Seeds of ideas planted at “Carving Out Our Future” workshops on O’ahu have grown into a larger effort to perpetuate rare Hawaiian hardwood trees along with traditional carving knowledge!
New federal funding will enable partners to establish five new tree planting sites across Oʻahu and strengthen the network of woodworkers on Oʻahu. Complementing this project, traditional carver Nalu Andrade will continue to host community workshops that build proficiency in carving and relationships with ʻāina (land, literal translation: that which feeds). Community carving workshops will be funded by the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife.
The two projects are funded through July 2028, but collaborators intend to create a much longer-term impact.
“We're not planting these trees for ourselves to use. Our hope is that these seedlings will be cared for, propagated, and eventually sustainably harvested as mature trees by our grandchildren. Along with growing trees themselves, through the practice of carving we plan to grow connections to trees that will last for generations.” - Nalu Andrade, traditional carving artist
Funding for this project is provided, in part, by the Inflation Reduction Act and the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program. These institutions are equal opportunity providers. Mahalo nui to Na Maka Kahiko for hosting pilot workshops this past year with Hoʻoulu ʻĀina and Hoa 'Āina O Mākaha (pictured), plus the O'ahu Department of Fish and Wildlife, Koʻolau Mountains Watershed Partnership KMWP, and Mālama Pu'uloa!
River Network is highlighting this story of traditional knowledge, land stewardship, and community building in celebration of this year's Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. Thank you to our collaborators on this post, Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program and the O'ahu Department of Fish and Wildlife!
#DayOfTheWorldsIndigenousPeoples #IndigenousKnowledge #LandStewardship
ID 1: A graphic that reads “Celebrating the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples!” Below are two photographs, one of carving artist Nalu Andrade demonstrating carving technique, and one of workshop participants carving māna ʻai bowls. Additional text reads Carving Out Our Future: Planting rare Hawaiian hardwood trees & encouraging generations of stewardship.
2: A graphic with two photographs, one of a large group of community workshop participants poses with their māna ʻai, and one of prepped strawberry guava wood "blanks" to be carved into māna ʻai at the workshop. Text reads Carving māna ʻai with strawberry guava wood!
3: A photograph of traditional carving artist Nalu Andrade, looking down at carving tools on the table he is seated at. A quote from him is overlaid on the photograph: “When we carve by hand, we bring back the tapping sounds our kūpuna heard.”