A Year-End Message from Matt - The Kohala Center

FRONT PAGE
A Year-End Message from Matt
Photo: Students of Ke Kula ‘o ‘Ehunuikaimalino Hawaiian Immersion School on
the Konawaena School Road in Kealakekua tend their kalo (taro) patch in the
school’s garden.
After eight years of hard work and tremendous community support,
I can say that The Kohala Center is accomplishing what it set out to
do. The Kohala Center was established in direct response to the
request of island residents to create greater employment and
educational opportunities by caring for—and celebrating—Hawai‘i
Island’s spectacular natural and cultural landscape.
Our collaborative efforts have generated the need on this island for
expert fence builders, conservation biologists, writers, editors, ethnographers, farmers, nonprofit accountants,
economists, engineers, agronomists, archivists, grant managers, field managers, media relations experts, botanists,
community organizers, cultural practitioners, geographers, geographic information scientists, and graphic
designers, among others. Thus, we remain steadfast in our commitment to K-12 education, so that island youth can
assume all of these knowledge-rich jobs that we are creating.
Everywhere we look, we see positive signs. The school garden movement, supported by the Hawai‘i Island School
Garden Network, has grown to include 50 projects in communities around the island. Flourishing gardens,
flourishing youth, flourishing communities—it’s happening! With your support, we are creating new jobs and
educational opportunities for Hawai‘i Island. Mahalo nui.
Join us! (http://www.kohalacenter.org/join.html)
My very best wishes for the New Year!
Matt Hamabata, Executive Director
The Kohala Center

The Next Generation of Architects
Photo: Four pieces of the land are explored as potential sites
for the project, and the group eventually decides on the base
of this hill for the natural protection it provides against ocean
winds. From left to right: Jay Tapia, Erik Collins, Ryan
Doone, Yuliya Bentcheva, Dashell Kuhr (TKC), Professor
Jan Wampler, and Kamana Beamer (TKC & UH). Photo by
Amanda Levesque.
For the past 15 years, Jan Wampler, Distinguished
Professor of Architecture at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT), has been taking small
groups of students beyond the walls of their Cambridge studios to expose them to new cultures, new materials, and real
world problems. Wampler believes that our next generation of architects should be prepared to work in a global
context—designing affordable structures from locally available materials to meet local needs. Over the years, Wampler
has taught architecture workshops in places like Cuba, Ecuador, Haiti, Mexico, Turkey, and Pakistan.
Seeking to fill a local need for affordable farm housing for young farmers in North Kohala, The Kohala Center sent out a
call for designs that will allow farm families to move onto land as quickly as possible with the potential of expanding
their living space as their families grow and their farm operations prosper. When an MIT representative visiting Hawai‘i
heard about this design challenge, he contacted Professor Wampler, who initiated a dialogue with The Kohala Center
this past summer. Wampler explained that he has three criteria by which he evaluates potential projects: (1) they must
have a good chance of being built; (2) they must have a nonprofit partner as well as the commitment of the landowner to
see the project through; and (3) they must have support from local architects and planners to ensure that permits are
obtained in a timely fashion to enable completion of the project. The Kohala Center’s affordable farm dwelling project
in North Kohala meets all three criteria, and Wampler agreed to bring a group of students to the site in late October to
meet the landowner and gather background information in order to prepare farm dwelling designs.
Wampler selected a mix of 6 undergraduate and graduate students from a pool of 40 applicants to participate in this
project; on October 24-27, the MIT group visited the project site to survey the property, meet with the young farmers
who will occupy the affordable farm dwellings, absorb as much historical and cultural background as possible, and meet
with local planners, builders, and suppliers to consider materials and designs. The MIT group spent their first evening
with Dr. Kamana Beamer, assistant professor in the Hawaiian Studies Department at UH Mānoa and Mellon-Hawai‘i
Fellow; Dr. Ka‘eo Duarte from Kamehameha Schools Land Asset Division; and Dr. Guy Kaulukukui from The Kohala
Center, who addressed the students at an opening dinner. The next day the MIT group continued their orientation to the
cultural and natural landscape of Hawai‘i Island under the direction of Professor Beamer. The following day the MIT
team met with Pat Batchelder from HPM; Brad Kurokawa, a principal of Ki Concepts LLC and a former Hawai‘i
County Deputy Planning Director; and Michael Gornik, a local contractor who generously provided information about
current Hawai‘i building trends and materials. Dash Kuhr and other young farmers from North Kohala also shared their
reflections about their hopes and challenges as family farmers in Hawai‘i. This exchange of ideas is of mutual benefit
with architects from abroad gaining knowledge from island experts and from island conditions, and in return, island
communities tapping into the latest technologies and designs from the international architectural community.
