Mele Murals: Local Monuments and a Source of Community Pride

“Our work honors the last commands of King David Kalakaua,
‘Look to the keiki, teach them, groom them,
show them wonder, and inspire them.’”
~Mele Murals, The Estria Foundation

By Fannie Narte

These timeless words offer profound guidance to all of us—grandparents, parents, uncles, and aunties. These words are especially for those who have the kuleana (responsibility) as teachers and leaders with the extraordinary privilege of nurturing and educating our ‘ōpio (youth).

King Kalākaua’s directive is a constant reminder to all of us that our future rests in the capable hands of our youth. We, the older generation, are charged with the task of filling their hands with wisdom and lessons of aloha. From their hands, this information then flows onto our ‘āina (land) like a waterfall, to benefit us all.

The Mele Murals Project

Mele Murals is a youth development, arts education, cultural preservation and community-building project. It is a platform that gives our ‘ōpio opportunities and experiences to discover who they are by exploring where they live and where they come from. It is a project that provides a creative environment where our youth can thrive and learn to become storytellers, painters, and community leaders.

Beginning in late 2013, local artists, youth, and other members of communities across Hawai‘i created a series of large-scale outdoor murals focusing on mele (songs and chants) that explore mo‘olelo ‘āina (stories of place) and cultural and historical heritage. Their work is ongoing and will span five years.

A project of this scope and complex structure includes many unique facets. Diverse groups of participants at each location form teams. These teams meet to develop individualized goals. Plans and processes are formulated and implemented, which include the wisdom and values of ancient Hawaiian protocols. The result is a Mele Murals project that is historically and culturally significant—an unprecedented undertaking.

Several Mele Murals have been completed in Hilo, Waimea, and Kona on Hawai‘i Island. Ke Ola magazine plans to feature these murals in a series of articles throughout the coming year.

In March 2014, Hawai‘i Island’s first set of Mele Murals were unveiled at the Kahilu Theatre in Waimea. It was a time of much celebration for all of the participants and members of the community. The murals are local monuments and are the result of many months of planning, preparation, and work done by a collective creative force.

The Kahilu Theatre Mele Murals Team

Students, supporters, and partners from the Waimea community came together to form the Kahilu Theatre Mele Murals Team. The participating ‘ōpio are students from Kanu o ka ‘Āina, (the lead school), Waimea Middle PCCS, Parker School, Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy (HPA), and the babies of Pūnana Leo O Waimea. These students were joined by cultural practitioners such as Aunty Pua Case, Uncle Kalani Flores, Diana Larose, Chadd Paishon, Pomai Bertelmann, Keali‘i Bertelmann, and musician Emalani Case, all of whom provided valuable knowledge and guidance throughout the entire process.

The success of an enormous project such as this depends on many supporters and partners from the community such as ‘Ōiwi TV, who will film every mural and share the videos through their cable channel and website. In addition, Tad Nakamura, an acclaimed documenter, will produce a feature-length film, which will be shared with people around the world through film festivals and special screenings.

The Estria Foundation

In order to appreciate the core values upon which the Mele Murals was created, it is helpful to understand the organization that established this project.

The Estria Foundation (TEF) is a nonprofit organization founded by Estria Miyashiro and Jeremy LaTrasse in 2010. It is dedicated to creating social change by empowering local communities through the creation of art. The Mele Murals project is only one of many Art-in-Public projects conceptualized and supported by TEF.

The foundation “strives towards a society that places value on people and the environment above the accumulation of wealth.” Included among their mission statements and goals is their “10 Points of Unity,” which is a list of values and beliefs that guide their work and define the foundation’s politics.

TEF values the protection of human rights and freedom of expression without fear of persecution. They promote creativity, environmental consciousness, personal and professional development, and equality for all. They also support efforts that allow people to determine their own future.

Echoing King Kalākaua’s proposition, TEF states that “the youth must be included in the decision-making and be given all opportunities for learning.” Recognizing that teamwork is a key to success, TEF “requires engagement from stakeholders, and a sense of ownership among the people who live in the communities where their projects are located.”

TEF Team

The Estria Foundation team includes two experienced members who bring their diverse knowledge to the Mele Murals project. They are Estria Miyashiro and Mahea Akau.

Estria Miyashiro, co-founder of TEF, also serves as the foundation’s Creative Director. Estria has been spray painting for more than 30 years and is a world-renowned urban art living legend. “He is a valued historian and community leader who is helping to awaken the social and political consciousness of graffiti writing art.”

Originally from Honolulu, Estria moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1980s during the city’s “Golden Age of Graffiti.” He is credited with pioneering important painting techniques and is the originator of the “stencil tip.” Estria has moved back to the islands and now calls Hawai‘i home.

Mahea Akau, Mele Murals Coordinator, was born and raised in Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i.

“The source for Mahea’s passion and dedication to promote and support cultural awareness and preservation stems from the teachings of her Hawaiian grandparents. They taught her the importance of ‘ohana (family) and the inherent kuleana one has to perpetuate their Hawaiian culture.”

Mahea brings more than 15 years of management, promotion, and event planning experience to TEF, including the Ironman World Championship and the Ironman 70.3 Hawai‘i. She provides an international platform for kūpuna (elders) mentors and cultural practitioners.

