HO'OLOKAHI

Ho‘olōkahi FACES OF HAWAI’I

HaWAIIAN IDENTIY THE KO’OLAU RANGE THE SHAKA GUIDE issue 1

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EDITORS EDITOR Enish GARCIA EDITOR REVISION ROBERT MCCONELL REVIEWERS Mary kukana HECTOR PERIQUIN

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CONtributors PHOTOGRAPHY HAWAII FLUX GOOGLE ARTICLES GOOGLE HAWAII FLUX

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CONTENTS THE SHAKA GUIDE 10 Shaka intro 12 DOUBLE SHAKA 14 BABY SHAKA 16 KAUA’I SHAKA 18 Business SHAKA

THE HULA DANCE ALL ABout HULA, LANTERN AND OHANA EVENTS 8

KO’OLAU RANGE 4

22 KO’oLAU 24 HIKES 26 WATER FALLS

PALM TREES ALL ABout PALM TREES IN THE ISLAND OF OAHU 20

HURRICANES PREPARE FOR THE HURRICAne season, ALL ABOUT your 72 hour kit 31

THE IDENTITY HULA 6 kupuna 9 Akamai 21 HAWAII 30 FirE KNIFE 32

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HAWAIIAN IDENTITY

Mohala i ka wai ka maka o ka pua.

Unfolded by the water are the faces of the flowers.

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EVENTS HI Ohana Everyone is invited to join the Ohana event with a warm welcome to the friendly islands of Hawai’i. Come ready to learn, have your questions answered.

Monday through Saturday at Centerstage in Ala Moana from 3pm to 4 pm.

Hula Show Is a dance form accompanied by chant (oli) or song (mele). The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of the oli or mele in a visual dance form. Monday through Saturday at Centerstage in Ala Moana from 1pm to 1:20pm.

Lantern Festival On Oahu’s south shore, Lantern Floating Hawaii. An evening of honoring loved ones and generating collective hope toward the future. Saturday November 2nd, 2015, from 4pm to 9 pm.

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November 2015

HAWAIIAN IDENTITY

`Onipa`a.

Stand firm.

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Hawaiians use the shaka to convey the “Aloha Spirit�, a concept of friendship, understanding, compassion, and solidarity among the various ethnic cultures that reside within Hawaii.

THE SHAKA GUIDE Found in abundance throughout the islands and the standard by which all others are compared, this shaka can mean “aloha,” “mahalo,” or “right on,” with unbounded potential for additional meanings .

TEXT BY FACES OF HAWAII

Hawaiians use the shaka to convey the “Aloha Spirit”, a concept of friendship, understanding, compassion, and solidarity among the various ethnic cultures that reside within Hawaii, lacking a direct semantic to literal translation. The shaka can also be used to express “howzit?”, “thanks, eh?”, and “all right!” Drivers will often use it on the road to communicate distant greetings and gratitude.

Island locals know that the meaning of the shaka has evolved, diversified, and proliferated far beyond hang-loose territory.

But where did the gesture originally come from? Was it whalers signaling the sight of a whale fluke? Surfers tilting back beer cans?

Car salesman David “Lippy” Espinda with his oft-televised “shaka, bra!” trademark in the 1970s? Or was it thanks to a man from Lā‘ie named Hamana Kalili, who lost an index, middle, and ring finger in an accident at the Kahuku Sugar Mill in the 1940s and spent his days kicking kids off the North Shore sugar train so regularly that they used the shaka to signal that the coast was clear? However it was born, the now-ubiquitous shaka can convey a rainbow of meanings with just a flick of the wrist. These are some of the more common types of shakas you will see around Hawai’i, and you may encounter on an average day in the islands.

The basic Shaka is often rotated from side to side for added effect.

Also known as “da reglah kine shaka.” No ack, K? Shoots. In American Sign Language, the shaka is one of the two signs used to refer to surfing.[citation needed] In California, the shaka sign may be referred to as “hang loose” or “hang ten”- and both correctly associated with surfer culture.

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The Double Shaka The largest shaka achievable by any individual. At twice the size of the basic shaka, all connotations are exactly doubled, thus doubling the feelings in the recipient.

