Trained in veterinary medicine and journalism, Mark Jerome Walters writes frequently about environment, health and endangered species. His most recent book, Seeking the Sacred Raven: Politics and Extinction on a Hawaiian Island (Shearwater Books, Island Press 2006) chronicles the sacred bird’s role in Hawaiian culture and the ‘alalā’s decline. From the ancient Polynesians who first settled the island, to Captain Cook in the 18th century, to would-be saviors of the ‘alala in the 1990s, individuals with conflicting passions and priorities have shaped Hawai‘i and the fate of this dwindling cloud-forest species.

A contributing editor of Orion magazine, Walters is also the author of the acclaimed book “A Shadow and a Song,” the natural, political and social history of the 1987 extinction of the dusky seaside sparrow. His work has appeared in Audubon, Natural History, Reader’s Digest and other publications.

For Hawaiians, mālama ‘āina is not limited to our relationship with the physical environment. We learn from the mo‘olelo of Hāloa that the land and its resources are our family. As the younger siblings of the land, we have a responsibility to mālama the physical and spiritual well-being of our environment, our history, and ourselves as a people. This joint presentation will highlight mo‘olelo, both traditional and contemporary, about wahi pana in the ahupua‘a of Kailua. Reflected in these mo‘olelo are the ancestral practices which guide us in re-establishing a pono relationship with our environment, thus sustaining the physical, spiritual, and cultural aspects of Hawai‘i and its people.

Kahikina de Silva is a kupa of Ka‘ōhao, renamed Lanikai by early 20th century developers. Living in an area that has existed under a misnomer for almost a century has fostered within Kahikina a desire to learn and perpetuate the language, cultural knowledge, and national pride of her people. She is an instructor of Hawaiian at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and a researcher and composer of mele Hawai‘i. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Hawaiian Language and a Master’s degree in English, both from UHM.

Maya Saffery was born and raised in Ko‘olaupoko, O‘ahu. As an ongoing student of the language and culture of her ancestors, her relationship with and responsibility to the land is one that guides her in both the professional and personal arenas. With a Bachelor’s degree in Hawaiian Language and a Master’s of Education in Teaching degree from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM), she became a Junior Specialist for the Hawaiian Language Program at UHM, specializing in curriculum development.