Category: Kohala

An outside-the-box approach to learning: Fern White creates a dynamic, multi-faceted classroom experience West Hawaii Today September 2018

9/3/2018

NORTH KOHALA – School is back in session and at Kohala High School Fern White’s STEM English class is gearing up for another year of exploration, investigation, experimentation and presentation. Along with foundational literature and writing skills, individual students will be carrying out their own projects. These can range anywhere from science experimentation to the creation of video documentaries.
   Longtime Kohala High School teacher Fern White grew up on Ulupalakua Ranch on Maui, and likes to say that everything she needed to know she learned from horses. On horseback from a young age, White started teaching riding at 16. Training and riding horses has given her foundational insights into learning processes that she has taken into the classroom.
   When she graduated from high school, even though she was considered to be on a college track, White was unable to afford school. Undaunted, she decided to look for scholarship money and entered a beauty contest for Miss Maui in 1968, winning $500.
   White decided to use the money to enroll in business school on Oahu, while working as a nanny for four children and a stable hand in order to board her horse. Business school was not for her though, and she continued riding and working in the schools para professionally, taking any job on offer.
“I worked as a substitute teacher from 1974 for all grades, as a part-time teacher, cafeteria worker, secretary, a reading and ESL tutor, and for Castle Medical doing drug education and working with at risk students in an alternative education program,” White said.

Photo courtesy of Lytha White

   And all this time, she continued to teach horseback riding and compete in rodeo events both in Hawaii and on the mainland. A marriage and two children later, White finally enrolled at UH-Hilo in 1989 at the age of 39 as a non-traditional student. In fact you might say that nothing about White is traditional.
   After earning a BA in English with an interdisciplinary science certificate in 1994, she obtained her secondary teaching certificate and began work at Kohala High School where she has woven her varied skills and experiences into a dynamic holistic approach to learning.
   White’s work with horses, people on horses and an outside-the-box approach to learning have combined to create a dynamic, multi-faceted classroom experience. “Activity before concept and concept before vocabulary” is one of White’s guiding principles.
   To enter White’s STEM English classroom is to find a world of possibility and resources. She has coached students in everything from speech and debate to award-winning electric vehicle and robotics programs, all the while enriching their lives with literature and writing.
White teaches from the heart, and is able to tap into her own learning experiences as she acts as a guide for students. “To unpack things, to teach it, challenges you to really know what you're doing by feel. That all fits into how and why I teach. Let me help you go on and find your own way. I'll facilitate your discovery. There it is. Now remember that feeling,” White explained.
In 2000, horsemanship inspired her on to strive for professional career excellence. “I went to Oklahoma and competed in the world championship in open division barrel racing and won top 10 in the world. Being world-class was the pinnacle. On the plane returning home, I decided I would go for National Board certification,” White recalled.
   She rode to that world championship on Royal Merrymaid, a soul mate whose stubborn individuality suited her. “She had chips in her knees and they all said she wasn't going to last. But she had guts. She could run a hole in the wind,” White remembered.
   She has also extended her love of learning and horsemanship beyond the classroom, sharing her belief in the healing properties of horses and riding through Lio Lapaau, a special horse therapy program. “The concept is that horses provide healing and health for humans. They are the most noble creatures on earth," White said.

Photo courtesy of Fern White

   After becoming board certified in 2003, she went on to earn a master’s of art in teaching from the National University in 2006, and is now in a teacher leadership role, working to “shift instruction to utilize student interests and engage them in the decision-making. As educators we have to constantly think about what the students need. That's a moving target. Foundations are important and that's not a moving target. Here's the foundation, what can we latch on to that?” White explained.
   Students walk through her door and start a journey of self-discovery that is supported on foundational reading and writing experiences. White makes her students earn their freedom to explore by meeting tough standards.
   “The first quarter is heavy writing and medium heavy reading, non-fiction texts because that’s their science, technology and engineering piece and they have to do a research paper in the second quarter,” explained White. At the same time, students are delving into short fiction and other literature, which is all woven together to create a rich learning experience.
“The reason I'm here is that I hold to the faith that at the core of every human being there is goodness. Let's find a way to find that goodness. I try to be transparent in my passion so they know that they have somebody in front of them that wants it for them,” White said. "My metaphor for teaching is that I am the river for my students to get on their boat and ride down. Sometimes the river is going to be rough and they fall in the water, and sometimes we have to paddle hard, but Iʻm here to facilitate,” she concluded.

Photo courtesy of Fern White

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A Walk through History into the Future Ke Ola Magazine May / June 2018

6/10/2018

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Along the Ala Kahakai Trail near Punaluʻu. photo courtesy of Barbara A. Schaefer

Hawaiʽi Island’s history can be found along its coastal and mauka (mountain side) to makai (ocean side) trails, a network imprinted by the hands and feet of those who came before. The coastal ala loa trail (Hawaiian trail system, literally translated as long path) formed the backbone of that network, supporting communication and commerce between ahupuaʽa (districts). “Trails were that connectivity of families, of commerce, really survival and thriving, both mauka, makai and along the shoreline. Thereʻs nothing that went on in Hawai‘i that didn’t have to do with trails,” said Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail (AKNHT) Interpretive Ranger, Nahaku Kalei.
Once circumnavigating the entire island, the coastal trail corridor, which is alive with historic sites, now stretches 175 miles from ‘Upolu Point in North Kohala along the coast and rounding at Ka Lae (South Point), heads northeast to Wahaʽula Heiau in Puna.
In recognition of the importance of the coastal trail, the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail was added to the National Historic Trails register in 2000, under the auspices of the National Parks Service (NPS). Studies were conducted, communities were consulted and by 2009 a management plan that began implementation in 2010 had been created with an ambitious 15 year goal. “The first 15 years of the plan calls for us to connect Puʽukoholā with Puʽuhonua o Honaunau and beyond to Hoʽokena,” said Aric Arikaki, AKNHT superintendent.

