Konohiki Restoration Project
September, 2018
Mission.
Konohiki Restoration Project is restoring the health to the land and that which sustains; from the mountains to the ocean and from the heavens to the people, both Hawaiian Nationals and those others who care for the land.
Primary Purpose.
To provide services to Native Hawaiians and Hawaiian Nationals
Description.
We are a community organization that works to restore and perpetuate the culture of Hawaiian National and Native Hawaiian people through their lands, lifestyles, and sustainable systems.
Context.
The highest values of Hawaiian Nationals and Native Hawaiians include malama aina (care for the land) and aloha aina (love the land). It is the land that produces taro, the sacred staple food of indigenous Hawaiian people. Yet most Hawaiian Nationals and Native Hawaiians do not have access to farm land. The inflated prices for real estate on Kauaʻi keep Native Hawaiians disproportionately homeless and landless. In Kilauea on the island of Kauaʻi we will provide five acres of land where Native Hawaiians and Hawaiian Nationals may grow taro and engage in other customary practices.
Our base of operations, the Konohiki Historic Preservation Facility, is located at the Kilauea site. The facility is to be an office and meeting place as well as an indoor area for cultural education and gatherings. Our administrative functions now take place in an auxiliary building and remotely until we can secure the funding to move into our permanent home.
Services and operations.
1. Promoting and perpetuating the Native Hawaiian culture.
Beyond growing taro, the Native Hawaiian culture is enjoying a renaissance expressed in part by a broad interest on the part of both Native Hawaiians, Hawaiian Nationals, and others in learning and witnessing customary practices. For years Kaʻimi Hermosura has offered both formal and informal classes, workshops and field trips through the unincorporated progenitor of Konohiki Restoration Project, Na Keiki Koa 4 Haloa, which was funded through its fiscal sponsor, Inter-Nation Cultural Foundation. Today he continues to facilitate the opportunity for individuals to take part in customary practices including:
Hawaiian National and Native Hawaiian Protocols
Traditional Medicine
Hawaiian Crafts
Ancient Ceremony
Restoration and Protection of Ancient Hawaiian Cultural Sites
Hawaiian Astronomy & Celestial Navigation
Historical Studies and Documentation
Hawaiian Arts
Survival & Sustainable Living
Cultivation of Foods and Farming
Food Gathering and Preparation
Fishing
Hunting
At our Kilauea site we will offer regular classes and workshops in these traditional arts and skills as well as demonstrations and interactive experiences that further promote and perpetuate customary Native Hawaiian practices.
2. Building traditional Hawaiian voyaging canoes.
Core to the culture of Hawaiian Nationals and Native Hawaiians is the construction and sailing of voyaging canoes, an art that was all but lost until the 1970's. Today the skills of constructing traditional voyaging canoes and celestial navigation without the aid of instruments are held by just a handful of people, among them being Kaʻimi Hermosura. Other experienced canoe builders and sailors are on the team, eager to build the world's next voyaging canoe. The re-purposed hulls are in storage at the Kilauea site as we seek the funds to begin construction. In addition to providing the land and facilities to build a canoe we hope to provide equipment, materials and supplies. Our intention is for this to be the first of a fleet of canoes, and we would like to start a school of Hawaiian celestial navigation.
3. Increasing awareness of the indigenous Hawaiian experience.
Kaʻimi's personal experiences of being raised in the context of the customary indigenous Hawaiian lifestyle is also portrayed in Stewards Of The Land In Paradise, his recent article in the September 2018 issue of Cultural Survival Quarterly, which is a globally distributed publication of the international indigenous rights organization, Cultural Survival. We are perpetuating the knowledge of traditional Hawaiian life ways by sharing them with the world and at home. Kaʻimi Hermosura also teaches customary chants to individuals and groups and regularly leads indigenous ceremonies, carrying on both the oral tradition and spiritual expression of both Hawaiian Nationals and Native Hawaiians. We would like to expand to offering a service in translation and Hawaiian Language classes for both children and adults.