Wampler was struck by the beauty of this island, and he feels the project is progressing well. He and his students will
return in January to unveil a model structure to the landowner, to present their ideas for how to situate the dwellings on
the property, and to lay out the details of their overall plan for the site, including recommendations for incorporating
conservation, agricultural, residential, communal, and infrastructural uses on the site. Learn more about the MIT
Architecture Workshop in “Designing Affordable Farm Dwellings” on the back page.

Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike (In Working, One Learns)
Photo: Nancy Redfeather shared inspiring words and photos of the school garden
movement with luncheon guests.
On October 16, 2009, guests boarded the Golden Princess cruise ship in
Hilo Harbor for the Seeds of Hope luncheon sponsored by Princess
Cruise Lines. Guests received royal treatment from cruise staff
including refreshments, a three-course sit-down lunch, and a tour of the
recently refurbished cruise ship. Friends from around the island came
together to celebrate the Hawai‘i Island School Garden Network’s
(HISGN) commitment to island youth, to the future of island
agriculture, and to promoting food self-reliance. Distinguished speakers
included Mayor Billy Kenoi, State Senators Russell Kokubun and Dwight Takamine, and award-winning island
filmmaker Danny Miller. Luncheon guests were treated to a sneak preview of Miller’s recently completed Seeds of Hope
documentary, a look at agriculture in Hawai‘i, including the growing school garden movement. Seeds of Hope is
targeted for release on Hawai‘i and national public television next spring.
As we look at the state of agriculture in Hawai‘i, the one thing that stands out are the large number of real heroes—
individuals who are doing amazing work, including Nancy Redfeather and a lot of the other folks here today. They are
really making a difference, and that is why we entitled the film Seeds of Hope. There are incredible people doing
incredible things across the state, and we hope this film will inspire others to do more work like you folks are doing.
–filmmaker Danny Miller
Photo: Everyone departed with packets of seeds to plant: vegetables, flowers,
herbs, and hope for the future. Seeds were donated by Toni Reynolds, a teacher at
Kealakehe Elementary School.
As a kid, I liked to play in the dirt. My grandmother always had a
garden at our home. The lessons that she taught me had not only to do
with how to grow things but the entire relationship that you have as an
individual to the Earth, to all natural resources—the awe and wonder
that is generated when you work with the soil and when you work in the
gardens. The potential of the school garden program is huge—it starts
with our young people, it starts with the commitment that all of you
have made to teaching our young people how to value our environment.
–Senator Russell Kokubun
The Kohala Center extends a warm mahalo (thank you) to our senators and Mayor Kenoi for their support of
agricultural education and to Danny Miller, who inspired us to create this luncheon to celebrate the work of the school
garden teachers across the island.

In Celebration of Life
Photo: Herb Kane (left) and his wife Deon Kane (center) with Hawai‘i County
Mayor Billy Kenoi (right) at the 2009 Bay Concert. Herb Kane is holding a
proclamation honoring his lifetime achievements which Mayor Kenoi presented to
him at the start of the concert. Photo by Randy Magnus.
I thoroughly enjoyed attending this year’s Bay Concert in honor of
the great Herb Kane. The Daifukuji Taiko Drummers were simply
awesome. The music of Na Leo Pilimehana and Ho‘okena lifted my
heart and reminded me how lucky I am to live in this wonderful
place. Frank De Lima was a great host and added just the right
amount of lightness and humor to the event. Congratulations to you
and all of the hard working volunteers on a wonderful event!
–Senator Gary L. Hooser, Majority Leader, Hawai‘i State Senate
A full house gathered in the Convention Center at the Sheraton Keauhou Resort for the third annual Bay Concert on
November 21. Over 900 people came out to enjoy the music and Frank De Lima’s island style humor, and to celebrate
the rebirth of Kahalu‘u Bay. The Kohala Center extends a gracious mahalo to each and every one of you. This year’s
concert paid tribute to Herb Kane, Hawaiian artist, historian, voyager, and living treasure. Mayor Billy Kenoi honored
Kane’s achievements as a world renowned artist and community leader by proclaiming November 21, 2009, as Herbert
Kawainui Kane Day.
The Kohala Center believes in the importance of community in all that they do and the Bay Concert affirms their
commitment to using their educational presence in the community as a community-building opportunity. It was a
great evening celebrating a great cause. –Dr. Gregory Chun, Kamehameha Schools Kahalu‘u Keauhou Educational
Group
Photo: The musicians of Ho‘okena at the 2009 Bay Concert. Photo by Randy
Magnus.
