Programs
Ka Pahuhopu o Kawainui
Fall/Spring/Summer intercession programing for ʻōpio 11-14 yr old
KA PAHUHOPU O KAWAINUI is an out-of-school, Hawaiian culture-based, ʻōlelo-rich, ʻāina education program designed for middle school to early high school-aged learners (11-14 year olds) from Kailua and neighboring ahupuaʻa in Koʻolaupoko, Oʻahu. Held during Fall & Spring (invitation only) and Summer sessions, the program focuses on engaging youth with cultural practitioners, community leaders, kumu, and kūpuna of Kailua in intergenerational transfer of Hawaiian knowledge and practices including story-telling, mele, food cultivation and preparation, and community-based land stewardship and restoration. We aim to nurture and develop ʻōpio who are caring, community-minded people, have a strong sense of kuleana, and exemplify Hawaiian values and ʻŌiwi leadership. During the Summer, two sessions are held in English and one session is a fully dedicated Hawaiian language immersion experience for our ʻōpio ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. We turn to one of the most important living narratives of our ahupuaʻa as the foundational text to guide the development of all aspects of this program. The traditional Kailua moʻolelo for Mākālei, the fish-attracting branch of Kawainui fishpond, provides a culturally grounded, contextually relevant framework upon which to build the program. Even the name for the program - Ka Pahuhopu o Kawainui (literally, “the goal is Kawainui”) - comes from a catchphrase that occurs throughout the story. It reminds us of what we should be striving for in our ahupuaʻa: the return of productivity to Kawainui and well-being to Kailua. The moʻolelo of Mākālei teaches us through the journey of a Kailua boy (around the same age as the learners we target for the program), his grandmother, and their Kailua chiefs, that this goal can only be accomplished through the efforts of a community intent on care at every possible level: care for land, care for water, care for people, care for relationships, and care for legacy. It is through the moʻolelo for Mākālei that we see the youth of our Ka Pahuhopu program as agents of this care.
‘A‘e Kū
Fall/Spring/Summer intercession mini-internship for ʻōpio 15-17 yr old
ʻAʻE KŪ is an offshoot of our Ka Pahuhopu o Kawainui program. It is an invitation only mini, work-based learning internship held during the Fall, Spring and Summer sessions for past participants of Ka Pahuhopu o Kawainui but who have aged out of the program (15-17 years olds). As with every part of our Ka Pahuhopu o Kawainui program, ʻAʻe Kū is inspired and informed by our foundational moʻolelo of Mākālei (the fish attracting branch of Kawainui fishpond). Kahinihiniʻula, the young boy and main character of the story, begins the moʻolelo as a keiki and then goes through training and leadership development with his kūpuna, akua, and aliʻi in order to prepare him to carry additional kuleana for his community at the end of the story. Similarly, becoming an ʻAʻe Kū is an opportunity for former Ka Pahuhopu ʻōpio to grow and transition into a new space of learning with us on ʻāina in order to support and nurture their growth as young ʻāina leaders, which we define as someone who knows the stories and histories of their ʻāina, who has experienced their place firsthand by “komo i ka ʻāina” (being in/on the land), who has developed an understanding of the cultural values and lessons of their kumu and kūpuna, and who has a developed sense of kuleana to cooperatively work with and support their community.
Pili Mai
Family poi program centered on returning the practice of kuʻi ʻai to families
PILI MAI (meaning “to come together”) brings together families and educators to facilitate their reconnection to Hāloa (the first kalo plant and elder sibling of the Hawaiian people), each other, and our homeland in order to celebrate, inspire, and organize the regeneration of our community around the cultural practices of poi making. The primary component of this program is a multi-month program for a cohort of Kailua-connected families and educators, centered around learning and perpetuating the process of growing, harvesting, preparing, and pounding kalo into poi. Participation is by invitation only. ʻOhana carve their own poi boards and stones and engage in workshops led by cultural experts, learning to take Hāloa (kalo) from mud to mouth. The project culminates in a large community event called Kūʻokoʻa Kūkanono, where participants honor their teachers by passing on the knowledge and skills they learned throughout the program to the larger Kailua community.
(Lā) Kūʻokoʻa Kūkanono
Kūʻokoʻa Kūkanono is a community hoʻolauleʻa in commemoration of Lā Kuʻokoʻa (Hawaiian Independence Day first celebrated on November 28, 1843 after Hawaiʻi was internationally recognized as a sovereign nation) and the culminating activity for our Pili Mai program participants.