4. Engaging the community to protect, restore and preserve sacred places.
Native Hawaiians regard the sacred places of their ancestors as sacred today. They honor these places and show respect by cleaning and maintaining them. These places include ancient grave sites, temples, and monuments. As a traditional leader of the Native Hawaiian community, Kaʻimi Hermosura organizes and leads work parties to clean and maintain these places, which are often littered by tourists.
In some cases sacred sites are in need of restoration as well maintenance as ancient stones are often toppled. Stone altars have also been destroyed and are sometimes re-built entirely. In this way the knowledge of how to build a sacred stone altar is passed down to others.
5. Providing training and technical assistance to perpetuate the production of taro using traditional techniques.
Kaimi Hermosura's family was one of the last Native Hawaiian families farming taro in the traditional way in Hanalei Valley. He grew up tending the taro patches and irrigation canals, fishing, hunting, gathering and participating in many customary practices.
Because taro is a sacred food to Native Hawaiians, its cultivation is central to the expression of their religion and spirituality. Taro is to them the elder brother of man. The native varieties of taro are each revered for their own characteristics and considered family members.
The introduction of mono-crop taro hybrids has resulted in the scarcity or extinction of traditional taro varieties. This is accompanied by a dwindling knowledge of how to grow taro using indigenous agricultural technology and methods.
Kaʻimi Hermosura is playing a crucial role in the perpetuation of both traditional taro varieties and the knowledge of how to grow them. He has for years taught in taro patches in Wainiha, Haena, Kilauea and elsewhere on Kauaʻi. As traditional taro varieties are specific to micro-climates, the perpetuation of some varieties depends on them being grown in specific locations. Kaʻimi leads groups to remote valleys to tend to patches of rare taro varieties kept by the streams.
We intend to create taro paddies at our Kilauea site where we will expand agricultural training as we cultivate organic heirloom taro varieties for consumption by the farmers and their families.
September, 2018
Mission.
Konohiki Restoration Project is restoring the health to the land and that which sustains; from the mountains to the ocean and from the heavens to the people, both Hawaiian Nationals and those others who care for the land.
Primary Purpose.
To provide services to Native Hawaiians and Hawaiian Nationals
Description.
We are a community organization that works to restore and perpetuate the culture of Hawaiian National and Native Hawaiian people through their lands, lifestyles, and sustainable systems.
Context.
The highest values of Hawaiian Nationals and Native Hawaiians include malama aina (care for the land) and aloha aina (love the land). It is the land that produces taro, the sacred staple food of indigenous Hawaiian people. Yet most Hawaiian Nationals and Native Hawaiians do not have access to farm land. The inflated prices for real estate on Kauaʻi keep Native Hawaiians disproportionately homeless and landless. In Kilauea on the island of Kauaʻi we will provide five acres of land where Native Hawaiians and Hawaiian Nationals may grow taro and engage in other customary practices.
Our base of operations, the Konohiki Historic Preservation Facility, is located at the Kilauea site. The facility is to be an office and meeting place as well as an indoor area for cultural education and gatherings. Our administrative functions now take place in an auxiliary building and remotely until we can secure the funding to move into our permanent home.
Services and operations.
1. Promoting and perpetuating the Native Hawaiian culture.
Beyond growing taro, the Native Hawaiian culture is enjoying a renaissance expressed in part by a broad interest on the part of both Native Hawaiians, Hawaiian Nationals, and others in learning and witnessing customary practices. For years Kaʻimi Hermosura has offered both formal and informal classes, workshops and field trips through the unincorporated progenitor of Konohiki Restoration Project, Na Keiki Koa 4 Haloa, which was funded through its fiscal sponsor, Inter-Nation Cultural Foundation. Today he continues to facilitate the opportunity for individuals to take part in customary practices including:
Hawaiian National and Native Hawaiian Protocols
Traditional Medicine
Hawaiian Crafts
Ancient Ceremony
Restoration and Protection of Ancient Hawaiian Cultural Sites
Hawaiian Astronomy & Celestial Navigation
Historical Studies and Documentation
Hawaiian Arts
Survival & Sustainable Living
Cultivation of Foods and Farming
Food Gathering and Preparation
Fishing
Hunting
At our Kilauea site we will offer regular classes and workshops in these traditional arts and skills as well as demonstrations and interactive experiences that further promote and perpetuate customary Native Hawaiian practices.
