I use this article in my classroom to encourage thinking strategies from the real world instead of speculative 'Makahiki'

IT’S A QUESTION OF BALANCE

Planning a sustainable O’ahu

We are enjoying great times here on O’ahu. The tourists are flocking, the military keeps coming and investors continue to spend billions of dollars on speculative development. Things are great, so far.

What we need to understand—beyond politicians trying to take credit for stimulating our economy and bringing business to the state—is that Hawai’i, her people and natural beauty are the things that keep people coming and dollars flowing. Developers, Realtors, politicians and unions need to understand the lure of Hawai’i is affected by every poor choice in development we allow to happen.

If we can all agree on that, then something can be done. The first thing is to stop building outside of the boundaries established for urban growth. By denying the constant pressure to develop virgin land on our ridges and agricultural lands for single-family tract and luxury housing we are moving toward a consciousness that will sustain the beauty and attractiveness of our island.

Rich people are urban-friendly and buy homes within our city, as clearly proven by sold-out highrise developments along Ala Moana Boulevard. All of us can live within the boundaries as established by our government.

No matter who owns the lands they are our collective asset. We as a community must strive to ensure that conservation, preservation and agricultural lands remain intact for the future viability of our county and state. Better use of existing lands within the urban growth boundary is key to the success of retaining the natural beauty.

There is an ongoing argument that we don’t need all of our agricultural land. Who is to say that Hawaiian agriculture will never be central to our sustainability? Doesn’t it make sense to retain possibly the best agricultural lands in the world in perpetuity? As we move toward greater uncertainty in energy resources, food quality and political climate, I would argue that retention of our fertile agricultural lands could be the greatest strategic asset we possess today.

Taking care of Hawai’i’s people is another issue that is sorely being neglected. The happy-go-lucky attitude and easy way of life that I grew up with in Honolulu and on Lana’i are no longer the “Hawaiian style.”

We rush around in huge luxury gas guzzlers wearing Italian designer shoes and yakking incessantly on the little cell phone on our ear, rarely taking time to lift our ear, rarely taking time to lift our heads from the feeding bag long enough to see how the rest of O’ahu’s people are doing.

There is also a huge group of 20- and 30-somethings who have grown up in Honolulu, but have little chance of home ownership in today’s market because there is not enough inventory being built in town for those unwilling to face the hell of commuting from the sprawl of Central O’ahu.

We need to focus our development appetite toward in-town projects for the real people that personify Hawai’i. By turning the heads of developers fixated on our preservation, conservation and agricultural lands back toward urban Honolulu we can start to remedy the disparity in housing inventory and give a glimmer of hope to those that need a place to live. Compassion can be profitable.

Investment capital and resources to build are finite. Urban growth within the boundaries established is the solution for sustainable development in Honolulu.

We need the tools through tax incentives and new development guidelines to attract dollars to rebuild Honolulu with appropriate mass transit, police, fire, power, waste, communication infrastructure developed in unison.

We also need visionary, credible, intelligent and honest leadership in office and civil service to shut the door on speculative development and stop the destruction of our remaining ridge and agricultural assets to ensure the things that keep people coming and enjoying Honolulu County are never lost.

Charles H. Palumbo/Architect, Honolulu

The Honolulu Advertiser Page A7 Monday May 15, 2006

Note: I also use

"Resource Units in HAWAIIAN CULTURE" by Donald D. Kilolani Mitchell

DVD "Ahupua'a Fishponds and Lo'i with anthropologist Marion kelly produced by Nalani Minton directed by Na Maka o ka 'Aina

I also post on the board a blown up of Koolaupoko Map from "Sites of Oahu"

