natural and Cultural World Heritage Site.

Malanai Kōne-Kuahiwinui, science communication fellow, o coptoin from Kōnehūnōmoku Voyoging Acodemy, and Ho'oipo Bertelmonn, 'Ōiwi lioison, by the R0V. - Photo: OET/Nautilus Live