Aloha ʻĀina Peace Flags: Nurturing and Protecting Our Lands

Posted on 2 May 2014
In Curriculum, Malama Honua WWV

Aloha ʻĀina Peace Flags: Nurturing and Protecting Our Lands

Developed by Miki Tomita, Jenna Ishii, Mark Ellis, Matthew Kanemoto, Iasona Ellinwood. Pomai Stone

As Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia circumnavigate the planet to “Mālama Honua”, they will gather messages of peace and stewardship from across the Earth. In this activity, people of all ages demonstrate their commitment to caring for their own place by making a ʻPeace Flagʻ that might revolve around the following themes:

‘Aina: The land and ocean resources that sustains and nourishes us.

-Kai: Our precious ocean resources.

-Mālama Honua Message: How you take care of the ‘āina (land) and the kai (ocean) and the place where you live, love and play.

Background

Aloha ‘Āina

In old Hawaii, the land was divided by the ruling chiefs into land divisions. Each island was broken up into districts. For example, on ʻOahu, we have the districts of Kona, Ewa, Waialua, Waianae, Ko’olaupoko, and Ko’olauloa. A district was called a moku, and the smaller sections within a moku, usually pie-like slivers that ran from the mountains to the sea, were called ahupua’a. Within each ahupua’a, there were smaller parcels called ili, which were delegated to individual families. Everyone care for the ‘āina… the land and ocean resource that nourished, healed and sustained the people. Within an ahupua’a, the water, land, and ocean resources were managed by a konohiki, or headsman, and the local chief. It was the konohiki and chiefs who observed the patterns of nature and imposed kapu or restrictions on the harvesting of various plant, animal, and fish species according to the cycles and health of their populations and the flow of nature. This was Hawaiian resource management and sustainability.

Living by the ahupua’a system before the arrival of Westerners, Hawaiians fed, clothed, and sustained a population of up to 1,000,000 people for over a thousand years. Using an integrated system of awai irrigation ditches and wet-land lo’i kalo fields, they shared and utilized their water resources to the maximum. It is estimated that there were about 600 different kalo varieties and over 20,000 acres of wetland lo’i kalo in the times of old, plus the thousands of acres of dry land mala gardens that were in crop production. They built hundreds of loko ‘ia or fishponds along the shorelines of all of our Hawaiian Islands at strategic coastal brackish water estuary locations fed by springs or rivers… where the “sweet water” nourished the limu that fed the baby fish and the herbivore species thriving in their ponds. They were master horticulturists who grew all that they needed, as well as experienced and wise fishermen who knew the tides, star constellations and moon phases, as well as the spawning, feeding, growth and migration patterns of all of the fish species and sea creatures in our oceans and the dozens of varieties of edible limu seaweed that could be gathered for food and medicine. A key to creating a sustainable Hawaii today is to plant the seeds of understanding of how the Hawaiians managed their resources long ago, and modify those principles to meet today’s challenges. The answers are hidden within the ways of the past, and will be revealed by the hearts, minds, souls and spirits of our enlightened keiki.

Our students love the places where they live and play for many reasons… the mountains, streams, beaches, rainbows, wind breezes and gentle rains. By identifying the ahupua’a they reside in on their individual islands, and expressing why they love it so very much, and how they can help to make their place better, they will gain a sense of uniqueness and pride in where they come from. Using this as a foundation, they will begin to understand that it is their kuleana to care for, nurture, and protect their ahupua’a. If every child has this sense of ownership, together they will watch over and help to decide what is best not only for their own ahupua’a… but also what is ideal for their moku or district, their home island, and our entire state. Together they all can help to preserve Hawaii’s beautiful natural environments for future generations. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time… How do you encourage aloha ‘āina and sustainable practices in the hearts and minds of our keiki statewide and positively affect the future of our precious island home? One student… one class… one ahupua’a at a time…

