Midday Manaʻo Episode 29 l Mele Lāhui with Kawika Aspili

Manu and Mehana are joined by ʻŌiwi musician Kawika Aspili, who shares his journey since his song "E Pi‘i Mai" went viral. The trio also explore the importance of music to our Hawaiian identity and how Mele Lāhui continues to inspire, connect, and uplift our people.

To watch more head to Hawaiiancouncil.org/podcast 

"Na wai e hoʻōla i nā iwi?" (Who will save the bones?) 

This traditional proverb speaks to the solemn kuleana of caring for iwi - which ʻŌiwi believe hold the mana of the departed. 

Join Manu and Mehana for a discussion with Halealoha Ayau, who has long been the leader in bringing the bones of our ancestors home.

In this episode of Midday Manaʻo, Manu and Mehana are joined by Native Hawaiian Filmmaker ‘Aina Paikai, creator of Hawaiian Soul. Journey with us as we take a look through the lens of an indigenous perspective.

Native Hawaiian advocate and Board Member with the Honolulu Board of Water Supply. Naʻalehu provides an update on the Kapūkaki (Red Hill) Crisis and why we all need to stay vigilent and engaged with this environmental catasrophe.

On this week’s episode, Manu and Mehana are joined by Bret Nainoa Mossman to discuss one of our favorite topics – manu! No, not our gracious and eloquent co-host; the other manu – birds! Nainoa is a conservationist and founder of Birds Hawaiʻi Past Present, an organization that seeks to rebuild our connection to native birds. In typical Midday Manaʻo fashion, the conversation starts with birds, but touches on a range of other topics including mele, reforestation, food sovereignty and sustainability, mosquitoes, and even the kumulipo.  For information about Birds Hawai’i Past Present, visit: www.birdshawaiipastpresent.com  For more information about the Environmental Assessment to control mosquitos and avian malaria on East Maui, visit: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=306&projectID=102795&documentID=125202Comment period: Dec 6, 2022 - Jan 23, 2023

This week, Mehana is joined by KHON2 Weather Anchor and Reporter Kamaka Pili to discuss traditional place names in Hawaiʻi. Why is it important to remember and honor the traditional name of an area, and why is it problematic when these names are replaced with English? Tune in to find out!

This week, Manu and Mehana are joined by Kēhaunani Abad, Director of Kealaiwikuamoʻo in Kamehameha Schools' Community Education Division. Kēhau leads a team that supports collaboration among Kanaeokana, a paeʻāina-wide network of some 80 schools and Hawaiian organizations focused on strengthening the lāhui and growing aloha ʻāina leaders through collaboration as a Hawaiian education system. Kanaeokana has been instrumental in amplifying important Native Hawaiian issues and events, including the upcoming Lā Kūʻokoʻa holiday. Together, they discuss the origin of this kingdom holiday - what it meant to Native Hawaiians in the past, and what it means to us today.

In this week's episode, Mehana flies solo and interviews Dr. Marcus Iwane, chief of Kīpukaoha (West Oʻahu Medical Office at Kapolei). Dr. Iwane shares with us his path to health and medicine, and together the pair discuss the social and cultural determinants of health, the challenges of addressing men's health, and the importance of health and wellbeing to a thriving lāhui.

This week, Manu and Mehana are joined by community organizer and former state legislator Kaniela Ing. As our 2022 election cycle comes to a close, the trio discuss voting, politics, and how to effectuate systems change to increase civic engagement.

Did you know that October is Kalo Appreciation month? In this episode, Manu and Mehana are joined by Davis Price, CNHA Business Development Strategist, and Kaina Makua, Executive Director of Kūmano I Ke Ala and owner of Aloha Aina Poi Company. Together, they remind us of our kuleana to Hāloa and the connection between a thriving food system and a healthy nation.