MEDIA RELEASe
Paa Pono Milolii, in conjunction with Conservation International and the Hawaii Fish Trust, is hosting the 2012 Milolii Lawaia Ohana Camp at Milolii Beach Park in South Kona.
Located at the end of the five mile road from Highway 11, the Milolii Park is the gathering place for the fishing village. It plays host for all people, a place for community members to relax, have get-togethers, community meetings, and attend Sunday mass at the Hauoli Kamanao church.
This year the camp will use the entire park and Milolii Bay as it venue. Participants will camp in the front of the park and activities, camp meetings and meals will be housed under the community halau.
The park also has public restrooms and a basketball court for outdoor activities. Drinkable water will be delivered for participants to shower and use for cooking food.
Camp commences at 8:30 a.m. with opening traditional Hawaiian protocol. This year we will be seeking to have a special oli created for the haumana to use and learn for Milolii. The camp will be for three nights and four days and will conclude around noon June 30 with a traditional Hawaiian closing protocol.
This year the camp coordinators are Kaimi Kaupiko and Lei Kaupu.
Kaimi and Lei along with other members of the Milolii community decided to focus on three species which they feel are paramount to preserving Milolii’s precious resources. The three species they chose were due to the noticeable decline of these resources over the past few years.
As a community and cultural practitioners this years camp goal is to continue the traditional ways of taking care and preserving the little we do have in Milolii and on the South Kona coastline.
The three species are: Pakukui; Opihi; and Limu
First, the Pakukui is a favorite reef fish among all villagers. This year the camp will study, learn and embrace everything they can in regards to the Pakukui.
The second species is the Opihi, the students will learn the insides and outsides of the Opihi and hopeful are able to make an opihi necklace.
Finally, the children of the camp will learn the different limu’s Milolii has and our goal is to have a limu restoration project and help repopulate the limu in Milolii.
Other major activities that will be held this year is; biological fish monitoring project, moolelo stories of our three species, hula, fish alkaline pond restoration, hike to Honomalino bay, cross net demonstration, and a community luaau for everyone.
This year the students will create digital workbooks as part of their Lawaia Kit for all participants. The students will create digital presentations to present at the luau and also to take home to their families.
This year’s guest presenters include:
* John Kahiapo: (DLNR Aquatic Resources Division) Rules and Regulations, 10:30 a.m. June 27
* Chantal Chung: (Sea Grant, UH) Limu and Fish Anatomy, 8-10 a.m. June 28
* Shafton Kaupu-Cabuag: Oli and Hula
* Piki Hayward: Olelo and Moolelo
* Kehau Springer: Opihi Presentation
* Healani Cahill: Opihi Project, Moolelo and Basket Weaving
* Erica Perez and Cindi Punihaole: The Kohala Center
For more information, contact: Kaimi Kaupiko at 937-1310 or
Lei Kaupu at kainoa_12@hotmail.com
