g n i l into th i a S e
Fu t u r
‘a Participants Ap e P ply C Nā ra Stover ano a By S e’s Les s on s to “ Life Stay off the rocks,” Kalani Nakoa instructs his
young crew. The wind is light out of the west as they launch one of the three 26-foot single-hull canoes from Kīholo Bay. Within minutes, the wind shifts to the southwest. Going 12 mph, the Nā Pe‘a crew makes it to Kahuwai, where they tour the petroglyph field and learn about its unusual Hawaiian sail motifs, etched into the smooth pāhoehoe lava rocks. In the canoe, however, the rocks are to be avoided.
A Sense of Kuleana In an age where every second of life seems documented and planned, keiki in the Nā Pe‘a program bravely board the canoe with no clear knowledge of how long their journey will take. Neither do the courageous parents, who eventually receive a phone call that their children have completed the voyage. What is clear, however, is how cultural place-based teaching and learning increases children’s retention, and socio-emotional development and educational outcomes considerably. “When Kamrin is outdoors and applying what he learns hands-on, he excels faster and has a greater understanding,” says Kalei Haleamau-Kam, a Nā Pe‘a board member and mother to 16-year-old Kamrin Kam. “He’s grown so much through this program, taking on big responsibilities. Kamrin is now ho‘okele [steersman] and even one of Kalani’s deckhands for the other boats!” “Students with a strong connection to local Hawaiian culture feel more connected to nature, more self-efficacious, and are more likely to engage in pro-environmental behavior,” exclaims Kalani. Not only can Nā Pe‘a crew members feel more empowered and effective in their environmental responsibilities, but they can also receive one college credit for attending a HCC 47 Hawaiian Studies class. The two-day class includes learning
Nä Peÿa crew members cross the ÿAlenuihähä Channel between Hawaiÿi and Maui. photo courtesy of Tor Johnson for Eka Canoe Adventures
KeOlaMagazine.com | January - February 2020
The Roots A collaboration of the Nakoa Foundation, the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail, Kamehameha Schools, and The Nature Conservancy, Nā Pe‘a is a youth program that focuses on the fundamentals of strong leadership, and effective stewardship of land and marine resources. This is accomplished by perpetuating the Hawaiian sailing canoe’s traditions and practices—an effort that grew out of an ancient force compelling Kalani to build the recreated, historically-accurate Hawaiian canoe, Wa‘a Kini Kini. “I had to build it. I didn’t know why at the time,” Kalani explains. “A genetic memory of canoe-building that was triggered by something, perhaps.” “But once I built the canoe, everything grew from there. The Nā Pe‘a program, Eka Canoe Adventures, the Nakoa Foundation, all have roots in that first canoe,” Kalani elaborates, referring to the organic beginnings of a program that demonstrates the usefulness of traditional Hawaiian cultural values in the modern world.
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