Daily Manaʻo for Cohort Kumukahi August 2024 – Monday

As our team began another session of Cohort Kumukahi, we were grateful for many reasons, especially to feel the gentle rains that fell throughout the day, thankfully keeping us all cool despite the humidity. Our first day was down at Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies, and there within Hālau o Haumea, we began our time together with our team chanting “Welina Mānoa.” While we are always appreciative of the hale-style architecture of the hālau, this August our team especially appreciated airflow and circulation of cool mountain air down through the humidity of the stream. 

During the morning, I had the opportunity to be in a Pilina Circle with the two wonderful co-facilitators Eileen and Katey. Watching the two of them, both of whom I have met through working in our office, I was filled with so much joy in having the chance to learn more about them through the stories they shared and the way they held our space together, with many of us meeting each other for the first time. My coworker Kamakani and I were working the name tag table earlier in the morning as part of our team’s welcoming of our new cohort, so it was enlivening to hear the stories that people bring behind their names. 

When we concluded our time together on the first day, we formed a large circle and each said one word to close. Many folks shared words such as connection, curiosity, kuleana, intention, hope, and held. Others shared unique words such as refreshing, aloha, generation, food, friends, politely, intention, reflection, beginnings, daring, and affirming.