Anahulu Poepoe 7/16 – 7/25

Aloha mai nō kākou, 

Recently, I’ve had the opportunity and privilege to talk story with folks who have traveled away from Hawaiʻi both near and far. As I exchange such stories, I am inspired to think deeply about the ways in which the winds shape our worldview and relationship with ʻāina. If you all will indulge me in where the winds have taken my writing, our ʻōlelo noʻeau or wise saying/proverb for this anahulu is from Tahiti. Mahalo nui to my coworker Kamakani for sharing about your travels and for bringing back such rich and abundant manaʻo! 

Te nūna‘a ‘o te Moana Nui ia va‘a ā te fenua. 

As Kamakani shared manaʻo from and about the Haururu association, who are the caretakers of the valley of Papeno‘o and who hosted and cared for them in Fare Hape, we exchanged stories of our appreciation for how our Pasefika ocean connects us deeply and profoundly. Although I do not speak Tahitian, the similarity to ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi is another example of our relationality across vast space: va‘a is waʻa or waka and fenua is honua. Nūna’a may refer to a nation or people; or it may refer to speech or property. 

After my initial conversation with Kamakani, I considered the relationship between waʻa and honua and realized that the two are one and the same, especially when taken in the context we, dear readers, have built together in these anahulu updates. While waʻa are associated with wayfinding practices and movement, honua and mokupuni, islands, are likewise dynamic. Both waʻa and honua require us to know our bearings amidst changing landscapes—and makani are sources of knowledge that are important for our sustained survival with ʻāina. Our relationship with makani is just as important on land as it is at sea since we are always searching for the path forward, always adjusting our courses.