Most of the children that we are teaching in Waianae will not be living here, and we can’t afford to not give ‘thinking skills’ to our little ones. Therefore, our curriculums have to be close to factual as possible, one that they can reference. The rationale behind this material setting is 3-D. Children are taught 3-D as oppose to 2-D thinking processes.
I place a blown up map of Koolaupoko on the wall and I explain to my class of students that ‘sustainable’ the possibility of them living elsewhere is high and they will be producing their living community in their minds and cyber space technology. Just as I do each day. I tell them I reside in Waianae, but my thinking is always Koolaupoko where my ancestors are from for 2,000 years. And that, the blown up map is my 2-D map version of what's in my mind. The map on the wall is my evidence to that fact. I then proceed with oral testimonies of my Na Kupuna.
Makahiki can be easily turned into a Princess party on the Waianae coast. Or a Bible revival!
If my students were to do a Google research, I am sunk. Gong! Most Makahiki cultural cyber citations on Makahiki in cyber world are about “Make Love not War” and Las Vegas gambling casinos on Indian Reservations.
It’s important to understand the importance of performance arts and when the gathering is over that we preserve in place Hawaiian (Ethno) Culture values and not the multi-culture values. In my mind it is criminal for Maoliworld to let this problem flourish. We all know better! Are we not promoting speculative investments problems? Are we replacing Hawaiian (Ethno) culture values practice with ethnic culture values in cyber world and on our coastline. That's cool with me, but what about our Na Kekie's how do they percieve their love of aina living elswhere? Princess Parties style Makahiki? In otherwords, Maoliworld need to take responsibility in not adding to the cyber space advertisemetns of Make love not war and Las Vegas gambling.

Replies

Kaohi November 16, 2010 at 7:12pm

mahalo,

And the makahiki is important to preserve our cultural rituals, and not for enrichments for speculative develoments.
- HALE O KEAWE-A-HEULU aka: NAIHE > Kaohi November 22, 2010 at 8:01pm
  
  Makahiki should be respected. My paternal grandmother always emphasized not to go to the beach or mountains for gathering from October thru February. That's when the land or waters are hungry. Just recently we lost a long time resident but not birth in Kohala to fishing off cliffside here on our coastline and he fell off the 50 foot cliff area. He passed away yesterday due to his multiple injuries. Cannot forget the words of na kupuna and our culture/rituals.
HALE O KEAWE-A-HEULU aka: NAIHE November 16, 2010 at 6:57pm

Every County in Hawaii needs to start a 2% Land Fund to purchase raw land and stop the urban sprawl. It works for us here in keeping open space and viewplanes. We are an island, we don't need anymore development.
Kaohi November 16, 2010 at 5:01am

Most of the children that we are teaching in Waianae will not be living here, and we can’t afford to not give ‘thinking skills’ to our little ones. Therefore, our curriculums have to be close to factual as possible, one that they can reference. The rationale behind this material setting is 3-D. Children are taught 3-D as oppose to 2-D thinking processes.
I place a blown up map of Koolaupoko on the wall and I explain to my class of students that ‘sustainable’ the possibility of them living elsewhere is high and they will be producing their living community in their minds and cyber space technology. Just as I do each day. I tell them I reside in Waianae, but my thinking is always Koolaupoko where my ancestors are from for 2,000 years. And that, the blown up map is my 2-D map version of what's in my mind. The map on the wall is my evidence to that fact. I then proceed with oral testimonies of my Na Kupuna.
Makahiki can be easily turned into a Princess party on the Waianae coast. Or a Bible revival!
If my students were to do a Google research, I am sunk. Gong! Most Makahiki cultural cyber citations on Makahiki in cyber world are about “Make Love not War” and Las Vegas gambling casinos on Indian Reservations.
It’s important to understand the importance of performance arts and when the gathering is over that we preserve in place Hawaiian (Ethno) Culture values and not the multi-culture values. In my mind it is criminal for Maoliworld to let this problem flourish. We all know better! Are we not promoting speculative investments problems? Are we replacing Hawaiian (Ethno) culture values practice with ethnic culture values in cyber world and on our coastline. That's cool with me, but what about our Na Kekie's how do they percieve their love of aina living elswhere? Princess Parties style Makahiki? In otherwords, Maoliworld need to take responsibility in not adding to the cyber space advertisemetns of Make love not war and Las Vegas gambling.

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