History of the Trail
Up through most of the 1800s, communication and transportation were conducted along the trail system. “Although the canoe was a principle means of travel in ancient Hawaiʽi, extensive cross-country trail networks enabled gathering of food and water and harvesting of materials for shelter, clothing, medicine, religious observances and other necessities for survival.” (Ala Kahakai National Trail Management Plan, p. 13)
With the introduction of horses and mules for transportation, wider, straighter trails were constructed to accommodate horse-drawn carts. By the 1850s and evolving over the next 40 years, a government road was built between Kohala, Kona and Kaʽu that often diverged from the original ala loa trail, isolating people living in remote areas.
This led to the Highways Act of 1892, signed into law through the efforts of Queen Liliʽuokalani and the Legislature of the Kingdom of Hawaiʽi. “One of the last acts of the kingdom was the highway act and it dictated that any trail that was in existence at that time was a public right of way,” said Chris Hawkins, coordinator of the Ala Kahakai Trail Association. This has become a critical legal tool, enabling the State to declare public rights-of-way.

Volunteers head home after a trail work day between Hapuna and Mauna Kea. photo courtesy of Barbara A. Schaefer

Re-establishing the Trails
When complete, the Ala Kahakai Trail will be the cordage that binds the canoe together. “Itʻs a system of trails, not one single trail. When we did our consultation with the kūpuna (elders) they said donʻt forget to include the mauka to makai trails because that’s the trails we use to access the mountains and the sea to gather,” said Aric.
The 175 mile trail includes four national parks and traverses 220 ahupuaʽa. “There are descendants whose families tie into historic events and each one is unique. Communities said they wanted the chance to manage their shoreline areas. It was all based on the ahupuaʽa,” said Aric.
To that end, a management plan emerged from the stakeholders along the trail. “We went through a whole consultation process with the community for the management plan. It was vetted by county, state and federal agencies all the way up to Washington D.C. and it all came back positive. We were really happy that they were able to understand that this is how we want to manage the trail. It makes total sense,” explained Aric.
The Highways Act of 1892 also makes it possible for NPS to identify and reclaim any historic routes. “Now it includes the shoreline trail and the Māmalahoa trail in Waikoloa. Ancient trails, pre-contact trails and then also historic trails. We can preserve routes, even if the trail is not there. It may have been covered by a lava flow or paved over but the route is still there and we can interpret that trail and create public access,” said Aric.

Ramp along the 1871 trail at Puʻuhonua o Honaunau. photo courtesy of Barbara A. Schaefer

Storied Places
Each section of the trail has its own stories and sacred sites. Beginning at ‘Upolu Point in North Kohala you can walk through history from the birthplace of Kamehameha I to Puʽukoholā Heiau, completed in 1791 as a tribute to the unification of the islands.
A coinciding event south along the trail was the capture of the Fair American. When Captain Thomas Metcalfe of the Fair American anchored at Kaʽūpūlehu in the winter of 1790, he had no idea that Chief Kameʽeiamoku was lying in wait to avenge the flogging he had received from Thomas’ father, Simon Metcalfe, aboard the Eleanora a few weeks earlier. After killing all but one of the crew, Kameʽeiamoku commandeered the Fair American and presented it to Kamehameha.
The lone survivor of the attack was Isaac Davis who, along with John Young, became an instrumental military advisor for Kamehameha’s unification efforts. “There are descendants of Isaac Davis and Kameʽeiamoku who took over the Fair American and we brought them together and created a video with them. That’s a story right there along the trail,” said Aric.
Continuing on the trail, you will be treated to a glimpse of the history of an advanced culture and its sacred sites. “One of the most powerful things that anybody can do is to step onto a trail alignment. Itʻs really not something you can talk about, but as soon as you are in it, you capture that feeling of all the people who have traveled through these same footsteps you are traveling. You get to see the landscape as they saw it, from very different perspectives,” explained Nahaku.

