[intro music]  HIKI NŌ, Hawai‘i's New Wave of Storytellers.

Aloha, and welcome to HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

My name is Xyandri Ortiz, and I'm a senior at Hawai‘i Technology Academy on O‘ahu.

Mahalo for joining us to watch the work of Hawai‘i's New Wave of Storytellers.

In this episode, we'll watch stories about growing gardens, from succulents in recycled cans to lettuce via aquaponics.

We'll enjoy stories about Hawaiian chants and cultivating culture and discover young people finding their path in life.

Let's start the show.

Here on O‘ahu, there is a Buddhist temple with a lot of history.

Let's learn more in this segment from Pacific Buddhist Academy.

When driving down the Pali Highway, chances are you've seen this white building and wondered what it is.

This is the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawai‘i Betsuin, which serves as the head temple of the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji Mission of Hawai‘i.

Jodo Shinshu, or Shin Buddhism, emphasizes finding peace in everyday life.

It was founded by Shinran Shonin in 13th century Japan.

The Betsuin temple was dedicated in 1918 and has served the community ever since.

Reverend Yuika Hasebe is the chief minister of the Betsuin, leading services and community programs for the temple.

I really love people here.

People here is very kind and gentle and patient, so I'm really happy to work in here with everybody.

The experience of Buddhism is almost like entering the New World.

So, Buddhism help us to see the beauty within the simple, ordinary and everyday moment of our lives.

The Hawai‘i Betsuin offers many Japanese language class and then, like a bon dance, so people kind of learn together and then become friends.

that is a important role of the Hawai‘i Betsuin.

Students at Pacific Buddhist Academy learn about the temple in their Made in Hawai‘i class.

Whether you visit for a moment of peace, to learn, or to participate in a cultural event, the Betsuin remains a place where everyone is welcome.

It stands as a symbol of compassion and gratitude, values that continue to guide and inspire all who walk through its doors.

This is Maddie Wright for Pacific Buddhist Academy for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave] This next 'did you know' segment comes from students at Island Pacific Academy on O‘ahu.

They explain the origins of the school's unique oli, or chant.

[clapping] Did you know the island Pacific Academy has its own oli?

An oli is a Hawaiian chant, while they have many meanings that are often used as a greeting, a thank you, or to request entry into a sacred place of learning.

When IPA opened in 2004, the school commissioned its own oli, titled 'Nā Kau a Kau,’ which translates to forever.

It was written by Pumehana Silva and Melelani Spencer.

The chant tells the story of IPA students in the ahupua‘a of Honouliuli.

It connects to our mascot, the navigator, who uses the stars to find their way.

When we start the chant with the three claps, it's just saying, "Everybody get together, we're going to do this as one," and then as they do the chant, it's one voice.

To me, I feel when we do the oli as one school, we're all on the same page.

We all feel the same about the school, the area, and the community.

[chanting] like those in Kumu Bobo's class perform the oli to ask for permission to enter the learning space and to prepare their minds for the day.

The oli reflects the school motto, I mua me ka ha‘aheo, or go forward with confidence.

It ensures the Hawaiian culture and values remain the guiding star for the IPA community.

This is Abigail Harrell from Island Pacific Academy for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

Let's go into the HIKI NŌ archives to watch this story about an organization in Kaneohe that perpetuates Hawaiian culture in several ways, including chanting.

The story was produced by Roosevelt High School students on O‘ahu.

they likely think of tropical palm trees, coconuts, and succulent pineapples.

But what they might not know is the history of Hawaiian plants and the impact they have on its culture.

[Hawaiian chanting] In the midst of development, few have maintained the importance of Hawai‘i's flora.

On the island of O‘ahu in Kaneohe, Papahana Kuaola, a Mālama ‘Āina based nonprofit organization, is actively contributing to the preservation of Hawaiian plants.

We pretty much try and transform land back to ‘āina.

You know, we try and transform the land that we see back into a usable space, not only for people, but also for the other plants and other animals and insects that could utilize the plants that we put into the ground.

Their projects include the preservation of sacred land, educating the public on culture, ridding the area of invasive plant life, and raising awareness about Hawai‘i's invasive and endangered species problems.

Right now, we're known as the endangered species capital of the world, and we're known for all these things going extinct, and we're losing so many things.