Developer Henry Kaiser came to our Islands in the 1960’s with a dream. That dream became the Hawaii Kai and Portlock Point subdivisions on the southeastern coast of the island of Oahu. These developments destroyed Kuapa Fishpond, which spread across nearly 500 acres… that’s over 500 football fields …of bountiful aquatic life that produced thousands of pounds of fish, limu seaweed, crabs, and shellfish annually. A fishpond that fed hundreds of thousands of people for over 650 years is now gone forever. If we had known better then the negative consequences of such initiatives, maybe we would have been much wiser in our land use decisions. Today, we need economic growth, jobs and affordable homes, but we also must malama and protect the places where we live. It is important that we teach our keiki to love the ahupua’a they live in and that they must participate in the decision making processes that will affect the places where they find happiness. For a sustainable Hawaii in the future, our keiki must realize that it is their sacred responsibility, as good stewards, to kokua and malama ‘aina.

One of the purposes of Hōkūlea’s and Hikianalia’s World-Wide Voyage is to malama honua… care for our Earth. To share with the young students around the world what we are doing here in Hawaii to confront and solve some of the issues negatively affecting our natural resources and environment, like global warming, climate change, ocean acidification, sea level rise, loss of watersheds, alternative energy sources, bio-fuel initiatives, bioremediation, essential agricultural land identification and preservation, alien species identification and control, native ecosystem restoration, marine debris, habitat destruction, genetically modified crops, and coral bleaching. As Hōkūle’a and Hikianalia sail to various ports of call and nations, their crews will partner with scientists, students, educators and indigenous leaders to gather information on how other peoples around the globe are finding solutions to these issues, and bring back innovative ideas to teach to our keiki here in Hawaii. Hawaii’s young people will then integrate this mana’o or knowledge into our Hawaiian strategies of the past and present to better aloha ‘aina for our grandchildren and all of the future generations to follow.

Learning Plan

Aloha ‘Āina Flags

**Setting Up:

-Unpack the cooler and cover the work table with the tablecloth provided. This will keep the table clean and free from permanent pen marks. Tape or clip down the tablecloth as needed to keep it from blowing away. Students can sign the tablecloth after making their flags. Nothing inappropriate please! No drugs, sex, alcohol or gangs.

-Lay out the pens bag, cloth flag bag, Aloha ‘Aina and Ahupua’a Information Sheet handouts, copies of D. Puna’s Letter, and pencils on the table. Display any Polynesian Voyaging Society/Hōkūle’a/Hikianalia information and materials as needed.

-Lay flat or hang up the Hawaiian ahupua’a maps. If there is not enough room for all of the maps, display a few or only the map of the island where you are doing the lesson. You can use rope and clothes pins to attach/hang-up the maps up if there are no tables. Use two lines to secure both the top and bottoms of the map posters.

-If there are poles or trees, run a rope so that you can hang up the completed Aloha ‘Aina Peace flags with clothes pins. Flags can also be displayed by tying rope between the shrouds or stays on Hokule’a or Hikianalia and using the clothes pins to secure them.

**Beginning the Lesson:

-Read aloud to the students or have them read the Aloha ‘Āina hand-out so that they understand the ahupua’a concept and why they should malama their ahupua’a Ask for questions.

-Read aloud to them, or have them read the letter from D. Puna about his beloved Kohala. Point out that he wrote the letter from Kalaupapa… the place where he will die, never again returning to enjoy the beauty and splendor of Kohala.

-Have them look at the Ahupua’a maps, locate their ahupua’a, and fill out the Ahupua’a Information Sheet about their ahupua’a. This information will be recorded on their flags.

-Using their information sheets, they can now begin making their Aloha ‘Āina Peace flags.

**Making Aloha ‘Āina:

-Orally… out loud…before they are given their cloth pieces, each student must promise to mālama their ahupua’a if they want to make a flag. This will symbolize a conscious decision and promise to malama honua.

-Have ready pre-cut 8 inch by 8inch fabric squares made out of old sheets or table clothes. You can use white copy paper folded in half if fabric is not available.

-FIRST, DRAW A HALF-INCH BORDER AROUND THE EDGE OF THE FLAG.

-Each flag should have:

Upper Left Hand Corner: -Full Name and if made in Hawaii, the Ahupua’a, Moku/District, and Moku Puni/Island.

