Nānākuli/Waianae Huakaʻi
Ma ka hana ka ʻike (In working, one learns). The morning of the summit will include 10 huakaʻi across Leeward Oʻahu where participants will immerse themselves in the place and be guided by the kiaʻi (caretakers) through a ma ka hana ka ʻike experience. The 10 huakaʻi are listed below with details on the experience. Review and determine which one you will select prior to registering.
Note: huakaʻi are subject to change
Click here to register
Note: huakaʻi are subject to change
Click here to register
Kaʻala Farm and Cultural learning centerThe roots of Ka`ala Farm and its Cultural Learning Center reach back to the early 1970s, when a group of alienated youth involved with the Wai`anae Rap Center began hiking in the uplands of Wai`anae Valley. There, they stumbled upon rock terraces. Unversed in their culture, they didn’t recognize them as lo`i kalo (wet taro fields). Thirty years later, the people of the community have made it their mission to reclaim and preserve the living culture of the Po‘e Kahiko (people of old) in order to strengthen the kinship relationships between the ‘āina (land, that which nourishes) and all forms of life necessary to sustain the balance of life on these vulnerable islands. They fulfill this mission by cultivating and restoring this ancient agricultural site and revitalizing the tradition of Kalo planting along with other traditional Native Hawaiian plants. Water restoration activities and community development and education also accompany this work. Participants on this huakaʻi will learn the moʻolelo of the place from the kiaʻI (caretakers) and work in the Lo’i and on other cultivating/agricultural activities depending on what the ʻāina needs that day.
Level of Intensity: 2-3 What to bring: hat, slippers and closed toed shoes, filled water bottle, clothes to get dirty, change of clothes, sunscreen, oli appropriate, but not required |
Kaʻena Natural area reserveThis huakaʻi starts at 7:30 am due to the distance to the site. You must arrive at Waiʻanae High by 7:15. Protocol will be held at Kaʻena.
People have been a part of Ka‘ena Point for generations. Many trace their ancestors to this special place. Within the reserve is leina a ka ‘uhane (Spirit Leap), which is considered to be a wahi pana, a celebrated legendary place. Early Hawaiians used Ka‘ena Point for fishing and feather collecting. Today, people of various cultures visit Ka‘ena Point for fishing, hiking, bicycling, and other recreational and educational activities. Ka‘ena Point is an excellent example of the type of ecosystem that can be found in Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It is home to monk seals, native coastal plants species and one of the largest seabird colonies in the eight main Hawaiian Islands. Kekai Mar, Oʻahu's Outreach and Education Specialist for the Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) at DLNR, will share the moʻolelo of this place and lead participants in the restoration activities including removing invasive species, out-planting endangered native species and watering other endemic plants, while identifying and exploring a unique sand dune ecosystem, its culture, flora and fauna. Level of Intensity: 5 - must be physically fit What to bring: hat, clean (no mud or seeds) closed toed boots/shoes with good tread, filled water bottle, long sleeve shirt and pants, sun glasses, sunscreen Click here for more details on Kaʻena Point. |
Hawaiian cultural practicesKa Waihona o ka Na`auao Public Charter School is situated in Nānākuli right on the shoreline of the stunning leeward oʻahu coast. The school works to create socially responsible, resilient and resourceful young men and women, by providing an environment of academic excellence, social confidence and cultural awareness. Kumu (teachers) and haumana (students) from Ka Waihona will share moʻolelo from this place while leading participants through various Hawaiian cultural activities including pounding kalo using papa kuʻiai and pohaku kuʻiʻai for poi pounding, mele and oli, and more. They will also share how the school uses culture, ʻāina, project and place based education approaches coupled with ʻike kupuna to build relationships, engage haumana and their ohana, and provide a rigorous learning environment that is grounded in Hawaiian cultural values and approaches.
Level of Intensity: 1 What to bring: hat, filled water bottle, musical instrument and mele are welcome |
Nānākuli Muliwai ExplorationParticipants will travel to the Nānakuli muliwai (wetland/estuary) located near what is referred to as Zablan Beach. Here, the Mālama Learning Center, in partnership with Kahikai, will share the moʻolelo of this area and lead participants through several activities that link STEAM with traditional Hawaiian cultural practices and knowledge including water quality testing, out planting at wetland plant experimentation sites, plankton and cell-scope activities, and marine debris monitoring and control. These efforts are focused on regenerating the health of the muliwai and the entire Nānākuli watershed. Throughout the huakaʻi, participants will discuss how these activities, supported by community engagement and participation, are bringing STEAM to life for haumana (students), creating citizen scientists, and restoring the ʻāina.
Level of Intensity: 2 What to bring: hat, closed toed shoes, filled water bottle Click here for more details on Malama Learning Center. |
HOA ʻĀINA O MAKAHALocated in Makaha Valley adjacent to Makaha Elementary, Hoa ʻĀina O Mākaha, also known as "the farm" has focused on supporting family, community self-reliance, and peace making on the Waiʻanae Coast since 1979. Together with the children of their community, they rediscover the traditional values of Hawaiian Culture, the love for the ʻĀina, love for each other and for the world in which we live. Programs offered to students across the island of Oʻahu include gardening, Hawaiian culture, renewable energy, animal care, and a peace center for cultural exchange. Participants on this huakaʻi will hear moʻolelo from Uncle Gigi, the founder of Hoa ʻĀina, tour the 5-acre farm and educational resources center, engage in an activity with kalo while learning more about the significance of this plant to Hawaiʻi, and discuss ways to link similar activities to the classroom and HĀ.