So, it all sounds bad, but then you get to places like this and elsewhere, with just communities saying no, we can have a better future.

Another way the Papahana Kuaola preserves Hawaiian culture is through traditional means, such as the use of chant.

Every single plant would have a Hawaiian name – a Hawaiian use.

It's an amazing thing.

The knowledge that Hawaiians hold in the Oli and in the mo‘olelo, about every single plant that's in the Hawaiian universe, you can find it there.

That's why, when people think about Hawaiian plants, they should stop thinking about only the plants that were brought in on the canoes, because the whole plant world, from ocean to the top of the mountain, was celebrated in some way and used.

Papahana Kuaola and the passing down of chant have had a powerful effect on the preservation of culture.

But citizens of Hawai‘i can also do their part to help.

You have to think about Hawaiian culture as having its roots way in the past, and yet still a living culture and moving forward into the future.

There are certain things that require very serious research to make sure that what you are learning has its roots way back in the past.

You cannot just make stuff up.

You know, to preserve the Hawaiian culture, I think the easiest thing to do is to just try and live it.

And, you know, you don't have to go out and, you know, learn to speak fluent Hawaiian and have to dance hula, or have to practice lua.

You know, it's just one component of that would be good, or just being respectful to the land and basically understanding the land of that which you live.

the true Hawaiian roots, maybe the flower that is Hawai‘i can blossom.

This is Victor Nhieu from Roosevelt High School for HIKI NŌ.

In the following HIKI NŌ personal narrative, a garden of orchids serves as more than a sanctuary.

It is a bridge across time, reconnecting a student with the endearing spirit of her grandmother.

This story of remembrance comes to us from students at Mid-Pacific Institute on O‘ahu.

This is my grandma's garden.

Inside is her orchid collection.

Each plant presenting their own unique feature.

I never came down here much since it happened.

It used to be hard to appreciate this life when it only reminded me of her absence.

I only started to recognize its beauty when I created art.

Creating became a way for me to process my grief.

Art changed my perspective.

Where my grandma's flowers once brought pain, I now see her undying love and affection.

It's still hard, but now I realize this life is her.

I realize that despite her not being there for them, the flowers still continue to thrive.

So, why shouldn't I do the same?

[ocean wave] Let's continue to cultivate our green thumbs.

Here is a fun craft project produced by students at Honowai Elementary School on O‘ahu.

Do you eat a lot of spam, but just throw away all the cans?

But did you know that you can reuse the can to make a mini succulent garden?

that can store water in its leaves.

Since this kind of plant stores a bunch of water in its leaves, you don't have to water it for about a month.

This plant is great for people who forget to water their plants, or just don't want to.

Get a spam tin can with no spam in it and remove the label.

Remember to ask an adult to help you poke the holes.

The holes help to drain the liquid.

There should be a plate to catch the water.

and add your soil until it reaches the top of the can.

Make sure to push the soil down with a chopstick.

Make six cuttings by the stem that are two to four inches long, which are part of a full succulent that you cut off with scissors.

Use a stick or a chopstick to make the holes in the soil to plant the cuttings.

If there are roots, make sure to make the hole a little bigger so you can bury the roots.

When you are done making the holes with a chopstick, plant the cuttings in the holes that you made.

Cover the bottom of the plant to make it stand up tall.

Make sure to cover the roots too if your cutting has roots.

After you have made your succulent garden, you can use it as a house decoration that you made.

Aquaponics is a growing phenomenon, and students at Maui Waena Intermediate School on Maui take us to a special farm in this next profile story from our archives.

My name is Larry Yonashiro and I'm an urban farmer providing certified organic produce from my aquaponic farm in my backyard.

Larry and Patty Yonashiro began an urban style of farming called aquaponics eight years ago with a vision to provide fresh, locally grown produce and to promote the aquaponic industry.

While many people farmed to earn a living, Mr.

Yonashiro, a veteran IT worker, started this new beginning to bring back the roots of his past.

I was getting close to retirement from my regular job, which I spent 30 years doing.

I wanted to be outside because I was raised in Hawai‘i.

I was raised in a plantation camp.

My father was a sharecropper.

They used to grow pineapples.