Along the trail near Kalaemano. photo courtesy of Barbara A. Schaefer

Community Building
While under the protection of various government entities, there is much more to the trail than the listing of historic sites. The communities along the trail have a vision that includes providing access for traditional practices, protection of sacred sites, education and uniting local communities in an effort to preserve Hawaiʽi’s culture.
This is proving to be a complex endeavor as the fate of each ahupuaʽa along the trail has varied. “Every single one of those alignments has a different agreement with the land owner. So everyone needs to be verified as to who owns that trail. Itʻs a slow process to do it correctly,” said Nahaku.
Another NPS focus for the trail is to build the capacity of each community by bringing ancient practices such as salt production into the present as a viable economic support. “We are at the intersection of environmental stewardship, cultural preservation, and agricultural self-reliance. Hawai‘i at one time thrived and there was no dependency on the outside. So how do we encourage and support that kind of movement to be at that intersection as well?” said Aric.
One way that NPS seeks to answer that question is by working with ahupuaʽa community groups to help them build and implement their own shoreline management plans through finding fiscal sponsors and helping with the creation of nonprofits. “We want to see them benefit economically as well, through a livelihood. Thatʻs why we want to build the capacity of the community so they can compete effectively in the field of ecotourism and visitor accommodations and try to develop [G1] a different kind of paradigm for visitors that come on the trail to be hosted by communities,” said Aric.
Another kind of community-building along the trail is the integration with nonprofits such as E Mau Nā Ala Hele, the Ala Kahakai Trail Association, South Kohala Coastal Partnership, willing landowners and volunteers. “We can’t do it ourselves. This is all based on partnerships, homeowners associations, the willingness of landowners and volunteers. Honokaʽope or 49 Black Sand Beach is a good example. We received a donation from a member of the community to fix a really dangerous sections of the trail,” explained Aric.

Tutu kane and moʻopuna walking the Ala Kahakai Trail. photo by Pelika Andrade

Walking the Trail
There’s still much work to be done before the entire trail is ready with signage and other safety features. “The policy of Ala Kahakai Trail is to open and make trails public as community-based management plans are established, in place and implemented. Many sections of the trail have not been able to have that happen yet,” said Nahaku.
One section of the trail that is officially open begins at Pelekane Bay, going south to ‘Anaehoʽomalu Bay. “Weʻve connected with all the resorts, homeowners associations, and the Kohala Coast Resort Association. Weʻre working with them to provide interpretation and signage,” said Aric.
Safety and protocol are a primary concern. Sacred sites need to be protected and travelers need to understand the particular protocols associated with them and the trail as a whole. “Weʻre working on a brochure right now that gets into safety and protocol. Eventually we want to frame this as a pilgrimage trail you come on and become spiritual. You can visit shrines and learn and take it in and come out of it a different person,” said Aric.
Trail systems like the Ala Kahakai provide a foundational metaphor for human history and life on our planet; they connect us and move us through life. “Trails that you take in your life, a path that you choose. We can interpret the trails of the Polynesians as they moved across the Pacific and then we can even take it back further to the human diaspora out of Africa. All of our ancestors walked on trails and moved across the planet,” concluded Aric.

For more information:
Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail: nps.gov/alka/index.htm
Ala Kahakai Trail Association: alakahakaitrail.org/
E Mau Nā Ala Hele: emaunaalahele.org/

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Lessons from the Garden Ke Ola Jan/Feb 2018

3/15/2018

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Garden teacher Jared Chapman leads students in the Parker School food forest. Photo by Jan Wizinowich

In 2007 the Hawaiʽi Island School Garden Network (HISGN) was created through the Kohala Center as a way to promote garden education and food sustainability practices. As the network grew, educators began to realize the potential for curricular connections and in 2016 the HISGN received funding to develop a curriculum map, which was created by a consortium of K-8 school garden educators.
“We went through by grade level to see what the learning outcomes were and the garden activities that go with them and then we looked at classroom extensions. We came up with four themes or lenses: sense of place; living plants, living soils; nourishment; and nature's design,” said Amanda Rieux, Malaʽai Culinary Garden Director and consortium leader.
Now 60 strong, the gardens have become intrinsic to school curriculum, providing unique lessons from the processes that are the foundations for life. Also, with a grounding in Hawaiian cultural practices, school gardens have also created a path back to the source for students, educators and community members on Hawaiʽi Island.
In Kohala district, school gardens range from a series of wood framed raised beds such as Kanu o ka ʽĀina, to a full garden space such as Malaʽai Culinary Garden and Kohala Elementary to Parker School’s food forest.

Kanu o ka Aina students working in a garden bed. Photo by Jan Wizinowich

Kanu o ka ʽĀina

The school garden at Kanu is really a series of gardens that are connected to each of the grade level classrooms. School garden coordinator, Heather Sarsona meets me in front of the school and we walk down to the makai end of the building. “This is our preschool garden and outdoor learning space. Anna Peach is our garden person for the preschool. Right now we’re planting buckwheat and beans to amend the soil,” said Heather.
We move on to the next garden area. When Makaliʽi sails to Papahānaumokuākea in two years, they will be carrying supplies grown in the Kanu garden. “This is a developing tea garden area. We have mamake, lemon verbana, African hibisucus, lemon mamake, lavender, lemon grass, olena. The teas are one of the things we're going to contribute to the voyage,” said Heather. “Each hui is going to try to look at what they grow best and learn how process it.”
The garden boxes contain a range of plants such as kalo, lettuce, tomatoes, herbs, squash, corn and pumpkins. “We grow a lot of pumpkins and that's another thing we're going to contribute to the voyage,” said Heather.
All the classrooms open to the garden space and there is a sense of continuous flow between indoor and outdoor learning environments, complete with a gathering place for stories and a konane board.