The Baby Shaka A widespread, playful shaka known to proliferate in social media images, especially selfies, this one is “liked” for its apparent increase in cuteness. It achieves the pleasing symmetry of the standard shaka, but at three-quarters the size. It’s a really cute shaka.

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The Kaua‘i Shaka Nearly imperceptible to anyone not born and raised on the Garden Isle, this shaka is, for all intents and purposes, just a waving hand angled horizontally with fingers slightly spread. The only microscopic feature distinguishing it is the minute, skyward curvature of pinkie and thumb. This shaka also reportedly appears in ultra-rural or otherwise supremely chillax regions of the islands.

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The Business Shaka This shaka reflects the simultaneously casual and stuffy aloha attire sported

by Hawai‘i’s business professionals. Its telltale sign is a bone-crunchingly tight grip sometimes accompanied by light knuckle sweat. Most commonly found in Honolulu’s business district, this shaka is an old standby in corporate photo ops and legislative signings.

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http://fluxhawaii.com/the-shaka-field-guide/

ICONS FACTS 1. Over 2,500 Species There are more species of palm trees than you think. The Arecaceae family of plants includes wonderfully diverse species found throughout the world, from the desert to the rainforest.

2. Staples from Palm trees Coconuts are an obvious product of palm trees, but did you know that dates, betel nuts and acai fruit all come from palm trees as well? Palm oil, as its name indicates, also comes from the fruit of the oil palm tree.

3. Different types of leaves Palmate and pinnate. Palmate leaves, like hands, grow in a bunch at the end of a stem.

Pinnate leaves are like feathers, growing all along either side of a stem.

4. A religious symbol In the Bible, the people of Jerusalem greeted a triumphant Jesus just one week before his death and resurrection, a tradition now known and celebrated as Palm Sunday the week before Easter.

Palms are mentioned dozens of times in both the Bible and the Quran. In Judaism, palms represent peace and plenty.

5. Palm wine?

Yeah! Also called “kallu,� palm wine is a common alcoholic spirit in regions of Asia and Africa.

It can be created from coconut palms, date palms, the Chilean wine palm, and other species.

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November 2015

THE PALM TREE

Palms are among the best known and most extensively cultivated plant families. Many common products and foods are derived from palms, making them one of the most economically important plants. In the past palms were symbols of victory, peace, and fertility. Today palms are a popular symbol for the tropics and for the perfect vacations.

HAWAIIAN IDENTITY

E noho iho i ke opu weuweu, mai ho`oki`eki`e

Remain among the clumps of grass and do not elevate yourself.

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THE KO‘OLAU RANGE One of the two major mountain ranges that makes up Oahu (the other being the Waianae Mountains), the Ko’olaus are shorter in elevation, but longer in distance end to end, and at least equally dramatic.

Although extremely close to the urban centers of Hawaii, most of the Ko’olaus are nearly devoid of people. Aside from a few popular, well-maintained trails, most trails are barely maintained, overgrown, and difficult, keeping most of these mountains a great place to find solitude. Although most of the views show plenty of human development, the mountains themselves are a wilderness, containing dense forest, steep cliffs, rare plant, animals and epic mountain and ocean views.

The Ko’olau Mountains are located on the island of Oahu, in Hawaii. These mountains dominate the eastern half of the island, and are visible to the thousands that live on Oahu on a daily basis. One of the two major mountain ranges that makes up Oahu (the other being the Waianae Mountains), the Ko’olaus are shorter in elevation, but longer in distance end to end, and at least equally dramatic. Although they top out at only 3150 feet, the summit ridge consistently is over 2000 feet, and rises directly from sea level, providing a dramatically steep and beautiful mountain presence.

Ko olau Mountain Wall: Windward Side of Southern Ko olaus has its own trail side.

The Windward side of the Ko’olau is defined by its sheer dramatic cliffs, covered in vegetation. The peak visible on the right top of the range is Olomana.

The original Ko‘olau mountain may have been around 10,000 feet, but now tops off at 3, 150 feet.

The Ko’olaus run in a North North Westerly direction, stretching from the Oahu’s Southeast point, Makapu’u, to its Northeast point, Kahuku, a distance of around 35 miles in territory and land.

