HAWAIʻI – During the third week of June, ANA Commissioner Patrice Kunesh visited Hawaiʻi, one of the island areas in the Pacific Region. The ANA Commissioner was able to visit three islands during her week-long stay and connected with several ANA grant recipients.
On her first day of site visits, the ANA Commissioner traveled to the island of Kauaʻi and met with ANA grant recipient, Hanalei River Heritage Foundation (HRHF). With the guidance of Project Director, Kamealoha Hanohano Pa-Smith and project staff, Noa Mau-Espirito
and La Howard. ANA Commissioner Kunesh was given an in-depth tour of the ʻāina (land) that Hanalei River Heritage Foundation cares for at the Keahua Arboretum.
Pictured in this photo from left to right: La Howard, Kamealoha Hanohano Pa-Smith, ANA Commissioner Patrice Kunesh, and Noa Mau-Espirito at Keahua Arboretum.
Hanalei River Heritage Foundation works with Native Hawaiian community members who are experiencing housing and food insecurities are able to access healthy, affordable food grown by local farmers and wrap around social/human services at a convenient location. To learn more about this organization, please visit: Hanalei River Heritage Foundation.
For her second day of site visits to Pacific Region grant recipients, the ANA Commissioner flew to the island of Hawaiʻi, where she was able to see two ANA projects.
The ANA Commissioner’s morning started off with ANA grant recipient, ʻAha Kāne, at Mokuola on Hawaiʻi island. This wahi pana (sacred space) is important to ʻAha Kāne’s Project Iwi Kuamoʻo and the Native Hawaiian community. ʻAha Kāne Project Director, Desiree Cruz (pictured in pink), also took ANA Commissioner Kunesh (pictured in white) to Manono with ANA Pacific Regional Director, Kaulana Ing (pictured in dark blue), where the Commissioner was able to see first-hand what happens behind the scenes of Project Iwi Kuamoʻo.
Project Iwi Kuamo‘o’s goal is to improve the care and protection of ancestral Hawaiian bones and burial sites through training in traditional and contemporary repatriation and reburial practices. To learn more about Project Iwi Kuamoʻo, please visit: Iwi Kuamo‘o · ’Aha Kāne (ahakane.org).
Later that afternoon on Hawaiʻi island, the ANA Commissioner drove to Hāwī to meet with ANA grant recipient, Nā Kālai Waʻa (NKW) . Senior Captain Chadd ʻOnohi Paishon gave the ANA Commissioner a tour of the project area and she was able to see Mauloa, the waʻa (canoe), that is being restored in this project. The ANA Commissioner and ANA Pacific Region team was given the amazing opportunity of being surrounded by influential Native Hawaiian community members at this site visit. Pictured below (from left to right) is Navigator, Captain, Senior Captain and NKW Executive Director Chadd ʻOnohi Paishon, Navigator, Captain, and NKW Board Vice President Shorty Bertelmann, ANA Pacific Regional Director Kaulana Ing, ANA Pacific Training Specialist Paige Okamura, ANA Commissioner Patrice Kunesh, NKW Board Vice President Ma’ulili Dickson, and Makaliʻi crew member, Mike Manu.
Through this project at least 12 Native Hawaiians will become trained apprentices in traditional canoe building and 40 Native Hawaiians will be trained in canoe lashing and weaving, all done through the restoration of the Mauloa (an old traditional sailing canoe). To learn more about this project, please visit: Mauloa | Nā Kālai Waʻa (nakalaiwaa.org).
On her last day of site visits, the ANA Commissioner traveled on the island of Oʻahu starting at the east side and going farther west to end her day.
Visiting the east side of Oʻahu, ANA Commissioner Kunesh had the opportunity to spend time with ANA grant recipient, Kānehūnāmoku Voyaging Academy. During this site visit, the ANA Commissioner saw the academy and even got to get in the ocean. Under the direction of Captain Bonnie Kahapeʻa-Tanner and Kānehūnāmoku voyaging crew, the ANA Commissioner got to sail in Pacific waters.
The Hoa Mau program aims to train individuals to be waʻa (canoe) practitioners. This opportunity is targeted for those who are interested in becoming waʻa practitioners for the purpose of teaching and perpetuating voyaging and navigation. To learn more about the Kānehūnāmoku Voyaging Academy, please visit: Hoa Mau (kanehunamoku.org).
ANA Commissioner Patrice Kunesh traveled to the west side of Oʻahu for her final site visit in Hawaiʻi. ANA grant recipient, Kaʻala Farms, did a boots-on-the-ground walkthrough of their farm. Project Director Kilika Bennet also detailed where parts of the project happen and how the work being done impact the youth that live on the Waiʻanae Coast.
Kaʻala Farms Inc. is located on lands of a fully restored loʻi system (wetland taro fields) that once sustained the people of the Waianae coast. Today, it is a cultural learning center where youth and community reconnect with cultural practices and ancestral land management systems. To learn more about this organization, please visit: Moʻolelo – Kaʻala Farm (kaalafarm.org).
This was a great opportunity for the ANA Commissioner to see first-hand how the funds administered by the Administration for Native Americans are used in the Pacific Region for the Native peoples that benefit from these amazing community organizations.