Garden leader Holly works with Waimea Middle School students in the Mala'ai Culinary Garden. Photo courtesy of Holly Sargent - Green

Malaʽai Culinary Garden

Bordered by Waimea Middle School’s new science building and playground, Malaʽai Culinary Garden is ideally located in the heart of old Waimea. Besides Garden Director Amanda, the garden has an Executive Director Alethea Lai and one full time Garden Leader, Holly Sargent Green, who sees every student a minimum of every two weeks.
The garden provides a holistic learning environment that connects with the kind of learning that takes place in the classroom. “We have a really long term, solid partnership with our science teachers. The garden is a lens that connects students to the living world, which connects them to all living worlds,” explains Amanda.
Students participate in all aspects of garden life while at the same time gaining a deep understanding of the underlying biological processes at work. Starting in kindergarten, students are observing, collecting data and developing a keen sense of place.
A favorite saying of Pwo Navigator Chadd Paishon is, “Know your island and you will never be lost”, and beyond the science, the garden experience helps students develop a personal compass that will guide them throughout their life’s journeys.
“As they are growing they have a relationship with this place. There’s a personal, private relationship that grounds them. Their actions, their work over time is really important. That sense of place and feeling like they are real contributors. That's where it becomes very powerful,” said Amanda.

Garden teacher June working with Kohala Elementary students to plant carrots. Photo by Jan Wizinowich

Kohala Elementary School Garden

To find your way to the Kohala Elementary School garden you follow a path along an array of terraced classrooms and then suddenly off to the left you see a koa lined, downward, zigzagging path to an Eden-like valley.
A group of second graders pauses at the top to chant and ask permission to enter, leaving any disturbances outside. “A while ago I created a trouble tree. However you're feeling affects the plants, so you shouldn't walk into the garden feeling angry or sad. We toss all that to the trouble tree,” said Kayla Sinotte, Kohala Elementary school garden coordinator.
Each class has their own garden bed with varying themes such as seeds and life cycles, nutrition, compost, soil and native Hawaiian plants. “The older classes have themes such as Mediterranean, body building and they choose plants according to their use and companion planting. Then they harvest whatever they grow and make something,” said Kayla. “The connection to the land. I think it's really important for kids to know where they’re from and where their food comes from,” she added.
This year’s full time Food Corp teacher June Guo, gathers students at a table to examine the carrot seeds they will be planting today. “What happens when seeds get water and sunlight?” June asks. “They break and you give them more water and they sprout,” answers one of the students.
June goes on to explain why they will be planting the seeds directly into the ground, rather than starting them in pots and then it’s off to their particular raised bed to plant. “We incorporate science into the lessons but we also give them the opportunity to get their hands dirty. There's a living curriculum that's inspired by all these garden resources we have. What is happening in our garden? What's happening at our school? What cultural activities are going on?”
Garden lessons also stretch out to other parts of the students’ lives. “Parents have come up to me and made comments like: ‘I don't know what you do in the garden but now my kid is helping me in mine. And he asked me for kale. What did you do to get him to like kale?’” said Kayla.

Parker Middle School students enter the food forest to harvest mamake. Photo by Jan Wizinowich

Parker School Garden

The Parker School garden is located on the north side of Waikola Stream, running through the center of town. Today’s session for middle school science students begins in the classroom where garden teacher Jared Chapman is having students write and reflect on six principles promoted through work in the garden: hoʽo kuanoʽo (complex thinker); hana noeʽau (quality producer); malama kaia ulu (community contributor); kupono hana ike (effective user of technology); kuleana i hola (self-directed learner); kaka olelo (effective communicator).
On the way to the garden, students stop to form a line facing Mauna Kea and chant Malana Mai Kāʽu. We enter the garden, a veritable food forest with paths that meander through a treasure trove of native plants. “This area in general used to be ancient farms. If you walk the stream you can see where the old ʽauwai was built. This whole area was agriculture and now we're bringing it back,” said Jared.
Observing and nurturing potted plants is the first order of the day. “Look, it’s like a rain coat,” said one student observing a bead of water dancing on a kalo leaf. Students then disappear into the forest, harvesting mamake and weeding around trees.
Students are constantly grappling with the complexities of life and the garden is rich with informative metaphors. “When you're doing a school garden you have that unique opportunity to focus on diversity. Once they're working, they're seeing things around them and the lessons come, regardless of what I tell them,” said Jared.
Parker School science and Hawaiian studies teacher, Susan Rickards incorporates the garden in a range of classes she teaches at Parker School. “That's the whole thing is making it tangible and what's more tangible than the garden? It ties into all of the classes, especially the Hawaiian studies class. As far as the historical curriculum, we go to the garden and point out, which of these if any, existed pre-human or pre-mammal even, pre-invasive species, pre-canoe,” said Susan. “Then we learn about a particular species, planting it and seeing how it grows. And then we tie that in with the culture and traditions,” she added.

Community Connections

Kohala school gardens have developed strong mutual relationships with their communities. “We couldn’t run our program without our community volunteers. We have four community members that come and work in the garden with our classes. It allows us to have small group sizes and it gives us the opportunity to go deep into subject matter,” said Holly.
The Kohala Elementary School Garden has made a connection with local businesses. “We sell our mint and basil and parsley and dill to Sushi Rock and kale and eggplant to the Kohala Coffee Mill,” said Kayla. “We also sell our taro leaves to CSE café, right across the street. The kids bring their families in and order the laulau plate and they can say, ‘I grew that’,” she added.
And like the Hōkūleʽa, Kohala gardens have the potential to make global connections. “We just had a group come from Amsterdam. They came to the garden and did a work day and met with the Ike Hawaiʽi students. It was great,” said Holly.
Gardens are a living metaphor that promote health and peace and the Kohala school gardens are a shining example of the waʽa spirit that permeates our island: “He moku, he waʽa. He waʽa he moku” -----Clay Bertelmann.

