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Youth exchanges enrich worldwide voyage By Lurline Wailana McGregor
15 years old, was a Kamehamehat almost every one of the Kapälama eighth grader in 2016 150 stops that Höküle‘a when she was selected to be one made on the Mälama of 12 middle school students to Honua Worldwide travel to Washington, D.C. to greet Voyage, dignitaries and Höküle‘a. She and the other stucommunity members gathered to dents took part in the welcoming greet the wa‘a. In ceremonies large ceremony for Höküle‘a’s arrival, and small, crewmembers performing in front of were welcomed onto hundreds of well-wishers distant shores. Over the who had come to greet the course of their stay, local wa‘a in Old Town, Alexcommunity members andria. The students spent shared their history, their the next 12 days in the culture and customs, nation’s capital, visiting their particular ocean Hawai‘i’s congressional and environmental issues delegation and museums. and projects they have “I got interested in culture undertaken to increase and anthropology from the their sustainability. In Kamehaililani Waiau, Hiilani Young, Aalii Kelling, Kalehua Kelling, trip and now I plan to do turn, crewmembers Kanoe Holt. - Photo: Courtesy of Kamehaililani Waiau a double major in college talked about the purpose in computer science and of their mälama honua mission and and educational exchanges. [see anthropology,” Joy said. how they are caring for the earth. sidebar for places visited] A‘ali‘i Kelling, a 16-year-old They gave canoe tours, explained Dr. Fong and his wife, Jamie junior at Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. the star compass and how they navi- Mililani Fong, who is the manager Kamakau Laboratory Public Charter gate by traditional methods. While of Ka‘iwakïloumoku Hawaiian School, which is a Hawaiian lanthe voyage opened doors for cultural Cultural Center, located on the guage immersion school, traveled to and educational exchange, it wasn’t Kamehameha Schools Kapälama Rapa Nui, Tahiti and Moorea on his limited to the crewmembers and the campus, are at the heart of the huaka‘i to greet Höküle‘a earlier this people they met. One of the most student program. Together, they year. “I want to be a marine biologist long-term impacts may be with the developed the standards that guided after meeting with the scientists who students from Hawai‘i who traveled the selection process, which ranged were doing ocean and reef work in to meet the wa‘a. from strong performance skills Rapa Nui. Their scientific work with “Pinky [Myron Pinky Thomp- to Hawaiian language knowl- marine life is from a cultural perspecson] felt that it was important to edge to academic proficiency to tive, and we should be doing the same build relationships in the communi- proper conduct. For the Mälama thing. This trip opened my eyes to ties where Höküle‘a made landfall, Honua voyage, the student del- what mälama ‘äina truly is. On this so he asked to bring a group of 10 egations were not only from the trip a lot of kuleana was placed on students to Waitangi, Aotearoa in Kamehameha Schools campuses the haumana to help with ceremonies. 1985,” says Dr. Randie Kamuela statewide, they were also from a We practiced the ‘awa ceremony a lot Fong, executive cultural officer at number of charter and immersion because we wanted to make sure we Kamehameha Schools and Poly- schools, from middle school to high would get it right. We knew we were nesian Voyaging Society cultural school. Other Hawai‘i schools sent representing our people and our culengagement group leader. “What student contingents as well, includ- ture, so we wanted to do our best.” he found was that the communities ing ‘Iolani and Hö‘ala School Maka Meleiseä, 18 years old and responded so positively to Hawai- students, whose students traveled to a 2017 graduate of Kamehamehaian youth and were taken by their Aotearoa, and Castle High School Kapälama, met Höküle‘a in Tahiti ability to express the Hawaiian