It was a great concert and such a fun evening with so many friends of The
Kohala Center and friends of the environment. Thank you for the good time
we all had, and the music was awesome! –Marni Herkes, Kohala Center
board member
Over 360 community volunteers and three dozen island businesses
actively volunteer their time as ReefTeachers in the community and at
Kahalu‘u Bay, to educate visitors on how to engage with the fragile
coral reef environment without damaging it. Many of these
ReefTeachers joined in the festivities at the concert, clad in their blue
ReefTeach T-shirts. The ReefTeach program reaches an average of 85
visitors per day and 1,200 K-12 students annually. The Bay Concert helps to sustain the ReefTeach Program and The
Kohala Center’s efforts to restore the historic, cultural, and natural resources of Kahalu‘u Bay. The dollars raised will
help to support the Kahalu‘u Bay Project well into the coming year.
From my childhood I fondly remember Kahalu‘u Beach and Bay as a special place of beauty and bounty. The beach
and reef thrived and were teeming with fish, as were most of the bays along the Kona Coast. I have a deep, heartfelt
connection to Kahalu‘u Bay, and I am truly grateful for the opportunity to give back to my beloved home through my
work with The Kohala Center. Our programs are nurturing a deeper awareness and appreciation for our connection
with the ‘āina [land], as we celebrate the cultural, environmental, and social significance of Kahalu‘u, its beauty, and
its ability to sustain life. –Cindi Punihaole, Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator for The Kohala Center

Brown Environmental Leadership Lab Welcomes Island Students
Photo: Maryam Palma, 2009 BELL-Hawai‘i scholarship recipient weaving a lei with the
palapalai fern
Island high school students are invited to participate in Brown University’s
Environmental Leadership Lab on Hawai‘i Island from April 2–9, 2010. The
BELL-Hawai‘i Program brings together 30 outstanding young leaders from across
the country and around the globe to study in the world’s most vibrant living
classroom—Hawai‘i Island. Students will explore Hawai‘i Volcanoes National
Park and learn about the active geology of Hawai‘i. They will kayak in Kealakekua
Bay and learn about the marine ecology and coral reefs of Hawai‘i at Ke‘ei. They
will engage in leadership activities with some of the finest environmental educators
in the nation, and they will give back to our community through service work in
Ka‘ūpūlehu Dry Forest. Island experts will introduce the students to native plants
and marine life and explain how to mālama (care for) the land and the ocean. They
will also share the cultural traditions and deep connection of the Hawaiian people
with this land. Visit the BELL Web site (http://www.brown.edu/ce/precollege/leadership/hawaii/)
for more program details.
Here’s how last year’s participants rated their BELL-Hawai‘i experience:
“I learned a lot about the history and culture of Hawai‘i and how it pertains to the environment, and was able to
observe the connections.”
“Not only were all of my expectations surpassed, but the program sparked an interest in geology.”
“I made 29 new friends (yay!), and we saw dryland forest and many other climates and ecosystems. I learned a lot about
Hawaiian culture, both modern and traditional, as well as a ton about geology. I particularly enjoyed talking story with
the kūpuna (Hawaiian elders) because they were immediately welcoming and I learned a bunch from them. I also really
loved kayaking, snorkeling, and learning about the reefs that were right in front of our eyes.”
The Kohala Center and Brown University are offering full scholarships to the BELL Hawai‘i Program for two
Hawai‘i Island students. The scholarship application deadline is Friday, January 29, 2010. To apply, visit
http://www.kohalacenter.org/bell.html.
Indigenous Ways of Being
Photo: Dr. Karin Ingersoll on a canoe that her husband, Russell Amimoto, built.
In 2008, through the generosity of The Andrew W. Mellon
Foundation and Kamehameha Schools, the Mellon-Hawai‘i
Doctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowship Program was established at
The Kohala Center. This program provides fellowships to Native
Hawaiian scholars whose research is about Hawai‘i’s natural and
cultural landscapes or about Hawai‘i’s history, politics, or society.
The Mellon-Hawai‘i Fellowship recognizes Hawai‘i’s leading
thinkers and writers, many of whom are at the start of their scholarly
careers. In this issue we are pleased to feature the work of Postdoctoral
Fellow Karin Na‘auali‘i Amimoto Ingersoll, who earned a Ph.D in political science from the Department of Political
Science at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.

My scholarly and professional interests and goals revolve around one mission, to (re)immerse Native Hawaiian youth
into the ocean: to smell it, taste it, touch it, hear it, and experience it as a fundamental component of learning. The
aim is to privilege our indigenous ways of learning, knowing and being in the world to reaffirm our native identities
and to encourage aloha ‘āina (land stewardship). In my dissertation, I explored the idea of building a hālau o ke kai
(ocean-based cultural center) to apply my concept of seascape epistemology, and although I have worked and
informally talked with other community members, groups, and charter schools already engaged in similar projects, I
have not yet had the opportunity to establish formal partnerships toward the realization of such a hālau. The
establishment of such working relationships is one of my main goals during this fellowship. –Karin Na‘auali‘i
Amimoto Ingersoll, 2009 Mellon-Hawai‘i Postdoctoral Fellow
Read Karin’s story “Anchored Within the Ocean” on the back page.