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To Celebrate the King: Kamehameha Day and Kamehameha's Legacy of Aloha Ke Ola Magazine May/June 2017

6/14/2017

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Every June 11 the islands celebrate Kamehameha, the Hawai‘i Island warrior chief who changed the course of history in the 18th and 19th century by uniting the Hawaiian Islands, preparing Hawai‘i for the future in a rapidly changing world. “In my opinion he is the greatest Hawaiian who ever lived—not only being the one to unify the islands, but having the vision, the power, the mana and the dedication and loyalty of thousands of Hawaiians who believed in what he did,” said Fred Cachola, historian and member of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I, Moku O Kohala.
   When Kamehameha’s mother Keku‘iapoiwa became pregnant, it was prophesied that the baby she was carrying would be a slayer of chiefs. On hearing the prophesy, Hawai‘i Island Chief Alapa‘inui began to plot to kill the infant.
   The great warrior Nae‘ole was selected by Keku‘iapoiwa to be the child’s caretaker, and he enlisted the entire Kohala populace in what Fred calls the “grand Kohala conspiracy” to do whatever it took to protect the infant. When Kamehameha was born at Kokoiki, Nae‘ole spirited him away, following a clandestine route to ‘?wini, an easily defensible plateau three valleys past Polol?.
   The events of that journey can be found in the very place names of Kohala. Stories point out names like H?‘ea, which means to arrive, to take first breaths. When baby Kamehameha arrives at H?w?, the breath of hunger, the wet nurse isn’t there. Kapa‘au, with its many streams, had to be traversed and his kapa cloth got wet moving through the water.

Lei draping ceremony in Kohala. Photo courtesy of North Kohala Community Resource Center.

King Kamehameha I

Kamehameha is well known for the Herculean task of unifying the islands. But after unity and peace had been attained, Kamehameha set a standard for leadership whose guiding principle was the well-being of the people.
“These ali‘i were what we would call today ‘servant leaders,’ and they probably served more than they led. They saw service and leadership as companion qualities that they had to have. They saw the two as very integral in creating a state that I would call pono,” said Fred.
Following Kamehameha’s death in Kona in 1819, western influences continued to bombard the Kingdom of Hawai‘i. Alarmed by rapid changes, Kamehameha V (Lot Kapuāiwa) established the Royal Order of Kamehameha I in 1865 to commemorate his grandfather. Then in 1871, he established Kamehameha Day, a celebration in honor of Kamehameha I’s accomplishments and contributions to the kingdom.

Early Kamehameha Day celebration in Kapiolani Park

History of the Celebrations
   The first celebration took place in 1872 and was a day of festivities of all sorts. “Early celebrations of Kamehameha Day featured carnivals, fairs, and lots of racing—foot races, horse races and even velocipede races. Accounts in the newspapers of the day counted over 4,000 people at Kapi‘olani Park in Waikīkī. Kalākaua and Kapi‘olani were in attendance.
   After the overthrow of the monarchy and the rapid changes that followed, Kamehameha Day celebrations were subdued. Then in 1914, a Kamehameha Day Celebration Committee was formed and the day was celebrated with much of the old grandeur.
   The 1916 annual Chamber of Commerce of Honolulu publication described that year’s celebration in Honolulu as beginning with a parade from ‘A‘ala Park to the statue in front of Aliʽiōlani Hale for lei draping and the singing of Hawai‘i Ponoʽī. The parade then proceeded to ‘Iolani Palace, the capitol of the territory at the time. The festivities also opened and closed with horse races in Kapi‘olani Park. Kamehameha Day celebrations continued and became one of the first official holidays declared when Hawai‘i became a state in 1959.

Kohala pāʽū riders. Photo courtesy of North Kohala Community Resource Center.

To Celebrate the King
   Kohala, Hilo and Kona are the three Royal Order moku (districts) on Hawai‘i Island and each will host a celebration on or around Kamehameha Day. Each moku represents a different phase of Kamehameha’s life.
   Kohala, Kamehameha’s birth place, has the original statue, in front of the historic courthouse in Kapa‘au. Originally bound for Honolulu, the statue was lost at sea when the ship carrying it sank in Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands. It was eventually recovered in 1882 by Captain Jervis, who spotted the statue in front of a store while strolling around Port Stanley. He purchased it and brought it to Honolulu.
   A replacement statue was already underway and plans were made to install the first statue in Kohala at the school house in ʽĀinakea on May 8, 1883. Kalākaua and an honor guard of 118 men arrived in Kohala for two days of festivities around the unveiling. On May 7, the Royal Hawaiian Band enlivened the neighborhood with song and in the evening presented a concert. The statue unveiling took place the next day at 3pm, with many admirers placing lei at the foot of the statue as the band played Hawai‘i Ponoʽī.
   Every year since that unveiling, there has been a Kamehameha Day celebration in Kohala on June 11. This year’s celebration will start with the lei draping ceremony at 7:45am, opening with a blessing, which is followed by hula and music. The parade, which begins at 10am, will have a number of floats, hālau hula, and a special pāʽū unit of Kahuā Ranch reunion honorees. “The community of Kohala is very involved in the Kamehameha Day celebration. People line the street all the way from Hōʽea,” said Ski Kwiatkowski, Royal Order of Kamehameha Moku O Kohala member.
   The parade ends at Kamehameha Park where there is a ho‘olaule‘a, including Makahiki games, hula, music and other entertainment. “The Royal Order has an awesome display of all of Kamehameha’s life, from birth to death and everything in between. There are markers for the places that Nae‘ole took the baby,” said Ski.

