My Land, The Sands Of My Birth April 21, 2016

When we think about the names of the many places around us, there’s a story behind each one of them. Throughout Hawaii, there are so many special places that have been given new names over the years and we often forget about the history and culture behind them.

This month, our children and family participants from the Na Pono No Na Ohana program will be going on a huakai (excursion) throughout the ahupuaa (land division extending from mountain to see) of Waimanalo to learn about the birthplace of the program. We will take them to five different locations to learn about the whahi pana (legendary places) throughout the area. From Kuliouou all the way to Olomana, most people don’t realize how large Waimanalo truly is.

Each of the locations we visit will be at a different beach within the ahupuaa, and our children and families will hear the stories about the significance of the area and learn about the rich history and culture behind the places they visit. They will also collect a small sample of the famous sands of Waimanalo at each spot to see how different and special each one of these places truly are.

Because of the growing size of our program, we will take our families out in several small groups over the next few weeks. Below you will see photos from a previous a huakai (excursion) group and see how much fun they had learning about the special place their program calls home!