9th
Annual NHEA Convention
STUDENT FORUM
March 27, 2008
Windward Community College
Student Forum Information: The organizations responsible for coordinating the Student Forum include NHEA, Nä Pua No'eau (NPN)- 'Aha 'Opio Alaka'i (AOA). 'Aha 'Opio Alaka'i is a statewide Native Hawaiian leadership program for high school students. Current AOA students are responsible for planning the NHEA Student Forum.
Student Forum Schedule:
| March 27 / Student Forum | |
| 9:30 - 9:50 a.m. | Opening and Welcome by AOA Haumana |
| 9:50 - 10:20 a.m. | Kukulukumuhana: Kawika Mersberg |
| 10:20 - 10:50 a.m. | Keynote Speaker: Nainoa Thompson |
| 11:00 - 12:00 p.m. | WORKSHOP A: Walter Ritte - GMO/Kalo |
| 12:15 - 1:00 p.m. | Lunch |
| 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.* | Opening NHEA - Panel Discussion |
| 2:30 - 2:45 p.m. | Transition back to Student Forum |
| 2:45 - 3:45 p.m. | WORKSHOP B: Ka'iulani Murphy - Voyaging |
| 4:00 - 4:30 p.m. | Closing Speaker: Slam Poet Kealoha Wong |
| 4:30 - 4:50 p.m. | Student Forum Evaluations |
| 5:00 - 7:15 p.m.* | NHEA Educator of the Year/Dinner |
Student Forum Keynote Speaker:
Charles
Nainoa Thompson is currently the Executive Director of the Polynesian
Voyaging Society (PVS). Since 1976, he played an integral part in the
design, construction, sailing, and navigation of the Hawai'i Maritime
Center's double-hulled voyaging canoe, Hokule'a. Also, under Thompson's
supervision, PVS completed the construction of a new Hawaiian voyaging
canoe out of traditional materials in 1994. The canoe, named Hawai'i loa,
took its maiden voyage in 1995 across the Pacific from Hawai'i to Tahiti
to Ra`iatea and back via Nuku Hiva, from where it is believed early settlers
to Hawai'i came.
Thompson studied non-instrument navigation, or wayfinding, under master navigator Mau Piailug of Satawal, Micronesia. Thompson is the first Hawaiian to practice the art of wayfinding on long distance ocean voyages since such voyaging ended around the 14th century. His first long voyage took place in 1980, when he navigated Hokule'a from Hawai'i to Tahiti and back. In 1985-87, he navigated Hokule'a without instruments across Polynesia from Hawai'i to New Zealand and back, stopping at islands along the way while covering more than 16,000 ocean miles. Thompson has trained other Hawaiians and Polynesians in the art of wayfinding and led a revival of traditional arts associated with voyaging in Hawai'i and Polynesia. In 1992, Thompson again took Hokule'a to Rarotonga for the Sixth Pacific Arts Festival celebrating the revival of traditional canoe building and back to Hawai'i. Most recently in 1995, Thompson directed a voyage entitled "Na 'Ohana Holo Moana - The Voyaging Families of the Vast Ocean,'' that took three Hawaiian canoes - Hokule'a, Hawai'iloa, and Makali'i to Tahiti, being joined by five other Polynesian canoes from the Cook Islands (2), New Zealand (1), and Tahiti (2). These, with the exception of the Tahitian canoes, then sailed to the Marquesas, to Hawai'i, and back to their homeland.
Thompson's
current interest is to develop an educational program for the schoolchildren
of Hawai'i to teach them about Polynesian voyaging traditions and instill
them with pride in their ancient seafaring heritage. The program will
emphasize not just knowledge about ancient traditions, but also modern
scientific knowledge about the ocean and sky and environmental principles
based on traditional values for insuring the conservation of resources
and a safe, healthy, sustainable future for Hawai'i.
Student Forum Workshop Presenters:
WORKSHOP A: GMO
AND KALO- OUR KULEANA TO PRESERVE THE KALO PLANT
Walter
Ritte Jr., from Moloka'i, Hawai'i, was involved in stopping the
bombing by the US Navy of the Hawaiian Island of Kaho'olawe. He also served
in the 1978 Hawaii State Constitutional Convention, which established
the recognition of Hawaiian Gathering Rights. He was also one of the first
elected trustees to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Ritte is also a voice
of opposition to the Molokai Ranch Master Plan that envisions luxury homes
at La'au Point. Ritte is married with four children and seven grand children.
He is a hunter and an activist. Ritte is currently the director of the
Hawaiian Learning Center where he uses a 50-acre fishpond as a teaching
tool along with Hawaiian culture.
WORKSHOP B: VOYAGING
IN THE WAKE OF OUR KÜPUNA AND LEARNING TO NAVIGATE TOWARD A SAFE AND HEALTHY
FUTURE
Ka'iulani Murphy, from Waimea, Hawai'i, has been a crewmember
with the voyaging canoe Hokule'a since 1997. As a student of navigation,
she had the privilege to voyage from Tahiti to Hawai'i in 2000, to the
Küpuna (Northwestern Hawaiian) Islands in 2004, and to Micronesia and
Japan in 2007. Murphy has sailed extensively throughout the main Hawaiian
Islands, helping the Polynesian Voyaging Society to deliver island-wide
education programs. She is currently an Instructor at Honolulu Community
College's Hawaii Ocean Studies program.
Student Forum Closing Speaker:
Kealoha Wong is the founder of HawaiiSlam and Youth Speaks Hawai`i. He has served as Hawaii's SlamMaster since 2003, and has been on the Artists in the Schools roster since 2005. Wong placed 8th out of 350 of the world's best poets at the 2007 National Poetry Slam. He is the poetic vocalist for Henry Kapono's "Wild Hawaiian" project, whose album was nominated for a Grammy. His poetry performances have also been recorded on albums such as Hapa's "Maui" (winner of 4 Na Hoku Hanohano awards and the Hawaii Music Award for "Album of the Year"), the Mana Maoli compilation (featuring Jack Johnson and John Cruz), and a full-length spoken word CD entitled Kealoha. Furthermore, he has made dozens of television appearances, including the State of Hawaii's "Can't Fool the Youth" anti-smoking campaign that he wrote, performed, and co-directed.
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