science students who traveled to this past April. Her school group culture in terms of performance, the Galapagos. Nä Kelamoku, the traveled on to Ra‘iatea, where they language, behavior and with a Youth Leadership Initiative of the spent several days engaging with respectful and humble demeanor. Polynesian Voyaging Society that the community and being part of While crew members did the dif- is made up of students from differ- the ceremony at Taputapuatea, the ficult work of sailing and caring ent schools, and who are training spiritual center for voyagers of the for the canoes, the students would to be the next generation of naviga- Pacific to launch and close their provide support for ceremonies as tors and explorers, traveled to meet voyages. “It was such a humbling well as at school visits for cultural Höküle‘a in Miami, Florida. experience, we never felt like we educational exchange.” Joy Domingo-Kameenui, now left home because of the love from
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In November 2014, Kamehameha Schools students traveled back to Waitangi to greet Höküle‘a when she arrived there on the Mälama Worldwide Voyage. This marked the first of 11 trips that students from Hawai‘i took over the next three years to greet the wa‘a and participate in cultural
Hawaiʻi students who have participated in Malama Honua Voyage Average 12-20 students per trip > November, 2014: Waitangi, Aotearoa – Kamehameha Schools (KS) students from all campuses > April, 2015: Auckland, Aotearoa – KS, ‘Iolani, Hö‘ala School > May, 2015: Aurere, Aotearoa – Hälau Kü Mäna, Kamaile Academy, Ka Waihona, Näwahïokalani‘öpu‘u, Ka ‘Umeke Kä‘eo, Ke Kula Ni‘ihau o Kekaha and Kanu o ka ‘Äina. > May, 2015: Sydney, Australia – Kanu o ka ‘Äina > November, 2015: Cape Town, South Africa – KS Kapälama and Hälau ‘Kü Mäna > May, 2016: Washington, D.C. – KS middle school students from all campuses > June, 2016: New York – KS Kapälama, KS Hawai‘i, KS Maui, Hakipu‘u Learning Center, Hälau Kü Mäna, Kamaile Academy, Kanu o ka ‘Äina, Kawaikini, Ke Ea Hawai‘i, Ke Kula Ni‘ihau o Kekaha, Näwahïokalani‘öpu‘u, Kamakau and Kua O Ka Lä. > January, 2017: Miami, Florida – Nä Kelamoku – Polynesian Voyaging Society Youth Leadership Group – students from various schools > February, 2017: Galapagos Islands – KS Mälama Honua class, Hälau Kü Mäna, Castle High School > February, 2017: Rapa Nui – KS Kapälama and Kamakau > March, 2017: Tahiti and Ra‘iätea – KS Kapälama
the people and the land. Höküle‘a started the Mälama Honua voyage when I entered my freshman year, and I followed it all the way through high school. I was so glad I got to be part of it as I finished my senior year.” Maka will attend the Univer-
Indigenous Youth Declaration May 20, 2014 ‘Aha ‘Öpio, held in conjunction with the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education (WIPCE) issues a Declaration of Indigenous Youth that it created at the Ka‘iwakïlomoku Hawaiian Cultural Center on Kamehameha Schools Kapälama campus. https://www.hokulea.com/ wp content/uploads/2016/08/ WIPCE-Youth-Declaration5.24.14.pdf 2015 Students place the declaration on Höküle‘a at Aurere, Aotearoa. This declaration was one of the dozen declarations from Hawai‘i, Pacific and the world that Höküle‘a carried to the United Nations on World Oceans Day. 2016 Youth declaration presented to UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon in NYC. Students deliver remarks to delegates and diplomats at UN. June 17-25, 2017 World Youth Congress at UH Mänoa. This Congress was inspired by the Worldwide Voyage and Höküle‘a. Youth will be creating a resolution or other artifact that will link to the UN Sustainable Development goals, and the WWV and Höküle‘a are sure to have a presence in whatever they produce. sity of Hawai‘i Mänoa in the fall and plans to major in Hawaiian studies and communications. ¢ Lurline Wailana McGregor is a writer, television producer, author of “Between the Deep Blue Sea and Me” and Höküle‘a Mälama Honua crew member.