(Lā) Kūʻokoʻa Kūkanono
KŪʻOKOʻA simultaneously means both to stand/exist independently, differently, separately; and to stand/exist fully, wholly, completely. KŪKANONO: It is both the name of the ʻili ʻāina that serves as the piko of our work as Kauluakalana and it is also one word for abundance. We have been offering Kūʻokoʻa Kūkanono every year since 2018 as a large, free community hoʻolaulea. Its components of moʻolelo, hula, mele, and food all focus on feeding event attendees and participants in various ways: nutritionally, culturally, intellectually, and spiritually. The food we eat. The ʻāina we care for. The practices we perpetuate. The stories we live. The people we love. These are the things that help us to KŪʻOKOʻA - stand together fully as a community with aloha for our people, land, & culture.
Second Saturdays
Monthly Community Work Days
MAHALO FOR YOUR INTEREST in volunteering at our Monthly Second Saturday Community Work Days! Kauluakalana is dedicated to restoring and revitalizing Kailua back to ʻāina – spaces that feed our community – once again. We welcome everyone of all ages, from keiki to kūpuna. Please join us on ʻāina to huli ka lima i lalo (turn your hands to the ground), hear and learn Kailua-specific moʻolelo (stories), and enjoy an ʻono lunch together with food grown from our beloved ʻāina of Kūkanono, Kailua! We look forward to seeing you there! Location: 1200 Kailua Road, Kailua HI 96734 - We gather behind/below the Windward YMCA at the base of the historic Ulupō heiau in Kailua, Oʻahu. Time: 8:30am-12:30pm Parking: Available at the YMCA parking lot with overflow at the DayBreak Church What to Expect: Our day consists of an opening welcome circle, followed by hana (work) that may involve wet tasks like weeding loʻi kalo or dry tasks like weeding māla or mulching. We provide a few options for hana so everyone can choose the task best suited for them. After hana, we'll gather to share Kailua-specific stories, and then eat an ʻono lunch together (lunch provided by us)! Accessibility: The top of Ulupō Heiau is easily accessible, however, to get to the base of the heiau requires walking down a steep and bumpy path. Liability Waiver: We require everyone to complete a liability waiver on-site (morning of). RSVP: You do not need to sign up ahead of time if you are coming on your own or with a small group of your friends and family. However, if you would like to bring a group of 10+ people, you must email us at info@kauluakalana.org at least a week before the work day to confirm that we can accommodate your group. What to Bring/Wear: • Clothes you don't mind getting dirty • Covered Shoes/Boots/Tabis • Garden/Work Gloves • Sunscreen • Sunglasses • Hat • Water Bottle (Refillable water station available) • Mess Kit for Lunch 2024 Second Saturday Community Work Day Dates: • AUG 10th • SEP 14th • OCT 12th • NOV 9th • DEC 14th
School & Group Visits
Schedule an ʻĀina Education Experience to Ulupō Nui
AT THE PIKO OF KAILUA on the island of Oʻahu is an area of land within the ʻili ʻāina (small land division) of Kūkanono that we refer to as Ulupō Nui ("greater Ulupō”). This area of land extends from the base of Ulupō heiau to the banks of Kawainui fishpond. It is here where we provide opportunities for members of our community to engage in our unique culture-based, ʻōlelo-rich, kaiāulu-focused, ʻāina learning activities that are all deeply rooted to our beloved ahupuaʻa of Kailua. Whether you are looking for an opportunity to mālama ʻāina, reconnect to your homeland, give back to your community, organize a field trip for your students, arrange professional development sessions for your faculty/staff or fulfill service-learning requirements for school or a scholarship, we can offer a learning space for you. We welcome learners of all ages from pre-kindergarten to post-secondary, from keiki to kūpuna. Mahalo for your interest in our ʻāina education work at Ulupō Nui, and we look forward to connecting with you! To schedule a visit, please fill out our Inquiry Form as early as possible (two months in advance is recommended as our schedule fills up quickly). Once received, our staff will reach out to you to discuss the details of your request, provide additional information (including any costs that may be associated with your visit), answer any questions you may have, and confirm your visit. All participants in our activities at Ulupō Nui are required to complete liability waiver forms. We will send you these forms (adult & minor) once weʻve scheduled your visit. What to Expect: All of our ʻāina learning experiences center around growing healthy relationships between kānaka and ʻāina, people and place, through the aloha ʻāina practices of retelling Kailua specific stories, replanting and eating our ancestral foods, and caring for the sacred sites, lands, and waters of our beloved ahupuaʻa of Kailua. A typical visit runs from 8:30am to 12:30pm (but this is flexible and based upon your preferences) and includes welcoming protocol, an opening circle, hana (work on ʻāina), and moʻolelo (storytelling). Time to eat lunch together is also an option upon request. This is our normal outline, but we are open to tailoring the experience to your specific group’s needs (upon request). What to Bring/Wear: • Clothes you don't mind getting dirty • Covered • Shoes/Boots/Tabis • Garden/Work Gloves (if you have) • Sunscreen • Sunglasses • Hat • Water Bottle • Lunch/Snack • Mess Kit (if we’re providing lunch)