Voices that Need to Be Heard
Photo: 2009–2010 Mellon-Hawai‘i Fellows pose together after the kīhei ceremony on
November 14. From left to right: Dr. Karin Ingersoll, Dr. Ku‘ualoha Ho‘omanawanui,
Ms. Kauanoe Kamanā.
Thanks to a generous gift of $125,000 from the Kahiau
Foundation, the Mellon-Hawai‘i Fellowship Program will be
expanded in the 2010–2011 academic year to support a total of
five doctoral and postdoctoral fellows—two more fellows than in
the current academic year. The Kahiau Foundation joins with The
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Kamehameha Schools, and The
Kohala Center in supporting the Mellon-Hawai‘i Fellowship
program for Native Hawaiian scholars.
This generation of young Hawaiian scholars is remarkable. They are
rigorously trained in both Western and Hawaiian research and interpretive traditions. They are courageous in
seeking the truth. Hawaiian history voiced by native scholars offers perspectives that need to be heard. –Allene
Wong, a Kamehameha Schools graduate and co-founder of the Kahiau Foundation, along with her husband David
Eckles
Through the Fellowship Program, doctoral fellows are given the opportunity to complete their dissertations before
accepting their first academic posts. Postdoctoral fellows are given the opportunity to publish original research
early in their academic careers. Doctoral fellows are awarded $40,000 for the academic year, and postdoctoral
fellows are awarded $50,000. Application materials for the academic year 2010–2011 are now available at
http://kohalacenter.org/mellon/app.html. Completed applications must be received by February 15, 2010.

Hala No Ia Lā O Ka Pōloli: A Hungry Day Passes
Photo: Kalo image courtesy of Nā Maka Hāloa.
This Hawaiian phrase is an expression of thankfulness that there was
food for another day. Kalo, a staple of the traditional Hawaiian diet,
has deep cultural significance in the Hawaiian culture, and there are
passionate issues revolving around kalo and the introduction of
genetically modified organisms (GMO). The public is invited to a
free panel discussion to learn more about these issues. The November
Puana Ka ‘Ike (imparting knowledge) lecture series will feature three
expert panelists offering their perspectives on these issues, in order to
deepen public awareness as community discussions about kalo and GMO continue.
Dr. Dennis Gonsalves, director of the Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center; Jerry Konanui, president of the
Association for Hawaiian Awa; and Dr. William Steiner, dean of the College of Agriculture, University of Hawai‘i at
Hilo, will speak in Hilo from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Monday, November 30, at the UH Hilo in the University
Classroom Building 127. Gonsalves, a native of Kohala, is a plant virologist by training and led the research team that
developed the virus resistant genetically engineered papaya in Hawai‘i. Konanui, a member of the Hawai‘i State Taro
Task Force representing the statewide Onipa‘a Na Hui Kalo organization, has presented educational workshops and
demonstrations on awa (kava); and taro research in Hawai‘i and the South Pacific. Steiner has served as Dean for the
University of Hawai‘i at Hilo College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resource Management since 2005,
researching biofuel development, heritage foods development, and dairy and equine sciences.
The Puana Ka ‘Ike Lecture Series is made possible by a partnership between Kamehameha Investment
Corporation/Kamehameha Schools, The Kohala Center, Kīpuka Native Hawaiian Student Center at the University of
Hawai‘i at Hilo, and Keauhou Beach Resort. For more information on the kalo panel presentation, contact Natalie
Deisroth at 808-322-0088, ext. 100, or e-mail info@kohalacenter.org. For a schedule of upcoming lectures or more
information about previous lectures, visit http://kohalacenter.org/puanakaike/about.html.
A Gift to Our Members
Image: Cover of the August 2009 Hawai‘i Business magazine.
The Kohala Center is continually expanding its network of partnerships that add
value to membership in our Circle of Friends. This month, we are pleased to
invite our members to sign up to receive a free one-year subscription to Hawai‘i
Business magazine, a $56.00 gift based on the annual newsstand price.
Hawai‘i Business magazine supports the statewide business community by
delivering useful and insightful stories on everything from big issues and big
business to entrepreneurship and SmallBiz. We believe in The Kohala Center’s
mission and invite you to become not only a regular reader, but to contribute
feedback, comments, and story ideas to our editorial team through the e-mail
address feedback@hawaiibusiness.com. –Patrick Parsons, Director of Marketing,
Hawai‘i Business Magazine
Sign up for a complimentary subscription to Hawai‘i Business magazine at
http://www.hawaiibusiness.com/Hawaii-Business/Kohala-Center-Subscription/.