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This summit region is almost always in the clouds and was known to the ancient Hawaiians as Wao Aku, Kahuna (priests) could enter, and escort the commoners through to get to the valuable resources of the mountains. The Ko’olau is not your typical mountain range, rather it is the eroded remains of a massive shield volcano made by lava rock, that began erupting for an estimated 2.5 million years ago.

Several eruptions in the last half million years created separate features along the Ko’olau, such as individual cinder cones.

Some of these have become Oahu’s most well known landmarks, such as Diamond Head and Hanauma Bay, but also other craters like Koko Crater, Punchbowl and more.

The original Ko’olau mountain may have been around 10,000 feet, but now tops off at Konahuanui, at 3,150 feet. It is this erosion however that has given the Ko’olau Mountains their dramatic and rugged appearance.

The Ko’olau’s can be accessed from many locations on Oahu. In the southern Ko’olau, nearly all the trails into the mountains and to the ridge line and summits start on leeward, westerly side of the mountains. There are many trails, some starting in the back of the valleys and some start on top of the communities that live up on ridges coming down from the summit. In teh northern Ko’olau there are many trails from both the Windward and Leeward sides. There are a few well maintained popular trails, but in terms of numbers most of the trails are highly overgrown, narrow, eroded, with rocks wich makes the steep difficult.

Hiking these trails is a totally different experience than hiking anywhere else, and ever experienced hikers can struggle in this wet, muddy, and vegetation covered landscape.

In the Ko’olau, long pants are nearly a must.

Many local hikers and people that hike in these mountains as part of their job, wear special “tabis”, spiked shoes that are designed to handle steep, muddy slopes.

The ultimate Ko’olau Mountain experience is hiking along the summit ridge. The main Ko’olau ridge line is nearly continuous, with 3 major gaps that are nearly impossible to hike and should only be attempted by those extremely experienced in hiking in these mountains. This is a totally different breed of hiking than you find nearly anywhere else. In the Northern Ko’olau hiking the ridgeline is a extremely pleasant experience, as the Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST) is a nice contour trail that runs near the summit ridge, sometimes on the windward side of the ridge. Expect mud and lots of it, but the views and the forest areas are absolutely spectacular. In the southern Ko’olau there is no nice contour trail, rather hikers simply bushwhack along the top of the ridge crest.

Mileage is essential meaningless, and long pants are mandatory. Hiking the ridge crest is a serious undertaking, but if you are comfortable with the exposure this is a totally unique experience. It is hard to believe when staying in the crowded sprawl of Oahu, but the Ko’olau summit region is in many areas quite remote.

Few people camp and backpack in the Ko’olau Mountains. There are awesome opportunities to spend nights out in the cloud forest around the summit regions, but water is surprisingly scarce, as most streams are intermittent and unpredictable. Water usually is carried in, but if you have the motivation, camping in the high, unique cloud forest of the Ko’olau is an amazing experience. The best backpacking opportunities are found along the KST in the northern Ko’olau (more route pages and info on some of these trails/locations is coming soon).

Most people merely wish to reach the general summit ridge line, the top of the Ko’olau Pali (Cliffs). There are however several highly distinct peaks in the Ko’olau that make for great destinations. Some are high points along the ridge, while others are separate from the main ridge. Here I include some of the most prominent and popular peaks. Many include the prefix Pu’u, simply translated in Hawaiian as Mount. These are not necessarily the highest peaks, but the most important and prominent.

Access in the Ko’olau Mountains varies greatly. Many popular trails are owned by and maintained by the state. Some you have to enter gated communities to access, but the state has access agreements in place, and you can simply tell the security guards you are going hiking and fill out a form. Many other trails are unmaintained and cross private land, but in general private landowners allow access. The northern Ko’olau Mountains can have more issues, as much of the land is owned by the military. Still it is possible to gain access nearly anywhere, but take care to research the area you wish to get to and obtain the proper permission.

The Ko’olau Mountains contain many unique ecosystems and interesting plants and animals. There are hundreds of fed

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erally listed endangered plants and many others that are not listed but are highly rare within the Ko’olau. Lower forests of the Ko’olau are primarily made up of invasive plants, but some native Lama forest remains. The high summit regions contain most of the rare plants and are cloud forest dominated by beautiful native plants. The two most prominent trees in the mesic (moderately moist) to wet forest are the koa trees, famous for their beautiful wood that was once used to carve huge dugout canoes and is still used to make beautiful bowls and other items, and the ohia trees, taking many forms and often growing in many directions. Ohia are known for their red blossoms which the Hawaiians say represent the goddess Pele. Picking these blossoms, legend says, causes it to rain.