2. Building traditional Hawaiian voyaging canoes.
Core to the culture of Hawaiian Nationals and Native Hawaiians is the construction and sailing of voyaging canoes, an art that was all but lost until the 1970's. Today the skills of constructing traditional voyaging canoes and celestial navigation without the aid of instruments are held by just a handful of people, among them being Kaʻimi Hermosura. Other experienced canoe builders and sailors are on the team, eager to build the world's next voyaging canoe. The re-purposed hulls are in storage at the Kilauea site as we seek the funds to begin construction. In addition to providing the land and facilities to build a canoe we hope to provide equipment, materials and supplies. Our intention is for this to be the first of a fleet of canoes, and we would like to start a school of Hawaiian celestial navigation.
3. Increasing awareness of the indigenous Hawaiian experience.
Kaʻimi's personal experiences of being raised in the context of the customary indigenous Hawaiian lifestyle is also portrayed in Stewards Of The Land In Paradise, his recent article in the September 2018 issue of Cultural Survival Quarterly, which is a globally distributed publication of the international indigenous rights organization, Cultural Survival. We are perpetuating the knowledge of traditional Hawaiian life ways by sharing them with the world and at home. Kaʻimi Hermosura also teaches customary chants to individuals and groups and regularly leads indigenous ceremonies, carrying on both the oral tradition and spiritual expression of both Hawaiian Nationals and Native Hawaiians. We would like to expand to offering a service in translation and Hawaiian Language classes for both children and adults.
4. Engaging the community to protect, restore and preserve sacred places.
Native Hawaiians regard the sacred places of their ancestors as sacred today. They honor these places and show respect by cleaning and maintaining them. These places include ancient grave sites, temples, and monuments. As a traditional leader of the Native Hawaiian community, Kaʻimi Hermosura organizes and leads work parties to clean and maintain these places, which are often littered by tourists.
In some cases sacred sites are in need of restoration as well maintenance as ancient stones are often toppled. Stone altars have also been destroyed and are sometimes re-built entirely. In this way the knowledge of how to build a sacred stone altar is passed down to others.
5. Providing training and technical assistance to perpetuate the production of taro using traditional techniques.
Kaimi Hermosura's family was one of the last Native Hawaiian families farming taro in the traditional way in Hanalei Valley. He grew up tending the taro patches and irrigation canals, fishing, hunting, gathering and participating in many customary practices.
Because taro is a sacred food to Native Hawaiians, its cultivation is central to the expression of their religion and spirituality. Taro is to them the elder brother of man. The native varieties of taro are each revered for their own characteristics and considered family members.
The introduction of mono-crop taro hybrids has resulted in the scarcity or extinction of traditional taro varieties. This is accompanied by a dwindling knowledge of how to grow taro using indigenous agricultural technology and methods.
Kaʻimi Hermosura is playing a crucial role in the perpetuation of both traditional taro varieties and the knowledge of how to grow them. He has for years taught in taro patches in Wainiha, Haena, Kilauea and elsewhere on Kauaʻi. As traditional taro varieties are specific to micro-climates, the perpetuation of some varieties depends on them being grown in specific locations. Kaʻimi leads groups to remote valleys to tend to patches of rare taro varieties kept by the streams.
We intend to create taro paddies at our Kilauea site where we will expand agricultural training as we cultivate organic heirloom taro varieties for consumption by the farmers and their families.
