> Ikaia Chu < On a more fun note, I thought it would be interesting to document everything I ate down in Aotearoa (excluding all the boring food we cooked or made ourselves). Unfortunately I didn't have the presence of mind to take a picture of what was my favorite meal the entire trip: my massive New Zealand, grass fed cattle steak. But anyways, here are the rest of the things I ate down under.
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> Ikaia Chu < Over the last few weeks since we got back home, I’ve been reflecting upon and this experience, just trying to put my feelings into words (an impossible task it seems). There was just so much that we did and learned, it seems surreal as if it were all just a dream. And even now, three week since we returned home, I can still remember vividly everything we did in Aotearoa as if it were yesterday. We (30 or so Hawaiians) chanted in front of over two thousand Maori students, greeting each and every single one after! We worked on the Hikianalia as though it were our home! We even SAILED the Hokulea! I don’t think I’ll ever have another experience that even comes remotely close to this one. I would first like to thank all three of our teachers, Mr. Blake, Mr. Kamalu, and Ms. Arce for giving me this experience in the first place. I am very thankful to have been one of the ten students selected for this trip, and I am very glad I decided to go. Before the trip, I guess I didn’t really know much about the trip at all; I just thought, “Hey, I’ve never been to New Zealand before. That would be kinda cool.” But after coming home and finally settling down again, I can now see how great of an experience this really was. I’d also like to thank each and every one of you students who went on the trip with me. I may not have known all of you at the start, but by the end of the trip, after growing together, we were truly one family. The trip wouldn’t have been the same if even one of you were absent. Now first of all, let me say that I have never recognized myself as a very cultural Hawaiian in any way. I speak the language a tiny bit, but I never really cared much about the culture. For me, it's was just something I learned about to pass classes. However, this trip has truly changed me as a person and as a Hawaiian.
As a person, this trip has helped me find myself again, after years of going through the motions. Participating in the welcoming ceremony of the Hoku and visiting Te Reo schools showed me the pride the Maori people take in their culture and the power with which they perform songs and dances. As Mr. Blake would say, “we traveled all the way down to New Zealand in hopes of becoming better Hawaiians.” Watching the Maori for a whole week has really inspired me to change who I am as a person. It has inspired me to take pride in my culture, and to be proud of who I am. As well as helping me find myself, this trip has given my life direction in this very crucial time before I head off to college. Unless you’re one of those very driven kids who know exactly where they’re going in life (which I’m not), it’s hard to figure out which direction to head in. For me, I know what things I like and don’t like, but I have absolutely no clue what I want to do for the rest of my life. The most significant thing that I have taken from this trip was not specifically about voyaging, but rather about the PVS’s mission and how important it is, as future leaders of Hawaii, to give back to Hawaii and my people. This experience has given me peace in the sense that I realize its really not so important what exactly I decide to do with my life. I realize that it doesn’t matter whether I become a doctor, an engineer, a pilot, or even enter the military; what’s important is that I find a way to give back to Hawaii in whatever I do. Now, although the trip has come to an end, our journey has just begun. Now, our mission is to take what we learned, whether it be about voyaging, physics, or sustainability, and use it to educate others. Because we were given this opportunity, we carry the responsibility of spreading the mission and vision of the Worldwide Voyage and the Malama Honua project. On a final note, I would like to again express just how grateful I am to have been a part of this experience. This trip has given me two things I didn’t initially expect to find: pride in my culture, and a purpose in life. Coin stack version 2... Well here we are, finally at what seems to be the end. It's been a few weeks since we said goodbye to Aotearoa, and I am still missing it. Anyways here is my final reflection. Kainoa Ah QuinAs I sit here in Hawaii thinking about all the things we've experienced, I am still baffled. My thoughts keep racing without allowing my mouth/body time to catch up. I feel like I have all these things that want to come out but it's so hard for me to say them (that is partially why