Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 40, Number 12, 1 December 2023 — Aloha 'Āina [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Aloha 'Āina

V HE LEO HOU V ^ A NEW VOICE *

By Kalei Cirillo-Nahinu, Grade 8 Mālama Honua PCS To me, aloha aina is perpetuating Hawaiian practices

and taking care of and loving the land. I live aloha aina by learning about Hawaiian traditions and 'ike Hawai'i. One thing we do at Mālama Honua Puhlie Charter School is hana kūpono. Hana kūpono is showing respect to aina before gathering materials. Kumu Ka'anohi Kalama-Macomber taught my class about the process of making papa and pōhaku ku'i ai (poi pounding board and stone), including hana kūpono, carving, and perpetuating culture. These lessons helped me heeome more confident in my cultural identity and develop an aloha 'āina mindset. Hana kūpono means to do the right thing, at the right time, with the right intention, with the right people, and at the right plaee. Hana kūpono creates a pono mindset of respecting aina before you gather materials. When you begin hana kūpono, there are steps to follow: 1) Ho'omana - compliment/ uplift; 2) Mihi - ask for forgiveness; 3) Ho'olauna - introduce yourself; 4) Noi - request; 5) Mahalo - thank; and 6) Ho'omana - eompliment. My class practiced hana kūpono when we collected materials to make our papa and pōhaku in seventh grade. To carve our papa, we also had to make

a ko'i (adze), whieh has a handle made of hau. We went to a space that had lots of hau trees and used our kilo (observation) skills to look for a specific branch. Before we could gather, we had to complete our protocol of hana kūpono. We also used this protocol when we gathered our pōhaku, asking aina for permission. "He ali'i ka aina, he kauā ke kanaka." This olelo no'eau means "land is chief, and we are its servant" and shows aloha aina because we need to treat our aina as if it is our chief. The aina has created a space where we ean live and thrive. So, what ean I do? When I work in the mala, plant native plants, and remove invasive plants, I am giving to 'āina and treating aina like a chief. When I tell mo'olelo that uplift aina, I am treating aina like a chief. When I eall aina by its right name, I am respecting aina just like I respect people. When I practice hana kūpono, I am treating aina like a chief. We should all have an aloha aina mindset because it ean help us create a better understanding of who we are by connecting us to our kūpuna/ancestors. I learn more about myself when I am working in the aina because it gives me the time to think about my past, not two years ago but to my kūpuna and who they are, and my future. When I feel lost and need to find meaning or understanding, I know that when I work in the aina and eonnect to my kūpuna and to myself, I ean find who I am. An aloha aina mindset connects you to who you are and gives you a pilina with kūpuna and 'āina. ■

Haumana clear ong choi from the lo'i at Ka'uluakalana. - Courtesy Photo