Royal Order of Kamehameha I Māmalahoa, Hilo. Courtesy of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I, Māmalahoa

King Kamehameha’s War Years
   Although Kamehameha spent his early years in Kohala, it was in Hilo that he confirmed prophesies by lifting the 7,000-pound Naha Stone, enlisted warriors, and launched war canoes in his endeavor to unify the islands.
   The Hilo chapter of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I was given the name Māmalahoa by Prince Jonah Kūhiō and while the name refers to Kamehameha’s law of protection for all people, it also refers to Kamehameha’s personal guardians. This elite unit of warriors were recognized for their skill and courage in battle, and respected for their honor and loyalty to Kamehameha. “This kaona inoa (double meaning name) was chosen by Prince Jonah Kūhiō to inspire the members of
Māmalahoato imua (move forward) and ho‘omau (persevere) in their cause as modern day warriors,” said Lani Aliʽi, Sir Pua Ishibashi. The well-being of all people was at the heart of Kamehameha’s rule and continues to be perpetuated through the work of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I.
   The Kamehameha Festival has been celebrated in Hilo since 1908 and since 1985, has taken place on Mokuola (Island of Life) in Hilo Bay. It is a day of sharing the richness of all aspects of the Hawaiian culture, including hula, mele, oli, and arts and crafts.
   The festivities will begin at 10am with the opening ceremony taking place at noon. The Royal Order of Kamehameha I Māmalahoa is joined by other royal societies and proceeds from Lili‘uokalani Park across the foot bridge to Mokuola, to pay tribute to Kamehameha with a blessing and ho‘okupu. The theme for this year’s celebration, which will take place on Sunday June 11, is “‘Onipa‘a” (to move forward and be steadfast), a tribute to the 100th year of the passing of Queen Lili‘uokalani.

Royal Order of King Kamehameha I Moku o Kona

Kona: Kamehameha’s Ancestral Homeland and Final Dwelling Place
   Kamehameha I, whose mother Keku‘iapoiwa was the daughter of Kona Aliʽi, Kekelaokalani, established the first capital of the united Hawaiian Kingdom in Kailua-Kona. After unification, Kamehameha went to work to ensure peace and the prosperity of all people of Hawai‘i. He understood that agriculture was key to this and the field systems he worked to create serves as inspiration to farmers until today.
   The first Kamehameha Day celebration in Kona was early in the 20th century. “I know early in the 1900s there was a celebration where they came ashore on canoes and marched down Ali‘i drive past Hulihe‘e Palace,” said Barbara Nobriga, parade committee chair.
   After that there wasn’t another Kamehameha Day celebration in Kona until 1953. Barbara was just a teenager then. “In 1953 they actually had a full on pāʽū parade. Then they didn't have another one until 1967,” said Barbara.
   At the heart of the Kona Kamehameha Day celebration is a parade with a full compliment of pāʽū riders, reflecting the paniolo spirit of the district. “If you don't have that full pāʽū section on Kamehameha Day, you do not have a parade,” said Barbara.
   The parade will begin at the Royal Kona Resort at 9am on Saturday, June 10, led by the Royal Order of Kamehameha I, Moku O Kona and followed by the Queen leading the pāʽū riders, representing the eight main Hawaiian Islands. Each group, headed by their princess, is draped in flowing satin and velvet and stunning lei displaying the color of their island.
   The parade will also feature hula hālau, equestrian units, marching bands, a horse-drawn carriage, and more. The day will also feature a ho‘olaule‘a (celebration) at Hulihe‘e Palace after the parade, with music by top Hawaiian musicians.
   The celebration is a reflection of unity and service, virtues that Kamehameha perpetuated in the life of the islands. “What we look for in the Grand Marshall and the Queen are people who do something to give back to the community. It takes a village to raise a child and it takes a village to put this parade together. It’s a community parade and without the community behind you, you wouldn’t get it off the ground,” said Barbara.
   When we celebrate Kamehameha Day, we are rejoicing in Kamehameha’s immense efforts to create a healthy, unified Hawaiian Kingdom and perhaps reminding ourselves with gratitude of his last words, “Endless is the good I have given you to enjoy.”

King Kamehameha's warriors lead Kona parade. Courtesy of Charla Photography.

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Feather Lei Making: Leo Mills Carries on the Family Tradition West Hawaii Today 2/7/17

2/8/2017

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Leo Mills wears a hat decorated with a lei she made 20 years ago. In her hands she holds a 1941 pelt, the year she was born.

