About Us
Our Mission
The mission of Pilina ‘Ōiwi is to strengthen Native Hawaiian identities and communities by providing members with a foundation in Hawai’i lifeways through Hawaii life practices, practicing in community, and acknowledging and developing a relationship to the environment. Our goal is to connect members–from keiki to kupuna, from children to elders–to the wisdom and practices of ka po’e i kahiko, the people of old, who were brilliant in how they understood the scientific processes and nuances of their environment and their relationship to it, as reflected in the chants and practices passed down to us. Our ancestors also demonstrated the power that community can achieve by practicing together, and even though we may be geographically challenged, we can still seek that value of pilina, of connection.
By sharing this mana’o–this knowledge and understanding–Pilina ‘Ōiwi aims to provide members:
1. A space, a medium, and a starting point for all who desire to strengthen their own native identity and connect to others in the Hawaiian community without judgement or gatekeeping.
2. A basic foundation of knowledge in Hawai’i lifeways, values, practices, environmental relationships, and community protocols–both traditional and evolving.
3. Inspiration to connect and build native community and to stand as a force for good and growth in their respective communities and environments, online communities, and across our honua, this great planet we all share.
With the Hawaiian diaspora, and more Hawaiians estranged from the basic values and practices learned living in, on, and with their ‘āina, the need to connect to these perspectives is a necessity, now more than ever, for healthy native identity, a healthy honua, and a healthy humanity.
Our Director
After spending my professional life teaching in the university system, I eventually determined that I could better serve the Hawaiian, Polynesian, and greater indigenous populations outside of academia. I have always believed it was, and continues to be, my kuleana, my responsibility, to help other Hawaiians and other natives, who find themselves displaced, searching, and in need of community, a way to connect. To whom much is given, much is required, and I have been given much.
I was fortunate to have grown up on-island in Koʻolaupoko, Oʻahu and attend the Kamehameha Schools, which gave me my foundation in western and Hawaiian education. I was fortunate to be part of an illustrious Hawaiian family, steeped in culture, education, music, and reputation. I was fortunate to be part of a hālau in my youth and to experience the bond between kanaka (human) and the environment. I am blessed to be kamaʻāina, a child of the land.
I have profound gratitude and aloha for all those who throughout my life have said “yes” to sharing, teaching, and mentoring me in my continuing quest to understand Hawai’i lifeways, Hawaiian practices, and environmental stewardship, and other indigenous knowledge.
Through this program I continue to seek and share ‘ike (knowledge) with our Hawaiian community, and our ‘ōiwi (native) community. Many other good Hawaiians and ‘ōiwi continue to build my experience and understanding of Hawaiʻi lifeways and other indigenous knowledge.
Community
Building Community
- University, School
- 'Ohana
- Hui
- Kanikapila
- Hālau
- Communities of practice (hui wa'a, lei hulu, ukulele club, etc.)
- Civic Club
- Online Communities
There will also be special workshops, both in-person and through the website to enhance your path to building community and making native connections.
Practice
O ke kahua mamua, mahope ke kūkulu…learn all you can, then practice.
Practice
- Hula - the dance of the environment
- kahiko, auana, ki'i, kia'i
- Oli – communicate your intention
- olioli, kahoahoa
- Hei – storytelling with kaula (string)
- Lei – adornments of the environment
- hulu, la’i, etc.
Environment
Environment
- Learning about your ‘āina, wai, kai, and mauna—what feeds you?
- Kuahu
- Visiting, permission, harvesting, entrance and exit protocols
- Stories, mo’olelo, ka’ao
