LEO 'ELELE - TRUSTEE MESSAGES

We were brought to Waipi'o because of our aloha for kalo

Robert K. Lindsey, Jr. Trustee, Hawai'i

The Kona winds were blowing gently across Moku O Keawe at midday the morning of May 2. The skies above Hāmākua were a smoky blue color with haze from Kīlauea's caldera, unusual for this part of the island where the trade winds usually prevail. Tūtū Pele was watching over us that balmy Saturday at Waipi'o Valley Lookout.

For me, standing at Waipi'o Lookout is always a spiritual experience. How can one not believe that a greater being created the world, for here in this moment in time, a thousand feet below our feet lay the fertile crescent of Waipi'o, etched out of the ground by wind and water, touched by the hands of our ancestors, blessed by Kāne, Kū, Lono and Kanaloa; an artist's delight, a slice out of the Bible's Eden. It is a place where Līloa and 'Umialīloa reigned, Kamehameha took possession of Kūkā'ilimoku, Puapualenalena made mischief and where Hāloa lives on on 150 acres of lo'i kalo tended by 75 farmers to whom a legacy has been passed from 20 centuries ago. From where we were standing, we could hear the muffled roar of the waves on the beach below, a haunting sound brought to us on the wings of the wind.

Why here? Why now? We came to Waipi'o because of our aloha for kalo. Kalo, to which as a people we are linked genealogically. Kalo, our state plant. Kalo, one of the healthiest foods one can eat. We were brought to Waipi'o because of Act 211, a creation of the Hawai'i Legislature, whose purpose is to develop and create recommendations and programs to protect kalo from the ravages of alien diseases and insects and the magic of GMO. All of us share a common cause as members and supporters of the Taro Security and Purity Task Force, created by state action at the request of taro farmers statewide, administered by OHA. We came from every major island except Ni'ihau. And so we gathered in a semicircle, linked hands, asked permission to enter the Hale of the Ali'i from our ancestors and our kūpuna.

It was only fitting that Jim Cain, the Chair of our Task Force offer the welcome oli. Waipi'o is his home. He grows kalo. He makes poi and owns a poi shop. He was a driving force in the Task Force's creation. He left what he loves to do, growing taro, to lobby for kalo's perpetuation at the state Capitol during the legislative session. Cain and his family were our co-hosts for the weekend along with Kanu O Ka 'Āina Learning 'Ohana. His wife, Gretchen, daughter Leah and son Ua were most gracious. Their lo'i, a Bishop Museum leasehold, is located midcenter of Waipi'o. On Sunday morning, May 3, Leah graced us with a hula as her father sang "Hi'ilawe" in their taro patch. It was her 20th birthday and her makana to us. It was one of those chicken-skin moments, for the backdrop of her hula was the twin falls of Hi'ilawe and Hakalaoa. We then got to plant kalo in one of Jim's lo'i. We had three meals in the valley and with each meal we had poi made by the Cain 'ohana: the best poi I have ever had.

Kanu O Ka 'Āina Learning 'Ohana was our other host. The 'Ohana fed us, housed us, looked after us, treated us royally. It's difficult today to find hospitality like that which we enjoyed that weekend. In these busy times, people just don't seem to have time to give. Unfortunately, time has become money and money thus is competing with aloha – and seems to be taking first place in our busy lives. I want to mahalo the Kahakalau and Pahio 'ohana for welcoming us into your home, for caring for us, spending time with us, sharing your aloha with us, and for making us all feel very special in your very special place under Ke Akua's great sky. I want to mahalo our OHA staff, Sterling Wong and Heidi Guth (as well as Kale Hannahs, who could not be with us) who assisted with the logistics, which brought our 'ohana from Moku o Keawe, Lāna'i, Moloka'i, Maui, O'ahu and Kaua'i to this place of "curving waters."

Why did we travel from different places to be in Waipi'o? We came to do business on the ground where it matters, to talk story about challenges and issues confronting taro farmers, processors, marketers and to find solutions to these challenges and issues while avoiding the divisive issue of GMO. On Hawai'i, the GMO issue has been solved by our County Councilors – genetic modification of kalo is kapu, not allowed.

On this weekend it was our Waipi'o farmers' opportunity to talk story about their issues. Then it's on to Maui, Lāna'i, Moloka'i, O'ahu and Kaua'i. At each stop, folks will share their mana'o and all of this knowledge will be folded into a report to the 2010 session of the Hawai'i Legislature. A report on Taro, detailing island by island challenges and opportunities, next steps, assigning kuleana and making sure the palapala does not gather dust on a shelf in someone's office.

Cain and the farmers of Waipi'o shared with us their concerns. They had only a few and for each they had solutions. One of their issues was being worked on as we were entering the valley. Stagnant, standing water was the concern; clearing debris from the mouth of Wailoa Stream, the main artery for the 'auwai of Waipi'o, was the solution. Water had not been flowing freely through Wailoa since 1995. It was now, thanks to the help of Civil Defense with permits and the generosity of Royal Construction, who for gratis provided a giant excavator with operator for three days to dredge out all of the debris. The next big piece of work: removing sand bars which have formed in places along the stream over the years. To have healthy lo'i, water has to be flowing constantly. The apple snail is an old concern shared by many. Possible solution: duck patrols. A burning issue for our Waipi'o farmers is a new land lease. Most of our taro growers are Bishop Museum lessees. The old lease has expired. Many are on holdover status. The word via the coconut wireless is the museum will be issuing new leases soon so that these special families, Kaholoa'a, Kaekuahiwi, Mock Chew, Loo, Kawashima, Badua, Toko, Batalona, Cain, Kane, Fronda, Toledo, Kuali'i and many others will continue to be pa'a to this land.

And so we came, we saw, we celebrated kalo in the garden of our Ali'i. I am sure for a few of us it was difficult to leave its serenity to return to the harried world we came from. But life must go on. We came with an oli and left with an oli. Jim Cain welcomed us and Nālei Kahakalau closed our stay in Waipi'o. Sending us on our way, he opened the alanui for our next stop: Ke'anae, Maui.