this has taken so long). But I guess I will just have to try my best. I believe that things happen for a reason. I don't really know if it's true, but it feels like it is for me. Everything leading up to this trip has helped to prepare me in some way for it and now that it has come to an end, it seems as if the trip has prepared me for something even bigger - as if going to New Zealand wasn't big enough. At first, I had no idea what to expect. All I knew was that our main purpose of going to Aotearoa was to help out on the two wa'a: Hokule'a and Hikianalia. The things that we actually did were definitely not what I imagined - in the best ways possible of course. For example, sailing Hoku. We didn't just sail on Hoku, we sailed Hoku! How many people, other than crew members, can say that they've done something like that?! We have literally experienced something that is a one-in-a-million type experience, maybe even one-in-a-billion. But seriously it was such a special time. We are now a part of Hoku, and Hoku is now a part of us. On the trip, Mr Blake kind of introduced us as, "Hawaiians who came to Aotearoa to learn how to be more Hawaiian". Totally makes sense: yes, no? Well, if you ask me, it makes total sense. We went to Aotearoa not necessarily to learn how to be Hawaiian, but to gain a pride for our own culture. It is the hope that the pride we have gained on this trip will help us to be better Hawaiian people. I don't mean that you can't find Hawaiian pride in Hawaii, but for me, seeing the passion and centered-ness the Maori people have in their culture makes me want to have that too. Now, with recent events, I feel like this trip has come at the perfect time (things happen for a reason).
I don't consider myself, in any way, one of those "Ku'e" Hawaiian activist type people. But since coming back from this trip, I have gained a grander sense of pride for my culture and I feel a little bit more grounded. With the telescope situation going on at Mauna Kea I feel like this Aotearoa trip has come at the perfect time to help me discover who I am and what I stand for. Honestly, I don't know how to react to the telescope because there are pros and cons for both sides but having a better understanding of what it means to be Hawaiian to me, is really helping me to answer some of my own questions. Having been blessed with this wonderful opportunity to travel with this wonderful group, I feel that I now have a responsibility to share all the things I have experienced. Although nothing beats actually going to New Zealand and living the experiences, I feel like our whanau that went on this journey can still help teach others. No matter if it's physics, water quality, or trying to help people gain a better understanding of what being Hawaiian means to them, we now have the responsibility to be there and to help. BUT, we can only hope we do the job justice. Quick video "reflection" shortly after saying goodbye A big mahalo to everyone who was a part of this trip. For Katie's part I meant to say a really smart person rather than another smart person. I swear. Good News! The GoPro works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now that our adventures have come to an end, our journey has just started, the journey to take what we have learned from this trip, and apply it in everything we do. On this trip I have incorporated all of my subjects I am in and have gained understanding in each. In Speech, we are taught to be effective public speakers. I met so many new and important people and had to show who I am and how I was feeling through the words I spoke.
By observing the way the Māori language is, I make connections to these two subjects by distinguishing between the Hawaiian language, and the Māori language of Te Reo. For example, the "k" in the Te Reo translates to an ʻokina in Hawaiian, the "t" (just like in the Tahitian Language) translates to "k". When applying all of these different similarities, the meanings and contexts are the same. It is amazing how a land so far away could have such an identical language, which takes us to the subject of History.
Our History conntects to one another beginning in the Origins of our two different people. We all came from Kahiki and branched off into different lands and cultures but still stay connected and somewhat the same. While at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, there wasn't just history of Aotearoa, but of the World Wars, Holocaust, and the different methods they used. I could relate it to the previous learning I have done and make observations from their point of view in the wars compared to the United States. Connecting a bridge with the Māori and my Hawaiian Culture was incredibly easy. Especially how our History is similar to theirs up until the different countries that took us over. They get the chance to get back what they lost, unlike us.
