Sense of Place
Though not a project, per se, being place-based is something that is important to me and is reflected in the activities and projects I am a part of. It is a sort of skill that I strive to develop and use in my daily life and projects.
ʻōlelo - I have been taking a weekly Hawaiian language immersion class from the school of Kealaleo from Kumu Ipolani Vaughn since 2015. I am very grateful for the gift of language shared with me, and grateful for the community around it.
Hawaiian is a beautiful language that contains loads of local experiential knowledge. I have used ʻōlelo in my work, for example reading and translating Hawaiian language newspaper archives for evidence of coastal adaptation practices. I continue to study because I see the vast value contained within written and spoken work, as well as it being a lot of fun.
Hōkūleʻa - I was immediately drawn to the Polynesian voyaging canoe Hōkūleʻa for its inspiring sustainability messages and the role it played in sparking the Hawaiian cultural renaissance in the 70's. To this day, the canoe supports and is supported by an amazing organization, the Polynesian Voyaging Society, that sailed around the world to spread messages of mālama honua - to care for our island earth - and raising the voices of indigenous cultures around the world. I was a volunteer for their dry dock, trained as a crewmember, sailed on the short last leg of the Worldwide Voyage, and worked for their communications team.
Why is this important?
For me:
It has given me a grounding and sense of belonging. It has also challenged me to go beyond my comfort zone and enter many arenas wherein I know significantly less than those around me. This is often uncomfortable but has ultimately been very rewarding in developing community and understanding the history and cultural of the state in which I live.
For others:
Place-based solutions are crucial. The best ideas that thrive in one location can shrivel in another. I believe that my knowledge of place and the way that I incorporate it into the work I do benefits the products significantly.