Our Summer Program for 2020 started with uncertainty, new faces, and an entire revision of our standard in-person programming. However, with increased staff, volunteers, and extra precautions during the COVID19 pandemic, our team pulled off a successful program of four weeks.

Three weeks of online classes were lead by Angela Pastores with the support of six extra teachers and staff to teach art and exercises with the overall theme: to Mālama (to take care of). The fourth last week was the height of the summer. Haumāna (students) were able to meet in person with social distancing and face masks to paint their mana‘o (personal insight) at Kaimukī High School.

In the mural, the background is the center of the universe and represents the heavens and the past. It is a portal to realms unseen, to those who have come before us, and the ʻike (knowledge) they share with us. This represented Piko Po‘o in the curriculum of learning of the three Hawaiian Piko (Piko Po‘o, Piko Waena, and Piko Ma‘i).

The haumānaʻs petroglyphs represent us and our ʻohana in the present, Piko Waena. The ʻohana scenes reminded us of the cord of aloha that keeps us connected to our kūpuna. Within the petroglyphs and background, haumāna shared their mo’olelo (stories) of what it is like for them to be living in these times and what they would be doing if they were not staying home. Our staff felt their aloha for their places and their ʻohana.

The maile lei that wrapped around the galaxies and petroglyphs represents honua (our earth). As we care for it, it takes care of us. Maile leis are for the most sacred events and purposes. The maile lei in the mural is what binds us together. When making a maile lei, we must strip it off the bone to make the stems soft enough to weave into the rope lei. When we strip it down, it lays limp and yet is still able to serve us. In this same way during the COVID19 pandemic, we must wait and lay limp, so that other things like the healing of the earth, may move forward.

As a team, we give to the haumāna inspiration, art techniques, and aloha. What comes from our teachings is the art they create and the paths they take. The outer edges outside the maile lei represented Piko Ma‘i, what is to be the future generationsʻ stories.

We would like to mahalo and thank all the haumāna, parents, teachers, staff, volunteers, and sponsors of our Summer Program for seeing the need to make this program happen. Mahalo also to Principal Jamie De La Cruz and Kaimukī High School for allowing the space for the mural. Mahalo also to Ham Produce & Seafood, Inc., a program made in part by USDA Farmers to Families program, for the food boxes during our mural painting week. A special mahalo goes out to Honu‘apo for this summerʻs fundraising, to Kumu Kaleo Hanohano for all the extra teachings, support, and extension of our program to your ohana off-island, and to Jen May Pastores on the excellent documentation of photos during our mural week.

We are proud of the 38 haumāna of 25 schools from Oahu, Utah, and North Dakota who participated in the Summer Program! It is first Estria Foundation project to shift how we teach our ‘ōpio to learn both online and in person. Our staff has learned new possibilities that can happen across the oceans to connect youth with our ‘āina and indigenous Hawaiian ways of learning.

Mele/Oli:  “Hiki Mai Ka Lā”

Hiki mai ka lā i ka honua – The sun shines over the earth

Nā moʻolelo, e mau aku ka moʻomeheu (e) – Stories, nurturing the culture

Ka leo o nā pua i kaiao – The voice of the children in enlightenment

Kū loʻihi i ka pā ahe o ka makani (e) – Waiting here for the cool breeze