Daily Manaʻo for Cohort Kumukahi May 2024 – Friday

Our final day is dedicated to group work and presentations. Below, I have attempted to do justice to the projects and presentations of the May cohort. Although writing cannot always convey the beauty and intentions of the day, I am thankful to everyone for their bravery and care in sharing and holding space for others. 

Cluster 1 debuted the first ever public showcase of the Pilipili Amateur Dance Group. Their performance was divided into three parts: Act 1 featured collective words for kaikaina, Act 2 was collective observations, and Act 3 presented their collective hopes and dreams. To conclude, they had some very fancy choreography that culminated in the group forming an interconnected form where they were all linked with what the cluster referred to as “super pilina.” The cluster appreciated amongst themselves that they recognized the importance of smiling and bringing humor to tough subjects—thus explaining why they chose to do an interpretive dance in front of everyone. Especially since some of them were still a little uncomfortable with some of the topics, dancing made engaging with these concepts more comfortable. Throughout their process, there was a lot of talk among the cluster about where they see themselves in the future, and they held onto the question of who they see as the kaikuaʻana to help them get to where they would like to be in the future. 

Cluster 2 noticed that plants were their immediate connection to one another, and while they talked about land, they ultimately found three piko: care, connection, and cultivation. For their presentation, they brought a variety of plants (many of which were medicinal or culturally significant) from various members’ backyards, and the intimate sourcing of the plants played a role of how they would understand that all of this ʻike (knowledge) is in our backyards. Although the tendency may be to look outward for innovative approaches, often the approaches are us. The cluster then shared the following ʻōlelo noʻeau: He aliʻi ka ʻāina, he kauwā ke kanaka. Land is chief and people are servants. If we care for our land and backyard, we will see the fruits of our labor that will nourish us as well. They then concluded by sharing one of the participant’s digital art pieces that featured a kukui tree as a source of light and knowledge and a tiny keiki growing and sprouting to represent the kaikaina that are nourished beneath the shade of the larger tree. There was also a section of the art that featured makawalu and layered concepts of healing collectively and perhaps even birthing new stars. 

This cluster’s main concern throughout their process was the concept of time. Growing plants and maintaining gardens are important for the health of communities, but there simply isn’t enough time to do everything. They also discussed hierarchy and how although the assumption is that kuleana is only present on the top of a hierarchy, they realized that in actuality, we all have the responsibility to demonstrate care and reflect what we want to see in the larger garden of life. Their understanding and balancing of how to work alongside and not for communities was represented with this ʻōlelo noʻeau: aloha kekahi i kekahi, which speaks to the reciprocal love one has for one another. 

Cluster 3 acknowledged cosmic intervention because the piko they chose landed really well among the groups. Their common thread was connectedness, and although each group described the concept differently, the same theme ran throughout of everyone wanting Mānoa to be a place of learning grounded in Native Hawaiian values where everyone can bring their whole selves into this place and feel safe doing that. They focused on what reciprocal relationships might look like in classroom settings, particularly with teacher-student relationships. Members of the group naturally shared appreciation for one another, especially for the small group that took a brief excursion to Dean Hall, where one of the group members opened their doors to host and hold space for their group. Many of them shared their appreciation at having a physical manifestation of the visioning work that we are all committed to doing but may not be able to see in the present moment, particularly in a campus setting, where reciprocity is so important to teacher and student relationships. The group’s concerns kept going back to worry for the students who many not feel a sense of belonging or connection, but together the group members found beauty in grieving together about their worries for their students and campus communities. 

Cluster 4 brought together their collective vision of wanting to leave a world that is better than the one inherited, particularly with destruction of habitat and ʻāina. They brought up very poignant observations on how social media has brought populations to previously-secluded areas, and loss of culture is further weaponized with tourist expectations of the “aloha spirit” while not giving aloha back themselves. Thus they spoke about the importance of Indigenous land-based practices for building a better future, especially since Covid and Red Hill have sparked criticism of previously-silent industries. Kūlia i ka nuʻu is the ʻōlelo noʻeau they shared to inspire us to strive for the highest peak, whether it be at work, at home with families, or even in communities. While the group acknowledged that they discussed contentious topics, everyone was very thankful that their group members were very attentive to reciprocity and respected everyone’s different viewpoints. 

Cluster 5 shared each of their three clusters’ piko: the first group had performed an interpretive dance that encompassed the journey of being grounded as students and also rooted in appreciation of this place; the second group chose Mānoa as their common piko and emphasized their kuleana of being a part of the moʻokūʻauhau of this place both academically and through family perspectives; and the third piko of kilo, which came about through a story of a group member’s younger brother learning to pause and be respectful before entering spaces. At lunch, the group realized that while they were each on a collective journey, they each started with a journey inwards before building connections outwards to others and learning about the kuleana that comes from being in relationship with others, and they synthesized their thoughts with a quick speed rounds, which is summarized and captured below: 

Collective hopes and dreams: empowered, vibrant future, hoʻomalu, deep listening, collaboration, joy, connection, to travel far, to be your whole self. Worries/things that get in the way: people who just don’t care, cell phones, disconnectedness, being disenfranchised, barriers, capacity, exclusion, access, and inequities. Kuleana for students: taking journey with them so students might succeed, reaching out to those who don’t care and have them be connected within themselves, breaking down obstacles, leading by example without judgement, listening, being present, being a puʻuhonua, and also to inspire and to support. Together they shared their appreciation for one another because it was difficult to choose one shared theme when they identified so many ideas to discuss. 

The last cluster centered on genealogy and the ways they were led to where they are today, not just through their families but in place and academic areas. They also discussed how human senses are able to tune into different sensory details that reminded them of places or experiences in the past that connect them to the future they want to share with future generations. For example, a few members could distinctly remember the smell of Sinclair Library during their years as students at UH Mānoa, or others recalled the heat of Klum Gym during volleyball games. One group came up with the idea of a time capsule, where they encouraged their cluster members to write messages to their future selves. They also emphasized the importance of the next generation in being the reassurance and hope for the future, especially when the future may seem bleak. Although they talked about heavier conversations such as climate change, it also gave them an opportunity to think about the possibility for positive change happening on large scales, especially since genealogies contain so much knowledge embedded within space and places that help us learn how to move forward. They then brought up important questions, such as what to do when people no longer have a home or a connection to home, and how to nourish and continue to build that place for others. Some of the group members had taken some time down memory lane to share stories about places that are no longer present or standing, but still live on through the memories and sharing of stories.