BACK PAGE
Designing Affordable Farm Dwellings
Photos by Amanda Levesque
Photo: An on-site collaboration between MIT, the project's sponsors, and
local farmers and experts leads to a productive exchange of ideas to inform
the design. From left to right: Jay Tapia, Kamana Beamer (TKC & UH),
Yuliya Bentcheva, Dash Kuhr (TKC), Ryan Doone, Erik Collins (Starseed
Ranch), Professor Jan Wampler, Jyoti Ulrych (Starseed Ranch), Laua‘e
Beamer (TKC), and Theo Issaias.
MIT graduate students Yuliya Bentcheva, Ryan Doone,
Theodossis Issaias, and Jay Tapia, and MIT undergraduate
students Fred Kim and Amanda Levesque have done their homework. Preparations for this project began in
September, when Professor Jan Wampler selected them to participate in this highly competitive workshop. Students
lined up for the opportunity to work closely with Professor Wampler to learn how to design and build a project for
a real client: in this case, Starseed Ranch owners Andre and Jyoti Ulrych. Students spent two months researching
Hawai‘i Island’s history, cultural landscape, economy, and society, as well as the island’s paniolo and plantation
architectural heritage and the availability and cost of local building materials. Their assignment is to design
affordable farm dwellings to house up to ten farming families on the land they will farm—a 100-acre parcel in
North Kohala. Hawai‘i Island land costs prohibit many young families from farming since they cannot afford to
buy or lease farm land or homes near to the land they are working. Jyoti Ulrych is keenly aware of the difficulties
facing young farmers in North Kohala, and she is considering how to commit this 100-acre parcel to help solve
these challenges.
Photo: After a productive day on the site, the morale is high and Professor
Wampler prepares to bring what the design team has learned from its hosts back
to MIT. From left to right: Laua‘e Beamer, Kamana Beamer, Jyoti Ulrych, Jan
Wampler, and Erik Collins.
Very early on, the design team decided to cluster the farm
dwellings in one location on the property so as to minimize
infrastructure costs by utilizing a common roadway and utilities.
The proposed dwellings will utilize solar energy and composting
toilets and will be self-sustaining to the maximum extent possible.
They will also utilize materials that are or could be locally
available, such as bamboo, to keep building costs to a minimum and to provide viable designs and markets for these
materials. The design team is hoping to complete four work products by January, when they will return to the island
to meet with the landowner. These are: (1) a model structure testing bamboo and local materials; (2) an expanding
house design with a few options for the owner to select amongst; (3) a layout for a cluster of such dwellings,
including communal elements such as a day care center; and (4) an overall plan for the 100-acre site, including
recommendations for which areas should be farmed, conserved, and developed for housing or roads. Professor
Wampler is confident that the designs presented will be affordable and buildable at the site once the landowner
obtains the necessary permits from the County. “If the landowner is on board, our work goes relatively quickly, and
typically, our projects do get built,” says Wampler.
The MIT students are eager to apply their skills to help island residents. Here’s what they said about this project:
My interest in the project stems from a desire to provide affordable housing for a segment of the population that does
not often benefit from the skills of design professionals. And yet, it is within this practice area that architects have the
greatest potential to achieve a meaningful impact on people's lives. –Jay Tapia

Visiting the site, talking to local residents, learning about the culture and history of Hawai‘i, was an incredibly eyeopening
experience to work on a real project that helps the community in Hawai‘i. –Fred Kim
This experience has really driven home how great architecture revolves around the people who engage it and the land
it extends from. I've never seen a place in which the people and the land are so intertwined as they are in Hawai‘i, so
I know that this project has huge potential for success. –Amanda Levesque
Photo: Professor Wampler and graduate student Yuliya Bentcheva listen to
Dash's experience as a local farmer on acreage with similar site conditions.
From left to right: Jan Wampler, Yuliya Bentcheva, Dash Kuhr, and Kamana
Beamer.
This workshop is providing us with the opportunity to learn a great
deal about Hawai‘i's culture and people, and to use this knowledge
in order to address the current issues of housing. As a team, we are
designing a dwelling that takes into consideration the importance of
the land and nature. We are using local materials and designing
self-sustaining systems that will work with natural resources. This
workshop allows us to be a part of a project that will be realized in
the near future and will hopefully make a difference in the community.
–Yuliya Bentcheva
What is the architect’s proper cultural role in the international debate on global warming and sustainability? If
architecture is a social art, how can its objectives can be achieved? Questions like these are directly answered
through this workshop. From the whole ideological spectrum of the architectural field we suggest a more cohesive
and inclusive practice, where architects and future inhabitants are working together with respect to nature and the
land, and the local characteristics and patterns of living. The Hawai‘i workshop has been so far one of the most
valuable and didactic experiences I ever had, not only architectonically but also personally. –Theodossis Issaias
The Kohala Center extends a warm mahalo to Professor Wampler and his MIT design team, and we look forward to
welcoming them back to our shores in January.