And so, you know, agriculture had been a part of my family for a long time.

I just had it in my blood.

I wanted to go back to farming.

Because I'd been in an air-conditioned room for 30 years, I wasn't used to the backbreaking work of farming on, in the soil, which is really hard work, and I was looking for an easy way to farm.

And to think that I could raise fish and grow vegetables in my backyard, it was just amazing.

I think a lot of people in Hawai‘i would like to do that, just to walk outside in your backyard, work out in the sunshine and fresh air, feed the fishes who come up to you, and they look at you in the face and you're feeding them, and you see these plants thriving, because fish water is one of the best fertilizers for plants.

And just having a lot of greenery in nature and being outside in the sunshine is a real plus.

That's why I do it.

As anyone who's tried it knows that there's a lot of experimentation and a lot of problems.

So, the first few years, I say three years, was learning, making mistakes and correcting them.

And we're still learning.

It's something that we're constantly learning, and it's a lot of fun.

Despite the challenges that come with his lifestyle, his family is always there to lend a hand.

One person is really hard to do it, you know, by yourself.

For me, I'm really fortunate to have my wife who supports it, really supports what I'm doing.

I wouldn't be able to do it without her support.

And it's also good that you have more than one person, because when you're just thinking through solutions by yourself, you kind of get locked in because you're the only person that you can talk to, right?

But if you have another person to talk to, it clarifies the solution.

And with the addition of my daughter, who just came over, her background is food science and quality control.

So, all of her background adds to what we're trying to do here.

So, the more people in the family that comes down to help the better.

And with the help of his family, Larry hopes to accomplish his end goal of contributing to and growing the aquaponic industry, to provide enough locally grown food to sustain the Island of Maui.

To perfect or to improve the utilization of the concept of aquaponics, to try and make that more mainstream.

Right now, it's such a novelty.

Lot of people do it in different ways, and a lot of people have strong opinions about how to do this versus how they're doing it.

So, to make this type of farming more accessible to the community.

Because being a small farm, we need a lot of farmers doing what we're doing to supply enough food for the community on this island.

Not only has this local farm grown fresh produce, but it's also grown a family and community.

This is Hannah Okamoto from Maui Waena Intermediate School for HIKI NŌ.

[ocean wave] This next story was produced by Moanalua High School's broadcast production team, Now Loading News.

They spotlight the Free Store run by the Susannah Wesley Community Center, a nonprofit agency in Kalihi-Palama on O‘ahu.

Well, I'm just grateful to be able to have the opportunity to do our part by helping our community members.

The Free Store is a big support system for our community.

For a lot of them, you know, the cost of living is horrendous in Hawai‘i, and so it means that they get help with everything, so that the income that they bring home can go to food and go to other resources.

Here in the heart of Kalihi lies Susannah Wesley, a nonprofit organization that's been running for over 125 years.

They provide services like food pantries and youth programs.

Twice a month since March, over 150 households come to fill these bags.

They fill them with household needs and necessities at the free store.

You know, you get essential need items for free.

I think it gives them an opportunity to like, connect and bond.

Our population is generally low-income homeless individuals.

They're able to shop for gently used items.

director, has gone above and beyond to make everyone smile.

She's friendly.

She has a kind heart, very giving.

I love her enthusiasm.

comes in and they want to give her a hug.

She's in people's families in a very loving way.

You know, she wants to strengthen their families.

Hello my friend.

to offer a free store with essential need items like clothing and shoes, and you know, our community not having, you know, being able to save money there.

I'm grateful for that opportunity.

As customers are welcomed by Kareem, many may not realize all that she does behind the scenes.

She also puts a lot of this Free Store together.

Sometimes she stays here late at night, sorting and just really happy to put things together.

Doesn't bother her that no one else is here with her, but she'll stay here till it's already dark, just trying to make everything special for everyone.

Her changes may go unnoticed, but they have a huge impact on the community around her.

We have people who were in domestic violence, and they live in shelters and they have to start from scratch, and so this means that they're able to build a life.

It actually means a lot to me.

With all those donations from others, receiving it from other people who's sharing it, it's very helpful.

To Koreen, her job means more than just helping people.

I love opening the doors and greeting everyone.