Also found in these forests are a few endangered birds. Many of these birds are the ones featured in your standard biology textbook as an example of adaptive radiation and co-evolution (such as co-evolutions with Lobelia family of plants). The most common of these are the red apapane and the brown endangered elepaio. Also still found on Oahu are amakihi and the iconic curved beaked i’iwi, although there may be less than 10 on the island.

There are many threats to the forests of the Ko’olau. Many harmful invasive species have been introduced to the island, and since the native plants had few natural predators or threats, they are often easily out-competed and overgrown. Trees such as Strawberry Guava, Cinnamon, Night Blooming Jasmine, Ironwood and many

more have totally out-competed the native forest, and ground weeds such as Clidemia and Himalayan Blackberry cover the ground. There is a clear distinction between the native forest and the invasive, and sadly it now nearly always takes a hike to get to any native forest.

Animals also threaten the Ko’olau forest.

Wild pigs are the biggest harm, uprooting many young native ferns and plants. Goats do the same, and rats love to feast on seeds of many plants. Two purposeful introductions have also turned out to be extremely harmful. Rosey Wolf Snails (Cannibal Snails) were introduced to eat the non-native African Snails that were eating peoples gardens, but instead they moved the the mountains and started to wipe out Native Achatinella tree snails.

Mongoose were introduced to Hawaii to control rats, but since the rats are nocturnal and the mongoose are diurnal, the Mongoose have simply decimated native bird populations feasting on their eggs.

The forest of the Ko’olau is lush and beautiful, yet fragile. Enter the Ko’olau with the utmost care for this amazing array of life.

Hiking in the Ko’olau Mountains can be easily done year round. This is the tropics, and weather varies relatively little. There is marginally more rain in the winter months, but it can also be very clear for many days in the winter and rain heavily in the summer. The views in the Ko’olau are spectacular, but hiking in the clouds and rain is an equally great experience. If your looking for a view, an earlier start is usually your best bet; if your at the summit by 9 or 10 its

more likely to be clear, but this isn’t always the case. If you get to the summit in the clouds, don’t be discouraged. Often sitting and waiting for a few minutes will reward a hiker with a gust of wind that temporarily removes the clouds and a view appears.

The summer is an excellent time to hike because many of the trees and shrubs will be in bloom, but in the fall and winter there are other plants in bloom. The Ohia trees bloom the most in Summer, but they really bloom year round. There is no bad time to hike in the Ko’olau Mountains.

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http://www.summitpost.org/ko-olau-mountain-range/591081

The Ko‘olau mountain may enchant you with its hikes and wild forests.

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HAWAIIAN IDENTITY

Ua ola loko i ke aloha.

Love gives life within.

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SEASON

HURRICANE SEASON 72 Hour kit Protein/Granola Bars Trail Mix/Dried Fruit Crackers/Cereals Canned Tuna (“pop-top� ) Canned Juice Candy/Gum Water (1 Gallon)

Being prepared means being equipped with the proper supplies you may need in the event of an emergency or disaster. Keep your supplies in an easy-to-carry emergency preparedness kit that you can use at home or take with you in case you must evacuate.

A hurricane is a huge storm!

It can be up to 600 miles across and have strong winds spiraling inward and upward at speeds of 75 to 200 mph. Each hurricane usually lasts for over

a week, moving 10-20 miles per hour over the open ocean.

Hurricanes gather heat and energy through contact with warm ocean waters.

Hurricane, blizzard often come with little or no warning.

Stocking up now on the right nonperishable food items will help you weather the storm with less stress.

November 2015

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HAWAIIAN IDENTITY

Ua mau ke ea o ka `aina i ka pono.

The life of the land is preserved in righteousness.

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CREDITS EDITOR Enish GARCIA EDITOR REVISION ROBERT MCCONELL REVIEWERS MARY KUKANA HECTOR PERIQUIN

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PHOTOGRAPHY HAWAII FLUX GOOGLE ARTICLES GOOGLE HAWAII FLUX

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FACES OF HAWAI’I