    The feather lei, which has traversed time from prized adornment for ancient royalty, to the hat brims of paniolo, is a fine art being kept alive in Waimea by feather lei maker, Leonetta (Leo) Mills. The oldest child of Hisao and Elizabeth Kimura, Leo learned her craft from her master lei maker aunt, Tsugi Kaiama.
    Many lei traditions were carried on by paniolo. Aunt Tsugi learned her craft from her brother Yutaka, who was a master lei maker. “The cowboys wore flower lei, feather lei and it's amazing because of the kind of work they do. But they would come home with the lei still on their hats. Just maybe not the way it was when they left,” said Mills.
    Before Leo became a master lei maker, she taught home economics and then elementary school for many years. “I started out in Connecticut teaching there. Then I moved back here and taught at Kohala High School,” said Mills. It was in Waimea that she met her husband, Clarence Mills, also taught at Kohala. “I met my husband and we married and we both went to O'ahu and taught at Kahuku High School,” said Mills.
    But family brought them back home to Hawaii Island. “His (Clarence’s) mom and dad were getting up in years and they lived in Honokaa and so we both applied for jobs in Honokaa and we were hired. And after 30 years there I retired,” said Mills.

Leo demonstrates the art of making lei.

     About five years before she retired, her Aunt Tsugi recruited her to learn her craft, which eventually opened an entirely different world for her. “When I retired I saw a different world. All the creativity. I was just amazed. I thought I had seen enough in my job, but this world of the arts is just fabulous. I was so fortunate to meet so many artists,” said Mills.
    Mills’ apprenticeship ranged from preserving bird pelts to painting classes. “She had me take all these different art classes at the Firehouse Gallery. A lot of times when you create a lei it involves design, color combination and patterns and it really helped,” she explained.
    The creation of art requires a special state of mind and over the years, Mills has developed a kind of meditative state for lei making. “Before you start, calm yourself down and before you pick up your feathers and start sewing say a little prayer, clear you mind of everything. It was difficult for me at first to do that because when I entered my work room, my mind was just going,” said Mills. “It took several years. It didn't just come like that. I play my CDs. I love piano. Today, it just comes as soon as I enter my room,” she added.
    For Mills, lei making is often inspired by an appreciation of nature’s creations. “When I look at it (feather) on the pelt, it's so beautiful and then when I clip it and take it off, it no longer looks that beautiful because I’ve taken it away from the beauty that it was a part of. Then it's my job to create that beauty on the lei,” said Mills.

The last lei made by Leo's Aunt Tsugi.

    Mills gets specific orders for lei, which help her to continue to grow and learn. She has developed a technique of using feathers from the guinea hen to create the effect of baby’s breath because one of her customers, “wanted me to make it look like the lei you see on people's heads. There's always baby's breath. How can I create that with feathers? It bothered me and bothered me and one night it came to me in a dream, what feather to use,” said Mills.
    Another special request came from Keoki Freeland, a hunter from Maui, whose great grandmother is the one who taught Yutaka to make feather lei. When he requested a lei for his wife, Kohala artist Elizabeth Woodhouse, Mills was in a quandary thinking about how to design it.
    “What would an artist do? If I had a pallet in front of me (I call my feather things my pallet) I'd probably just brush it all together. So I cut the feathers and just mixed them all up and I told her ‘This is a splash on your pallet’ and she loved it,” said Mills.
    Reflecting over the years, Mills has had some “aha” moments. “After I completed my apprenticeship and I was invited to the academy of arts to share my work. That was my first contact with other Hawaiian artists. It just so happened that I sat next to the Niihau shell people. I learned so much from them. It opened my eyes to other forms of Hawaiian art,” said Mills.
    Then she was invited to go to Arizona to participate in the 2006 Western Arts Festival and although she couldn’t go, she contributed one of her lei. “They gave it to one of the hat makers, Randy Rains from Montana. They put it on his hat and displayed our work at the Phoenix airport,” said Mills.
    It also made a connection for her between the art of the paniolo and the art of Western cowboys. “It all started with the cowboys and I was able to share my art outside of Hawaii and with a different kind of art,” said Mills.
    Her last aha moment so far, was a tribute to the art she has shared for the last 18 years at the Four Seasons Resort. A regular guest decided he wanted to give something back to the resort and decided to renovate the employee dining room.
    “I remember them coming because they had little children and they used to come to the Hawaiian Cultural center while I did my work,” said Mills. As part of the renovation, “He requested to have my work in it. We spent months putting together everything and a photographer took pictures of my pelts to show how leis are put together,” said Mills.
    Over the years, Mills has passed her art on to about 25 students in the hopes that feather lei will continue to reflect the beauty of our island into the future.