-If outside Hawaii, please include: Full Name, City/Town/Province/State, and Country.

Lower Right Hand Corner: -Port of Call, Date/Year

-See the sample Aloha ‘Āina flag provided in the lesson book.

-Make sure you use permanent markers. Do not use watercolor pens.

-Make sure to remind them to leave a half-inch border along the edges of the flags so that they can be sewn together or made into gifts. No drugs, sex, alcohol, or gangs.

-Decorate/Design your flag with something that relates to:

-‘Aina: The land and ocean resources that sustains and nourishes us.

-Kai: Our precious ocean resources.

-Mālama Honua Message: How you take care of the ‘āina (land) and the kai (ocean) and the place where you live, love and play.

-Permanent pen ink will run and blur a little bit if there is moisture. Do not get flags wet.

**Conclusion:

-Hang up the finished flags where they will not get wet. Compliment the students on their unique designs and ideas. Their mana and spirit will bless Hōkūle’a and Hikianalia.

-Have the students keep their Aloha ‘Āina information sheets to remind them of their promise to malama and care for their own ahupua’a. If they want to keep their ‘Aloha ʻĀina Peace flags, they can take them home too.

-Pack up all posters and supplies and repack everything the same way it was unpacked from the cooler.

-Send completed flags in a plastic bag with the island, city, town, country, port of call, and date to: Kahuku FFA/Koko’ula Natural Resources, Kahuku High and Intermediate School, 56-490 Kamehameha Highway, Kahuku, Hawaii 96731.

-The flags can also be given to one of our captains or a Polynesian Voyaging Society crew member returning home to Hawaii. They can make sure it gets to the PVS office and we can pick them up from there.

-Koko’ula’s natural resources/agriculture students will collect them and facilitate making them into books or decorative sheets and pillowcases.

**School/Class/Community Group/Scouting/Family/Student Club Aloha ‘Āina Peace Flags:

-If your school, class, club, family or community organization wants to make a group flag representing your special place where you live, love, and play, you can make a group flag.

-It can be designed and made by an individual or several members of your organization.

-Please make your flag out of cloth, canvas or painters drop cloth so that they are durable and long-lasting. Make them into flags that are 12 inches by 12 inches square pieces of canvas or light colored fabric.

-By making these flags, you can participate in Hōkūle’a’s and Hikianalia’s world-wide voyage even though you are not able to visit a port of call along their sail plan route. You can share your hearts, minds, and spirits of how you malama ‘aina… care for the land and oceans, and aloha honua… love our Earth.

-When making your Aloha ‘Āina flags, please include:

Upper Left Hand Corner: -Organization/Club/School/Class /Names

-City/Town/State/Country

Bottom Right Hand Corner: -Port of Call

-Date/Year

-Decorate your flag with messages or pictures of what makes your area so special and how you malama and take care of your place you call home. How do you nurture and protect the place where you live, love and play. Please use permanent markers or other creative materials to represent your place.

-Leave a half inch border along the outside edges so that the flags can be bound into books or sewn into banners.

-Bring the completed flags when you visit Hōkūle’a or Hikianalia at their ports of call nearest your home. The captains and crew will make sure we get them to the PVS office in Honolulu.

-Or, send completed flags in a plastic bag with the island, city, town, country, port of call, date, and year to: Kahuku FFA/Koko’ula Natural Resources, Kahuku High and Intermediate School, 56-490 Kamehameha Highway, Kahuku, Hawaii 96731.

-Koko’ula agriculture students will collect them and make sure they are made into books or decorative sheets and pillowcases.

Worksheets

Ahupua’a Information Sheet

Name: ________________________________________________

Date: ____________

Port Of Call: ___________________________________________

Ahupua’a : ____________________________________________

Moku/District: __________________________________________

Moku Puni/Island: ______________________________________

Town/City, State/Province, Country: ________________________

What are three things you love about your ahupua’a? Why is your ahupua’a special to you?

What are two important things to know about your moku or district?

What are three things you can do to help malama and care for your ahupua’a, the special place where you live, love, and play?

Submit Your Peace Flag