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. |