They always ask about how I'm doing, but I think the best part of the Free Store is really just seeing everyone smile.

that Koreen has put in has helped impact our community in such a huge way.

This is Airi Chang reporting for Now Loading News.

wave] shared this next story about a nonprofit dedicated to supporting young people involved with the justice system.

Yeah, biting too much on one side.

That's why it's crooked, and it'll get stuck.

While many young adults find the direction they need in high school, Kinai ‘Eha, a nonprofit organization, is here to help when high school fails.

Kinai ‘Eha provides education, job opportunities and workforce training for youth that are homeless, high school dropouts, incarcerated or looking for guidance.

The program is located in Olomana on the Windward side of O‘ahu, working to empower young adults that society may have turned their back on and put them on track to be successful and contributing members of society.

Some of the mentors here experienced hardships in their own life when they were young and want a chance to steer others in the right direction.

He was a policeman for 32 years, so he was my mentor, and I always looked up to him.

A lot of these kids don't have fathers, and if they do, they're not really up to par.

So, you know, I try my best to be a role model to them, so they get something at least to look at.

Sometimes at least eight hours of the day, they can come here and look up to somebody and feel good about themselves.

And yeah, I try to be.

While at Kinai ‘Eha, young adults between ages 14 and 26 learn construction and other trades, as well as have the opportunity to earn their GED.

I've been to prison.

I've been to Oklahoma prison.

I've been to Hālawa at least six times.

So, I know it's not the right place, it's not a good place to be.

And I just try to make these kids understand that that's a bad route.

You know, your parents are going there or were there, and it's just not any place for any human being, especially the children of Hawai‘i.

Oh, you got to come back, right?

Yeah, perfect.

all the mentors here do their best to make a positive impact on Hawai‘i's youth.

The kids is like me when I was young.

I think most of the mentors here are going to be in that same position, yeah.

So, we grew up hardheaded, and grew up kind of on the streets, doing stupid street things.

And then being able to become successful in a world where you got to be law-abiding, you know, and all that stuff.

And seeing the kids transition from where they are doing stupid street things into becoming law abiding, productive members of society, that's pretty much what it drives, yeah.

that works better, not only themselves, but each other as well.

I think we have a good blend, because everybody has the same purpose.

Here you go to other schools, you go to other programs, you go to other universities, everybody's there for their own purpose.

And everybody has different purposes.

Here, everybody has a common purpose, yeah, and that's to extinguish pain; that's to make a better life for all of us together as a team.

They're really good guys.

They're nice, they're respectful, you know?

And I know they all can contribute to society.

We just got to give him a chance.

This is Kehaulani Bringas from Kalāheo High School for HIKI NŌ.

[ocean wave] We're getting close to the end of the school year.

Let's check in with Penelope Dolin, a student at H.P.

Baldwin High School on Maui, who decided to take flight after graduation.

Senior year.

This is the year where we're supposed to figure out who we want to be.

We were told to sum up our whole life into a neat little paragraph enough to impress colleges, but not enough to scare them off.

I spent so long trying to figure out where to go and who to be that eventually, I just chose.

So, when people ask me about my future, I smile and say, "Oh yeah, I'm committed to the University of North Dakota.

I want to be a pilot."

And I'm not lying, I think.

It's not that flying doesn't excite me; it does.

I'm just scared I'm making the wrong decision.

I've always been the kind of person who goes with the flow, hopes for the best, trusts that things will fall into place.

There's always going to be worry and fear, but going with the flow, that's who I am.

The spontaneous trips with my friends, the smiles, the laughter, the inside jokes from those memories; the peaceful moments I have with myself, driving nowhere in particular, sitting underneath the trees or by the water.

These are the things that made this place feel like home, the things that make me, me.

In a few months, everything I've ever known will be behind me.

I'll be in a new place with so many new faces, but I won't be forgetting where I've been.

Every moment has shaped me into the person I am now, and always shares the memories I've made.

Because, yeah, the future scares me, but no matter where I go, I'll still be me.

[ocean wave] That brings us to the end of our show.

Mahalo for watching the work of Hawai‘i's New Wave of Storytellers.

Don't forget to follow HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

You can find this HIKI NŌ episode and more at pbshawaii.org.

Tune in next week for more proof that Hawai‘i students HIKI NŌ – can do.

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