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Lokahi Treatment Centers: Growing Healthy Communities with Harmony, Unity, Balance Special to North Hawai'i News 11/17/15

12/14/2015

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“E hou mai,” begin voices at the Lokahi Treatment Center (LTC) in Kapaau, and like a slow-building swell of gratitude, this day’s group asks for guidance on their journey of recovery. For the many clients of the six LTCs on Hawaii Island, that journey is made possible by Dr. Jamal Wasan who saw the effects of methamphetamine use on Hawaii Island in the late 1990s and decided to do something about it.
This was the beginning in 2001 of the Waikoloa Community-Based Substance Abuse Rehabilitation and Recovery Program, which eventually became simply the Lokahi Treatment Centers (LTC).
“I started at the Waikoloa Community Church. They gave me permission to use their annex building. I was retired and didn't need a salary so I was basically doing it for free,” says Wasan.
The roots of Wasan’s compassionate approach are drawn from his own life experiences. After serving in Vietnam with the Marine Corp and being wounded twice, he was honorably discharged in 1968. Like many who have served, civilian life was difficult and he became addicted to pain medication.
“I struggled to get myself off of that and I ended up going to night school at San Diego College and got past that addiction,” says Wasan.
Eventually he re-entered military life with the Air Force and continued his education with a B.A. in history and master’s degrees in Public Administration and Clinical Psychology. When he retired from the Air Force he came to Hawaii and obtained a Ph.D. in Health Psychology while working with PTSD patients at the Veterans Hospital on Oahu.
He believes that mental health issues should not be criminalized. “I really don't think people should be going to jail. They should be going to treatment,” says Wasan. He has created an integrated, holistic model of treatment for an array of mental health issues and has opened offices in Waikoloa, Kohala, Honokaa, Hilo, Kona and Puna.
“The ultimate goal is to help those in emotional pain find relief from their suffering and realize their ability to accomplish miracles,” he adds.

      One of LTC’s miracle workers, Verna Chartrand, has anchored the Kohala LTC for the past two years. Previously most clients traveled to the Waimea Big Island Substance Abuse Council (BISAC), but when it closed in 2013, Dr. Wasan contacted Verna.
     “When they folded, Dr. Wasan called me back and asked if I could handle this Kohala office. I said ‘of course’ because I like helping people with addiction,” says Chartrand. “I'm in recovery for almost 19 years now and what started it was me getting that help and being able to see life differently. I chose to do the same thing for other people and that's been my journey,” she adds.
     Prior to coming to Kohala, which she has made her home, Chartrand, a certified substance abuse counselor (CSAC), worked for various BISAC offices but she made a connection with Kohala through her work at the Waimea office. “That's how I became familiar with the Kohala community because I was working with a lot of Kohala people coming to the Waimea BISAC office,” says Chartrand.
      Along with mentoring from Wasan, Chartrand gained key experiences in Waimea that have deepened her practice and helped her connect with the Kohala community. “Aunty Ulu (Garmon) mentored me when I was at BISAC and she showed me some of the things I could use with the clients that would help them. Just yesterday we did the lokahi wheel, identifying what my needs are and how I'm going to get those needs met,” says Chartrand.
      While in Waimea, Chartrand also developed a working relationship with Hawaiian cultural practitioner Nani Svendsen. “I got to know her throughout the years and work with her down at Loʽi Kukui [Keaukea, Kohala]. It prepared me to come here,” says Chartrand, who combines a cultural/spiritual component with education and cognitive behavioral therapy.
     The LTCs use a variety of approaches in group and individual sessions and one technique that Chartrand has found particularly effective is cognitive behavioral therapy. “I can educate them about what drugs and alcohol do to a body, but it comes down to life skills, things that happen in their lives and all the consequences [of substance abuse]. You can teach them this is how you can look at life,” says Chartrand.
      But a key aspect of treatment at the Kohala LTC is the re-connection with Hawaiian cultural practices, which are integrated into the counseling. “E ho mai represents asking for the wisdom, the knowledge, and so that's what we do before we start anything, asking the ancestors to allow me to open up my ears so I can receive the messages that we're going to learn in class today,” Chartrand says.
       There is a group session at the loʽi [kalo field] once a week where clients can engage in spiritual healing. “That's where we address core issues,” says Chartrand. “Going into the loi, getting your feet dirty, being able to get connected with the land, the heavens, it helps the healing process. You plant the kalo. You're planting a new life into your heart. You have to make sure the soil is all good and you have to pull out all the weeds, things that are stuck inside you. The spiritual side helps them stay clean and sober,” Chartrand adds.
      Along with weekly group sessions, Chartrand provides individual therapy sessions. “I sit down with them and we talk. I can hear and see in between the lines of what they say. It's almost like doing Hoʽoponopono (traditional Hawaiian practice for mental cleansing and forgiveness) with them. Taking that onion and stripping down the layers one by one. Getting them to be trusting and comfortable,” says Chartrand. “It's a journey but I'm not going to give up. I moved here [Kohala] and I'm here to stay,” she adds.
      Our Hawaiʽi Island canoe has gained valuable crew members in Verna Chartrand and Dr. Wasan, who through hard work and compassion have inspired many others who are working every day to bring lokahi and healing to the communities they serve.

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An outside-the-box approach to learning: Fern White creates a dynamic, multi-faceted classroom experience West Hawaii Today September 2018

A Walk through History into the Future Ke Ola Magazine May / June 2018

Lessons from the Garden Ke Ola Jan/Feb 2018

To Celebrate the King: Kamehameha Day and Kamehameha's Legacy of Aloha Ke Ola Magazine May/June 2017

Feather Lei Making: Leo Mills Carries on the Family Tradition West Hawaii Today 2/7/17

Lokahi Treatment Centers: Growing Healthy Communities with Harmony, Unity, Balance Special to North Hawai'i News 11/17/15

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