To Kanehunamoku and Magic Island...

Our 2nd meeting date brings us another day of adventure,

In the morning the MAMDRP group headed on over to Halau Ku Mana (public charter school) up in Makiki to help work on Kanehunamoku (a voyaging canoe and mo‘opuna [granddaughter] of Hokule‘a) as part of their community service.  The plan for the MAMDRP group is to launch some 1800 blocks into the ocean with the help of Kanehunamoku.  For their community service project, the haumana sanded the main posts and iako of the canoe.

Before lunch, the haumana learned an oli...

"Lele A‘e"

Composed by Punawai Rice

Lele a‘e

Kau i uka

‘O Nihoa

Ka pae mua

Ho‘i e

Ho‘i la

Ho‘i mai na hoa

Aloha e

Kaneapua

Kahea aku

Ia lehua

Ho‘i e

Ho‘i la

Ho‘i mai na hoa

E poki‘i

E kau aku

Ma ka pola

O ka wa‘a

Ho‘i e

Ho‘i la

Ho‘i mai na hoa

And then a haka...

Hokule‘a Haka

Holo i ke kai (Alaka‘i)

Hoe, hoe (All)

Hoe, hoe

Holo i ka i‘a (Alaka‘i)

Hoe, hoe (All)

Hoe, hoe

Ho‘i i ke kai (Alaka‘i)

Ku‘e, ku‘e (All)

Ku‘e, ku‘e

Ia wa‘a Hokule‘a (Alaka‘i)

Eia ka wa‘a (All)

Eia Hokule‘a

KU!

After lunch was pau, the MAMDRP group went over to Magic Island to do their swim test, as part of their certification for when they board on Kanehunamoku for their research project.

A day with Kainani Kahaunaele & painting...

It was an awesome first day,

The morning started with a half day with Kainani Kahaunaele, a musician, an educator, a Kaua‘i native and now residing in Hilo as a lecturer at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo.  The MAMDRP Pathways haumana were the first ever to learn the mele "Helu Kai," a chant which calls out to all of the Hawaiian Islands' ocean channels.  The mele, for our MAMDRP students is a reminder of what the ocean channels' names are, and how we are as a people connected to the ocean.

The mele was later turned into a mele inoa by composer Kaipo Frias (Dr. Taupouri Tangaro) in honor of Kainani.  This mele inoa was inspired by Kainani's name and the function of linking our islands and people together using our seas as the metaphor.  Kainani is a crew member on Makali‘i and Hokule‘a voyaging canoes and has used this mele to acknowledge our kupuna, home ocean and seafaring traditions.

"Helu Kai"

Composed by Kaipo Frias (Dr. Taupouri Tangaro)

If you'd like to hear a sample of how quick "Helu Kai" really is,
CLICK HERE

No Ni‘ihau laua ‘o Kaua‘i ‘o Kaulakahi

No Kaua‘i laua ‘o O‘ahu, ‘o Ka‘ie‘iewaho

No O‘ahu laua ‘o Moloka‘i, ‘o Kaiwi

No Moloka‘i laua ‘o Maui, ‘o Pailolo

No Maui laua ‘o Lana‘i, ‘o ‘Au‘au

No Lana‘i laua ‘o Kanaloa, ‘o Kealaikahiki

No Kanaloa laua ‘o Maui, ‘o ‘Alalakeiki

No Maui laua ‘o Hawai‘i, ‘o ‘Alenuihaha

E ki‘i i ka malo, hume i ka malo

Eia a‘e ka nalu, e kau i ka nu‘u

A pae a pae a pae ma ke one wali o ‘Ohele

Le‘i Waiakea i ka nuku na kanaka

No Kahaunaele Kainani la he inoa

Later that afternoon, the MAMDRP Pathways students and their alaka‘i (mentors) went outside to begin painting some 900 wooden blocks for their research project.  A total of 1800 blocks will be launched off on the windward and leeward sides of O‘ahu to get a better understanding of where marine debris float to on O‘ahu