While on my volleyball trip to the big island we went and planted now trees. When we first arrived at the area we learned about the birds they were housing and raising. Then we took a walk out behind the bird cages where we were taught to plant the trees. During the converstation I realized why koa wood cost so much and is no longer provided by our wood shop at school. The plants take many years to grow making it hard to make new ones fast. She also told us how lo clear a spot and dig a hole to put the baby koa into the ground. My team planted five trees total and it felt weird to know this tree would probably out live me.
0 Comments
I am excited to get my plant home. I want to start growing them on my own as soon as possible. By growing this plant at home I will learn some basics about food sovereignty. If I succed in growing my own tomato that I could eat I will consider it a great success. Never before have I grown a plant on my home and I and interested to see how well I do.
When planning what I was going to eat I had to consider many things. The most important thing to consider was whether the main ingredient in the food was from here. The first idea that then came to me was this would be easy because there is many things to eat like pork, banana, papaya, sugar cane. Kauai slat, and fish. But then I realized that most of these things require seasonings that were not locally sourced. In the end I went with just eating a banana that was from my back yard.
One the field trip to Waimanalo we got to see how a farm in Hawaii looks. There was a variety of plants on the farm like kalo, ginger, banana, and sugar cane. The farm only had two types of on it fish and chickens. The farm also use aquaponics to grow plants. They said the netting they use around some of their platens cost ten-thousand dollars and that they have to pay to remove weeds from plants. We also learned a little about the business side of farming and how expensive farming equipment is. At the end of are learning trip we helped remove weeds from the kalo patch and then are trip was over. This quarter in Malama Honua we learned about our ahupuaa of Kapalama and our own personal ahupuaa's. We learned about the fishing island of mokauea and some stories about ancient Hawaiians riding sharks. Then we did research projects on are own ahupuaas. Where we learned the history and significance of are lands. I learned that the swamp in Kailua was once a vibrant fishing pond. We also learned some ways to take care of our class mala. I learned that while working with the plant you need a good attitude because it transfers from you to it. I personally learned a lot this quarter and can't wait to see what in store second quarter.
This writing takes about how Hawaiians have lost their ways and still call themselves Hawaiian. We have lost are way and need to find the path of old again. We have become undistinguishable from the other cultures that we claim are bad, yet we do as they do. We need to reconnect to nature and take in its beauty.
I am very excited to go to Mokauea and see what its about. I have paddle across from the island all last year and wondered what it was. At first I thought the place was homeless encampment that was nasty. Through the season I learned that the island is an old Hawaiian fish pond. I was given the opportunity to go and help clean the island with my paddling team, but I had a prior engagement. For this class I am provided another opportunity to visit the island and learn about it.
Hawaiian scientist dose not conform to the normal to the ways of a modern day scientist. A Hawaiian scientist is connected to the land and animals, which he uses to make his observations off of. By having connections with these things the Hawaiian can make more in depth observations that other can not. They pass knowledge down to others through ʻōlelo and real world experiences. There knowledge is passed down and built upon by each generation. Hawaiian scientist enabled for others to be able to navigate and populate Hawaii. They observed the stars, animals, and ocean very accurately that many people today are still in awe of them.
The storm caused not only the weather to change, but it also caused a change in humans and animals. People became panicked and stressed at the impending danger. This panic and stress visbly showed in how people acted all around Hawaii. An example of this change in behavior was when I went to fill up car with gas two days before the storm hit. While at the station there was two lines of cars going into one main line and normally it would go one car from each line, but do to the storm people were not acting like their normal selfs. Some people would block other cars from getting in the main line so that they could gas before the other person. The animals like the humans behavior also changed in a noticeable way. My dog who usually runs around the back yard all day had become lethargic and was not venturing from the house. The birds were not taking bathes in the fish pond in my back yard, but were in there nest. This storm showed that danger can cause changes not only in weather, but living creatures too.
To me Mālama Honua is to take care of the land physically and emotionally. We all know the physical ways to care for the environment by reusing, recycling, and reducing carbon foot prints, but the emotional part is often forgotten. In Hawaiian mythology their is many stories that show or allude to are connection to the land which makes taking care of the land emotional. While taking care of the land it is important to have positive emotions so that we show respect it by taking care of it. In return the land takes care of us and provides food and other materials for us to live. Right now most people are not taking care of the land and are just taking from it and harming it. This is not sustainable and will lead to some bad times in the future. For these reasons Mālama Honua is an emotional and physical event that is very important to my Hawaiian identity.
|
|