The Kahilu Theatre Mele Murals

The three mele that inspired the three-panel mural at the Kahilu Theatre are “Malana” by Queen Emma, “Na Pu‘u Kaulana o Waimea” by Emalani Case, and “Hole Waimea,” author unknown.

Kumu Kanoa Castro, a teacher at Kanu o ka ‘Āina, connected me with some of his students. Kainoa Salumbides, age 16, Kayala Kahaulelio, age 18, and Auli‘i Mahuna, age 17, took time from their busy day at school between classes to talk to me. The knowledge and experiences they shared were inspiring. They all expressed gratitude for being a part of the entire Mele Murals process.

They learned the mo‘olelo (stories) of their community and were able to translate that knowledge into visual art through the process of meditation.

“We’re literally painting a picture for people to know the history of our ‘āina and why it’s so special,” says Auli‘i.

They also learned the value of working in teams.

Kayala says, “During the Mele Murals process, we not only came together within our school, but also with Waimea Middle and HPA. The topic of water and rain brought us all together and on the same page.”

In addition, they experienced the joy and fulfillment resulting from the many months of hard work through the completion of the project and finally sharing their mural with the public. Kainoa says he was moved by the public’s acceptance and appreciation of the mural.

“At the unveiling, we chanted together and shared stories together. Many people cried. The community came together as one,” Kainoa says.

Besides sharing their general experiences about the project, Kayala and Auli‘i shared their understanding about each of the mele.

“Malana”

Kayala: “Malana” is a mele that calls all the districts together in unity. We wanted to make sure that we included everybody from our home—not only from our island, but everyone from all the other islands so that we can all come together as one.

“Na Pu‘u Kaulana o Waimea”

Kayala: Na Pu‘u Kaulana o Waimea, talks about all the pu‘u (hill) in Waimea, how it acts as a water catchment system, and how it provides for us.

Auli‘i: This mele was written by Aunty Emalani Case, who is from Waimea. She taught it to me when I was in the fifth grade. Her purpose was to bring attention to the way we need to preserve our ‘āina and the pu‘u that sustains us with water. Without that, we wouldn’t even be here; we wouldn’t have a community.

“Hole Waimea”

Kayala: “Hole Waimea,” is a very well-known oli for our community. It talks about the Kīpu‘upu‘u—very thick, stinging rain, which comes down at a slant angle. That rain is what replenishes our ‘āina, our community. Kīpu‘upu‘u is also the name for a group of warriors who lived in Waimea and Kohala during the reign of Kamehameha I.

Kayala Shares Her Thoughts

“I’m very culturally involved not only within our school, but outside of our school. Seeing the process of the artist is actually really great for me because people see things on different levels. When we got together, I don’t think they expected us to be so culturally rooted, but that foundation helped us connect with each other so that we could get a better vision of what we needed to do as a kuleana to this mele mural.

She continues, “Coming from our community in Waimea, Hawai‘i Island, we are very privileged to
have natural resources like water, which is our main life support. We’re lucky to be able to look up every day from our school at the pu‘u and acknowledge the fact that we have water flowing through our town naturally.”

According to local legend, a mo‘o wahine (female spirit) lives at a pond near a rock known as “Manaua.” During times of drought, cultural practitioners leave offerings at the rock where it is said she goes to sunbathe. Kayala explains why they chose to add the image of Manaua to the mural.

“One of our kids had a vision while meditating about our rain. The vision was about Manaua, a mo‘o wahine. So we paid her a visit, brought ho‘okupu (offering), and danced hula for her. One of our kids actually heard something from her. So we knew that we had to put her on our wall.”

Auli‘i Shares Her Thoughts

“I know where I’m from, but I never really took the time to actually learn the mo‘olelo (story, history). Through this mural process, I was able to do that.”

Auli‘i also learned valuable lessons about leadership and responsibility.

“Even though we’re just painting, which might not seem like much, it takes a lot. There’s planning processes and the actual painting. It was a stressful process trying to get everything in order,” she explains.

The reward for Auli‘i is confidence in her abilities—something that only experience can truly solidify.

“I have grown physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. It’s also grown me as an artist. I was never really confident in my art before, but now I’ve gotten better because I’ve had so much practice. Having people there to help me when I’m not doing something right, and also having our cultural advisors there to tell us if what we’re painting actually looks like the person we’re trying to paint was awesome. Estria and Prime, a local artist, taught us so much about art, and in return, we taught them about our culture.

“It was just super emotional to see something that represented who we are, and put up on the wall. Everyone knows that we did that, and it’s for a purpose, and it is so important. It really helped me to connect more to where I’m from.”

In addition to the Kahilu Theatre mural, Kainoa, Kayala, and Auli‘i also participated in painting murals at other locations on the island. The love they have for their culture, community, and ‘āina is clear.

It is evident that the teachers and community leaders, including artists, cultural practitioners, and musicians who surround these youth throughout the process understand that the project is an important tool by which they can guide our ‘ōpio to know who they are by knowing where they come from.

The Mele Murals is a creative project that offers our youth an incredibly unique opportunity for them to build their foundations—their root systems. This project has all the elements that can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.

“Mele Murals is a catalyst for change for our people and our communities.
It is projected that the Mele Murals, when completed,
will have changed the lives  of more than 1,000 young people throughout our islands.”
~Mahea Akau

Contact The Estria Foundation and Mele Murals
Contact writer Fannie Narte