Eight Days of Non-Stop Enthusiasm
Comments from 2009 BELL-Hawai‘i Scholarship Recipients
Photo: Elai Dankner (right), 2009 BELL-Hawai‘i scholarship recipient, and David Cadaos
(left), an intern working in the forest, pull fountain grass as part of their service work at
Ka‘ūpūlehu Dry Forest.
The Brown University Environmental Leadership Program was truly an eye-opening
experience. I have been living on Hawai‘i Island for five years now, and I have become
used to the beauty and rich culture surrounding me. The program gave me a chance to
re-explore my surroundings and develop more respect and love for the place where I
live, through fun activities. I am truly grateful to have been part of such a diverse
group of leaders and to have had the privilege to meet good friends with whom I share
a concern for the environmental challenges of our world. –Elai Dankner, current senior
at West Hawai‘i Explorations Academy and 2009 BELL-Hawai‘i scholarship recipient
A sensationally rewarding hands-on learning experience is one way to describe
my adventures with the superbly put together BELL program. In eight days of
non-stop enthusiasm, we traveled around the island participating in activities
that even those living here hardly ever have the opportunity to enjoy. Not only

was I given once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, such as the lashing of the Makali‘i, but I was also able to meet with
students from across the country. I was able to build great connections with my fellow students, with our leaders,
and with the various special guests we met along the way. Our leaders came from a variety of backgrounds, each
contributing their own personal experiences to the program. A few of these relationships have already proven
themselves useful along my pathway towards sustainability.
BELL was an experience that helped me better understand the island which I live on and all the opportunities
which Hawai‘i could offer me. I joined HYCC (Hawai‘i’s Youth Conservation Corps) during the summer and am
now continuing on with my education at UH Mānoa, hoping to pursue a degree in environmental studies. This is
largely because of my involvement with BELL during the spring. This is not just a program which conveys an
understanding of Hawai‘i’s geography, culture, and values, but it brings them all together by incorporating the
theme of sustainability and crucial leadership skills. BELL leaves participants with a greater awareness of the
Hawaiian Islands (as well as of the planet) and with the motivation to get involved and take charge within their
own communities. –Maryam Palma, current freshman at UH Mānoa and 2009 BELL-Hawai‘i scholarship
recipient
Anchored within the Ocean
By Karin Na‘auali‘i Amimoto Ingersoll
Photo: Karin (left) and sister, Kina at the beach at Maunalua Bay, O‘ahu.
My family and the informal education they instilled in me have
helped to keep me anchored within the ocean, connecting me to
my identity as a contemporary Hawaiian. As a child, my
grandmother’s sister would take me and all the other grandchildren
crabbing and torch fishing under the moon in Maunalua Bay, and
my parents would dedicate weekends to experiencing the beach.
When my interests moved from net fishing and body boarding to
surfing and diving, I would ride my skateboard or catch the bus to
the beach whenever I had a free moment. I hated being out of the
ocean because it offered me a continual reminder of who I was in the midst of my rigorous academic endeavors. I
came to find, however, that the ocean was more than a place of spiritual refuge—it was also the place that taught
me how to navigate through an ever evolving and challenging life.
I attended Kahala Elementary on O‘ahu, and then Holy Nativity School for fourth through sixth grade. In seventh
grade, I transferred to Punahou. It was there, in middle school, that I was first confronted with the perceived
conflict between my unremitting love of being in the ocean and my desire to “succeed” and “progress” in this
society. My personal relationship with the ocean has always been profound, yet I never believed the ocean could
also offer me an intellectual means of progression. I had bought into the dominant narrative that surfing and other
ocean activities were purely recreational and should not be overindulged lest one succumb to a life of laziness and
disrespectability.
I attended Brown University for college, where I was exposed to many diverse cultures. This encouraged me to
double major in history and international relations. I wanted to become an international human rights lawyer, so in
1999, I entered the double M.A. and J.D. program at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. During my first year in
the graduate political science program, I worked with several brilliant professors, including Michael J. Shapiro, my
mentor for this fellowship. I soon realized that my passion was not in pursuing justice and self-determination for
peoples through the law, but rather through writing and the exploration of ideas. I completed my M.A. and decided

not to enter the law program, but I was still uncertain about my career path. Ironically, it was the ocean which
guided me back into academia and what I consider to be the most intellectually stimulating years of my life.
Photo: Karin surfing at Mokulē‘ia Beach, O‘ahu.
