Becoming Reacquainted with “Nā Hala o Kekele"

October 20, 12:00pm - 1:15pm
Mānoa Campus, Henke Hall 325 Add to Calendar

From her perspective as a Native Hawaiian of Kailua, Maya Saffery will share some traditional and contemporary mo‘olelo about wahi pana (sacred places) in the ahupua‘a of Kailua, the generations of Hawaiians who established a relationship with these places, and the subsequent generations of Hawaiians and Kailua residents who are still working to negotiate their own relationships in times of constant change.

Like the famous hala grove of Kekele at the base of Konahuanui whose presence and mana cannot be erased, the rich history of Kailua and its people, as reflected and preserved in these mo‘olelo, remain as constant forces that continue to subtly influence the changing character of this ahupua‘a. These are “nā hala o Kekele”, or the hala of Kekele. It is Maya’s hope that her talk will encourage us all to begin to become reacquainted with “nā hala o Kekele.”

Speaker Bio:
Maya Lindsley Kawailanaokeawaiki Saffery was born and raised in Ko‘olaupoko, O‘ahu and is an ongoing student of the language and culture of her ancestors. With a Bachelor’s degree in Hawaiian Language and a Master’s of Education in Teaching degree from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM), she became the Curriculum Specialist for Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at UHM in 2005. Her research interests include Hawaiian language and culture revitalization; experiential, culturally grounded, Hawaiian place-based curriculum and programming; and living narratives for sacred and significant places of Hawai‘i. The stories she will share at this brown bag presentation come from several chapters she wrote in the book entitled Kailua: I ke Oho o ka Malanai (2009).


Event Sponsor
Center for Biographical Research, Mānoa Campus

More Information
956-3774, biograph@hawaii.edu, http://www.facebook.com/CBRHawaii

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