Level of Intensity: 1 What to bring: hat, closed toed shoes, filled water bottle, sunscreen, and mosquito repellant To learn more, visit the website. |
Nānākuli Valley Archaelogical explorationMost of the archaeological sites and terrain of the old Hawaiian cultural landscape of upper Nānākuli valley are still present. Several preserves have been arranged containing the best examples of houses, fields, and religious sites. This huaka'i will take participants up to Lyman Ranch and enable the group to see some of these places. Professor of Hawaiian Studies at UH West Oahu, Ross Cordy, will guide the group and share moʻolelo of the place, it's history and people, and discuss general settlement patterns in the valley. He will connect these moʻolelo to current day preservation issues and actions being led by community and public agencies. He will also discuss the archaeological and preservation work being conducted by students from schools in the area and how this work can bring learning alive.
Level of Intensity: 2-3 What to bring: hat, closed toed shoes, filled water bottle, long pants |
Makua Valley Exploration and Heiau VisitEven though it’s inaccessible to the public today, Makua valley plays an important role in past and current Hawaiian culture, traditions, and practices. Archaeological evidence shows that prior to western contact, the valley was home to a thriving Hawaiian community that spread throughout the leeward coast. In more recent years, Makua valley played a pivotal role in the Hawaiian renaissance as the community fought to stop bombing in the valley by military. Live-fire training ended 12 years ago, but the military still controls the area and uses it for training purposes. This huakaʻi will take participants to visit sacred sites that have survived including a traditional heiau. The guides will share moʻolelo of this place and their current efforts to preserve, protect, and restore native plants and species and Hawaiian cultural practices.
Level of Intensity: 3 What to bring: hat, closed toed shoes, filled water bottle, sunscreen, photo id (required to access the site), Participants may also bring a hoʻokupu to place at the ahu or heiau. A hoʻokupu is an offering given freely as an expression of gratitude, respect, and aloha. This is not required, but may be included if this is part of your own cultural practices. |
Waʻa e ala kekoa o waiʻanaeIn 1980, E Ala was conceived by a people’s desire to know their origins and to revitalize maritime traditions along the Waiʻanae coast. E Ala is a 45-foot long, double-hulled voyaging canoe, or wa‘a kaulua, and is hand-steered with a large paddle called a sweep. It is one of a handful of its kind in Hawai‘i crafted using ancient design in modern times. A well-known example of this vessel is Hokule‘a. This huakaʻi will be held at the halau waʻa (home of the waʻa) at Pokaʻi Bay in Waiʻanae. Kaina Nakanealoha, Captain of E`Ala, will share the history of the waʻa and how the community came together to restore the canoe and build the halau waʻa. He will share the moʻolelo related to the deep connection to voyaging along the leeward coast. Participants will also engage in navigation and way-finding activities and restoration projects.
Level of Intensity: 3 What to bring: hat, closed toed shoes, filled water bottle, sunscreen, oli appropriate, but not required Click here for more information on E Ala. |
PālehuaThis huakaʻi starts at 8 am due to the distance to the site. Protocol will be held at Pālehua.
Pālehua sits in the Waiʻanae Mountain Range and includes the mauka section of the Honouliuli ahupuaʻa. Following the dissolution of the Campbell Estate, much of the land became part of the Olson Trust (2,687 acres) and the Gil ʻEwa Lands. LLC. (1,600 acres). Both trusts have committed to be stewards of these designated conservation and agricultural lands, which include many historical and archeological sites from pre-contact times. Their efforts focus on native plant reforestation, water conservation, preservation of cultural and historic sites, sustainable land use, and education. Ranger Anu will share moʻolelo of this place and take participants to visit the Pā, a 450 year old Hawaiian cultural site thought to have been used to train navigators, and to Manu Kapu, a point on the mountain range hosting views of leeward and central Oʻahu, and if the weather permits, some of the neighbor islands. Level of Intensity: 1-2 What to bring: hat, closed toed shoes, filled water bottle, sunscreen, oli appropriate, but not required |
GEOLOGical Formation of Waiʻanae coastUH professor, Scott Rowland, who specializes in Volcanology, Geochemistry, and Petrology Division, will lead a huakaʻi up to Pālehua for a birds eye view of the Waiʻanae coast and share the history of the ʻāina through a geological framework. Participants will hike for 30 minutes to reach the Nānākuli Overlook where they will see the full view of geological formations. The geological formations of the Waiʻanae coast tells a special moʻolelo that helped shape how people from early times until today interacted with the land. The region is part of the Waiʻanae Mountains, which was once a large shield volcano that formed a gently sloping dome. Overtime, erosion of the volcano resulted in wide and gently sloping valleys with dramatic hills doting low lying areas, thus forming the dramatic landscape features of Waiʻanae today. Professor Rowland will also tie in educational opportunities related to the study of geology.
Level of Intensity: 3-4 What to bring: hat, closed toed shoes, filled water bottle, sunscreen, sunglasses |