In 2002, I accepted a dream summer position as a surf guide for a
surf camp in Sāmoa on the island of Upolu. During this program, I
realized that my surfing community has had a profound impact on
indigenous communities throughout Oceania. I began to see
underlying political, social, and ethical issues emerging from my
surf fantasy—a fantasy that has been glossed over by surfing
magazines, advertisements, and by the surf tourism industry. I
began to see the impacts that our desire to ride waves has had on
the island locales which surfers seek out to indulge their surf
fantasies. Despite our perceived identities as organic beings, we
are neither innocent nor benign voyagers, a truth which illuminates
how our experiences and our practices often escape our intentions and philosophies. I realized that we are no longer
merely a community of anti-establishment thrill-seekers; we are now also a group of international, neocolonial
capitalists.
I began to reflect on the impacts that the surf tourism industry might be having in Hawai‘i, and I wondered how
surf tourism was affecting Kānaka Maoli (the Hawaiian people). I asked myself how the surf industry plays a part
in the neocolonial domination in Hawai‘i. And, more significantly, how does the indigenous activity of he‘e nalu
(surfing), along with other oceanic activities, simultaneously provide itself as a means of empowerment for
Hawaiians and all Pacific Islanders within this proliferating neocolonial surf tourism industry? With these
questions, I entered the doctoral program at the University of Hawai‘i to explore how ocean-based knowledge is
potentially empowering for Kānaka Maoli within the complex context brought on by the political colonization of
Hawai‘i.
I decided to pursue a doctoral degree because of my experience in Sāmoa and my desire to understand how the
indigenous sport of he‘e nalu offered Native Hawaiians a way of reconnecting to “self” in the face of a neocolonial
reality, the surf tourism industry. I finished my degree in May of this year, and the
best part about finishing has been the psychological freedom. I feel as if I have
more time (although I don’t think I actually do) to dive into projects within the
community. I can finally change my focus from completing the degree and from
being a formal student to engaging the community as a professional, drawing
upon the work I conducted at the university.
Photo: Karin’s great-grandfather, Yee See Kau, and grandfather, Paul Yee.
Since I was young I have noticed a heightened interest in honoring, learning more
about, and preserving our Hawaiian identities alongside our other identities so
that we can allow ourselves to be complex, i.e., both modern and indigenous
individuals. I have seen this through the powerful resurgence efforts of learning
and practicing ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i (Hawaiian language), hula, lauhala weaving, use of
the Hawaiian language newspapers, ho‘okele (voyaging), etc., by my own friends
and ‘ohana (family). I think this is part of a larger movement away from the
disgrace and shame of the past, which were particularly embraced by my
grandparents’ and even parents’ generations, to one of dignity and pride today.

My work attempts to articulate that “language” not only involves the spoken or written word. I believe that the
Hawaiian language, particularly because of its colonial legacy, also includes the genealogy of history that is
specifically Hawaiian. I rely on the language of the ocean to articulate contemporary Hawaiian concepts and to help
me understand and relate to my own disconnected genealogy and place in Hawai‘i. This involves defining literacy
as more than reading history, maps, and knowledge written on paper, but also reading history, maps, and
knowledge written in the sea.
My concept of seascape epistemology is an approach to knowing presumed on knowledge of the sea, which tells
one how to move through the sea and how to approach life and knowing through the movements of the world. I
believe seascape epistemology offers a way of thinking for contemporary Native Hawaiians that is rooted in our
genealogy and culture. It is an alternative literacy that is relevant to our region, and it is a literacy that has been
marginalized by colonial notions of literacy. I hope that my concept helps to encourage a multi-sited understanding
of literacy as a complex and constantly evolving skill embedded in interwoven sets of knowledge.
Photo: Karin (far right) and her ‘ohana (father Richard, sister Kina, Karin,
mother Caroline) at Christmas 2004.
Engaging indigenous-based epistemologies allows for innovation
and the implementation of new solutions in an effort to delve into
the historical and psychological causes of poverty, poor educational
opportunities, addictions, imprisonment, and chronic illnesses
among Kānaka Maoli. I hope that this literacy can help to act as a
catalyst in shifting the focus of our educational systems back toward
our values of kuleana (responsibility) and mālama ‘āina (land
stewardship) by using our islands as a classroom. We need to focus
on issues of sustainability through tradition to protect our unique
and extraordinary home.
In my dissertation, I explored the idea of building a hālau o ke kai, which would develop as an educational center
which teaches, applies, and supports oceanic literacy: ho‘okele, he'e nalu, lawai‘a (fishing), limu (underwater
plants) picking, reef and ecological care, as well as knowledge about marine life and environment within the
particular ahupua‘a (Hawaiian land division) in which the hālau would be located. The entire ahupua‘a will be
emphasized in the hālau, upholding the Kanaka connection between mauka
(inland) and makai (coastal). It will emphasize a connection to place through the
restoration of fish ponds and native plants in the ahupua‘a, as well as other
elements of the natural system.
