Opening Protocol

Aloha mai kākou,

Help us “build” our virtual kuahu by lending your voice, from wherever you are, and joining us in “E ulu ē.”  Words provided below. 

 

As mentioned in previous communications, we will be hosting a “virtual kuahu” as a part of this year’s opening ceremony.  The oli “E ulu ē” will be shared, vocalizing our intentions for growth, abundance and aloha and helping maintain our connection to the world around us and its inhabitants, including one another.  We hope you will kokua as we establish this foundation by joining us for “E ulu ē”.

 

Mahalo nui to the many who’ve provided photos of their beloved places, words of inspiration, and voices for kuahu.  Without your contributions, this wouldn’t be possible.

Pule Hoʻoulu

He mele kuʻuna Traditional

text. Date Unknown.

Source: Unwritten Literature, N. Emerson, 1918

Published: Edith Kanakaʻole Foundation, 2005

 

E ulu ē

E ulu kini o ke akua

Ulu aʻe ʻo Kāne me Kanaloa

Ulu ka ʻōhiʻa a lau ka wai

Ka ʻieʻie

Ulu aʻe ke akua a noho i kona kahu

E ia ka wai lā

He wai ola

E ola iaʻu i ke kumu

E ola i ke poʻo, ke poʻo puaʻa

E ola i ka pae, ka paepae

E ola i nā haumana, nā haumana a pau

ʻEliʻeli kapu, ʻeliʻeli noa

 

Aloha kākou!

In leiu of our in-person opening ceremony at HCC, this year we will host a virtual kuahu during opening protocol at the start of the conference at 9am Tuesday, September 1 2020. See the simple instructions below to participate!

What is kuahu?

Kuahu can be translated as “altar” and are found in a number of traditional hālau (spaces of learning). Kuahu are a central and foundational component of Hālau ʻŌhiʻa, a stewardship training program developed by Kekuhi Kealiikanakaoleohaililani that focuses on enhancing the ways we engage with our ‘āina (landscape) community and kānaka (human) community. The following describes our Hālau ‘Ōhiʻa understanding and practice of kuahu.

Deconstructing the term kuahu, reveals the root words kū (lit. to stand, to erect, to align) and ahu (lit. a pile, a collection, an altar, a shrine). With those root words in mind, the kuahu will be a collection of energetics we erect to align and inform our practice in our physical and spiritual conference space. The kuahu is a physical representation of our ecosystem, thus most often we use natural elements including, but not limited to lāʻau (plant people), wai (water), pōkahu (stones), and lepo (soil) to embody these energetics. In the process of creating a kuahu, we critically reflect on our relationship(s) to the natural setting to inform how we would describe the energetics of the ecosystems with which we interact. We reflect on how those energetics may be useful to guide our intentions and practice.

To participate:

  • Email submission to hccprotocol2020@gmail.com by Thursday, August 27th
    • One photo of an element of ‘āina (land and seascapes) – any plant, animal, limu, coral, rock, weather element, etc
    • One word describing your reason for bringing this to kuahu. Be sure to reflect on the energetics of this element and how you want it to guide your conference process.
    • Island you represent (Hawaiʻi, Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, O’ahu, Kauaʻi, Papahānaumokuākea, or ‘Āina ‘Ē – outside of Hawaiʻi)

Examples:

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