This Hālau Pāheona (school of visual arts) mural speaks about connections between our haumāna (students) and our ʻāina (land). This mural was painted primarily with the haumāna from Kūhio Elementary School this past Spring 2018 semester.

We learned a lot about our waterways this semester by going on huakaʻi (fieldtrips) to places like Mānoa Falls, Ka Papa Lo‘i o Kanewai, and visiting Hui Lanakila’s waʻa at the Ala Wai Canal. Our mural shows that connections exist between the environment and us, but also that complex relationships exist between the upper and lower segments of the water system as well. To show the cycle in its entire completion, we depicted the whole ahupua‘a (land division), from the peaks at the back of Mānoa and Pālolo valleys all the way to the streams and lo‘i that used to be prevalent in the area.

The female figure in the streams is a mo’o­wahine or water spirit. The water spirit beings, usually female and in the form of mo‘o or large lizards are considered to be ‘aumakua, or ancestral gods. They protect their descendants from danger or sorcery, heal sickness or wounds, and forgive transgressions. The moʻowahine in our mural is responding with gladness and approval when she sees all that we do as ʻōpio (children) to care for our ʻāina and our wai.

The ripples radiating outward resemble sound waves are applicable to adorning the Band building, to be sure. More importantly though, they show how what we say and the ways that we speak about things have a real effect on our surroundings, too. The hand reaching out for the water is representative of us as ʻōpio, the writers of the next chapter in our collective story. What we do, what we touch, and what we put our energy into all have ripple effects and leave lasting impacts on our communities and Earth as a whole. Therefore, we must take this kuleana (responsibility) seriously and understand that we are in a position to make positive changes to our surroundings both in the present moment, and for those who come after us.

The title of this mural “Aia nō i ke kō a ke au” is translated to be “whichever way the current goes, time will tell.” This ʻōlelo noʻeau (Hawaiian proverbs and poetical sayings) reminds us how no one can predict what the future holds, and many challenges may need to be faced and overcome. However, it is up to us to determine how our story plays out and we have the agency to continue to grow, learn, and to make our future a bright and positive one.