I envision ka hālau o ke kai consisting of a set of several hale (structures) which
sit along a coastline, where students and kūpuna will meet daily for instruction,
work, and/or activities. It is a place to realize the ideas, concepts, and theories
of the academy, such as seascape epistemology, and where community culture,
knowledge, and identity can be directly addressed and fostered. Bringing
together academic strengths and abilities with those of Kanaka experience and
culture creates a very powerful potential for Hawai‘i. The hālau o ke kai offers a
space in which to engage the imagination for diverse and alternative futures
prided in cultural confidence. It is an educational hub, a research site, as well as
a cultural center for the youth and people of Hawai‘i.
Photo: Karin pulling invasive limu in Maunalua Bay.

Ka hālau will build upon the current work of charter and immersion schools, but it will focus entirely on the ocean
and will also offer itself as a community center available for work "after" school (the school day would differ at the
hālau) and on weekends. It will include charter and immersion schools in classes or even make ka hālau part of
their curriculum. I believe this system will successfully engage youth because there will be a sense of ownership for
ka hālau and the ‘āina on which the many hale sit. Students will embrace the responsibility of caring for the hālau
using their newly learned knowledge and skills, because they have an investment in ka hālau—they will help to
build and create it as part of their own community. Further, ka hālau will be a place for families to convene and
meet while engaging in cultural recreation and education. Parents find a safe and positive place to leave their
children and/or actively participate with their children. Ka hālau o ke kai draws upon Hawaiian ways of knowing,
learning, and teaching, through place-specific values and cultural activities of survival and recreation. The goal is to
create sensitive, well-rounded, moral, and interested individuals.
Being born and raised in Maunalua Bay, surfing its waves and fishing the lagoon, I am personally invested in
helping to care for it. I have been working with Mālama Maunalua, a community-based organization that strives to
preserve the Maunalua region through community kuleana. I participate in “Pakini Surveys” (a survey used to
understand the status of our resources in the bay and our effects on them), hands-on limu huki (gathering) and
educational outreach programs, alongside Mālama Maunalua’s partners, The Nature Conservancy, the Polynesian
Voyaging Society, Hui Nalu Canoe Club, NOAA, and the University of Hawai‘i, among others, to educate
elementary and high school students about the health of and marine life in the bay. In this way, students can better
understand and are exposed to the dangers of, for example, pollutant run-off and invasive algae.
Photo: Karin and her husband, Russell, ready to push in one of the many loads of
invasive limu that the volunteers and staff of Mālama Maunalua and The Nature
Conservancy extracted from the Bay.
I have also been working with Na Kama Kai, a nonprofit
organization whose mission is to empower youth by creating,
conducting, and supporting ocean-based programs, specifically
ocean awareness and safety. I help with the group’s ocean clinics
where I participate in the effort to get youth into the ocean to
experience and to learn about both themselves and the ‘āina. Na
Kama Kai is so effective because it brings underprivileged, foster,
and land-locked youth down to the beach and offers them an
opportunity they wouldn’t otherwise have, to engage in he‘e nalu,
stand-up he‘e nalu, hoe wa‘a (paddling), and shaping papa he‘e nalu (surfboards). Involving myself with both of
these organizations helps to ground me in my academic work and advances my goal to support cultural and
environmental education though a physical and intellectual interaction with the ocean.
My husband, Russell Amimoto, is a captain of the Hōkūle‘a and a
longtime member of the Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS),
which is how I also became a member of the voyaging ‘ohana. I
am not a voyager, having only participated in coastal sails and with
fundraising efforts for voyages, but I am fortunate enough to be
surrounded by some of the great watermen and women associateD
with PVS. Being part of the PVS ‘ohana has truly offered my work
relevance, insight, and meaning as I witness one powerful way in
which oceanic literacy is being practiced and lived today.
Photo: Karin and her husband, Russell Amimoto, with Hōkūle‘a at dock.

Being awarded the Mellon-Hawai‘i Postdoctoral Fellowship is an honor, and I am embracing the experience.
Having the opportunity to dedicate this year to writing my book manuscript is a privilege, but more significantly,
the fellowship encourages the establishment of relationships between us as fellows, and between us and some of
Hawai‘i’s leaders. We are surrounded by mentors with brilliant minds who are willing to listen to our ideas and
encourage our work. It is a remarkable and humbling experience to be given the opportunity to work with such
accomplished and supportive colleagues.
I have set three main goals for myself during my fellowship year. The first is to complete my first book manuscript,
which is based on my concept of seascape epistemology. My second goal is to secure a book contract for
publication of my manuscript. My third goal is to develop pa‘a (strong) relationships within the community so that
I can continue to learn and realize my goals of supporting ocean-based education and literacy. I want to contribute
to the effort to get youth back into the ocean, not only so that they learn to love and protect it, but also so that they
can connect with and feel empowered by it as they develop into strong and confident individuals and pursue their
future professions, no matter what field they choose.