And the last subject is Math. Though Math is VERY difficult to apply in real life, we still used numbers to count off for attendance if that counts? Just kidding, I had to use math and numbers to read voltages and amps and see the direction of the currents in the wires. Those were just the classes I am taking this year. I also was able to learn things about other classes I had in the past such as Chemistry, Biology, Health, Hawaiian Culture, etc. Overall, I have learned to be a better Hawaiian. I hope other students get the chance to apply their learning in such a PURE HAWAIIAN way. I know I did. I want to thank Mr. Kamalu, Ms. Arce, and most of all Mr. Blake for believing in me and my education. It was an honor to go on this trip. The lessons I learned, the friends I made, and the experiences I lived will stick with me for the rest of my life. I'm feeling pretty proud of myself right now for living through a 48-hour Tuesday and for actually getting to experience Wednesday, April 4th twice. Happy April Fool's Day! Haha except it's no joke. We did some pretty neat time travel to get back home. But now that I am sitting here back at home, I'm going through MAJOR New Zealand withdrawals. It's weird for me to not be busy doing something, and its even more strange that I'm not surrounded by 12 of some of the most awesome friends I've ever made. I feel lonely right now, but I guess that's just a sign that I really enjoyed my time in Aotearoa.
This experience was truly once in a lifetime. The impressiveness of our work and activities is not lost on me. I mean, we got to sail Hokule'a, we got nearly unrestricted access to work on Hikianalia, we got to make Maori friends, we got to explore Auckland by foot, van and wa'a, and the list goes on. I learned so much about Aotearoa, the Maori culture, and most importantly, myself as a Hawaiian. I have always been proud of my Hawaiian heritage, but I feel like I truly connected with who I am as a Hawaiian on this trip. I realized that you don't even have to have Hawaiian blood to be Hawaiian. We seem to get caught up in the notion that having lots of Hawaiian blood or "looking Hawaiian" automatically makes you more Hawaiian, so for someone like me, it can be pretty daunting to feel comfortable identifying with and practicing my culture. But as I watched the Maori kids perform for us, as I talked to the uncles at the comment garden we visited yesterday, as I worked with my new friends to sail ka wa'a, I learned that it's what lies in our na'au that makes us Hawaiian. If we can find that connection, that identity deep within ourselves, and if we have the courage to let it shine through, then and only then are we able to be Hawaiian. The Maori people already got this down. Getting to see how proud and rooted they are in their culture was truly inspiring. They live their culture 24/7. Being Maori isn't just some check-list, complete-20-hours-a-year sort of chore for them. It's a part of life, just as much and perhaps even more than any Western customs and traditions are parts of their lives. They are completely comfortable with expressing their culture because they have found their identity. They know who they are. They are Maori. Just like I am Hawaiian. This trip and all the things I got to do and see helped me to truly find who I am. I am Hawaiian. and that makes me want to be more Hawaiian. I've decided that I will start by continuing my Hawaiian language studies as well as by taking the knowledge I learned on this trip and applying it. I want to give a huge mahalo to all of the people who accompanied me on this trip. First of all, the teachers who guided us (and sometimes lost us on the motorway) and organized our days leading up to the trip as well as our days down in Aotearoa. I know it took lots of intense work, high stress levels and extra time devoted to make this trip such a success, and I am so appreciative of all the work they put into this trip. Mr. Blake, you offered me a once in a lifetime experience, and I learned so much about physics, Hawaiian culture, and most importantly, Hawaiian identity. I don't think I'll ever be able to say thank you enough. Mr. Kamalu, I'm glad that I got to learn about physics in such a unique way. My classroom was literally a hull of a wa'a, and that's one of the most awesome school experiences I've ever had. You're a great teacher, and I'm glad I got to know you better on this trip. I'm so excited to continue learning about electricity in physics class. Ms. Arce. I didn't know you before this trip, but I'm so glad you came and that I got to get to know you. You were an awesome street guide, and you took such good care of us. Whether it was making sure we had enough sandwiches to eat, making sure we got back to the apartments safely, or just making sure our laundry got dry, you were amazing to us! Besides, you cooked dinner for us, and home cooked food always wins my approval. -Katie K. Sakys |
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May 2015
CategoriesContributorsThe members on the Mālama Honua journey will maintain this area to document their experiences. |