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

Hi and welcome to this episode of HIKI NŌ  on PBS Hawai‘i.

My name is Natasha Maafala,   and I am a senior at Wai‘anae  High School on O‘ahu.

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

In this episode, we'll meet teachers who share  their own personal stories to inspire their   students.

We'll witness the power of hula and  learn the ways of Hawaiian ancestors.

We'll learn   practical financial tips from students, including  how to save money in an akamai way.

We'll meet a   young songwriter who is chasing her dreams.

We'll hear about how much teamwork goes into   preparing a Hawaiian canoe for a voyage.

We'll  also see how a school on Maui is using walking   to promote positive mental health.

Let's kick  things off with a profile story from students   at Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy on Hawai‘i Island.

They share their teacher's story about learning   the Hawaiian language and how that plays a role  in his life as a leader at their school today.

[Speaks Hawaiian] As the resident life and  cocurricular program director,   athletics coach and former principal at  Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy’s high school,   Kumu Kaʻai Spencer takes teaching  Hawaiian language, values,   and culture to his students very seriously,  but he didn't grow up speaking Hawaiian.

Hawaiian history is a really interesting  story, because the more you unearth it,   and the more tough questions you ask,  the more you realize how much we don't   know.

These stories that I would hear from my  grandparents, where they would talk about their   parents going to school and being punished for  speaking ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i amongst their friends,   to their teachers, because they  were forced to speak in English.

When I was young, there weren't a lot  of Hawaiian language speakers around   me.

There's a whole list of things  that are known as Hawaiian things,   but yet I didn't necessarily  attach very closely to them.

When Kumu Spencer went to  play basketball at UH Mānoa,   a series of injuries stopped him from  his childhood dream of playing for   U.H.

However, a new passion was sparked  through his Hawaiian cultures class.

Now that I have this void, and at the same  time, I was making more friendships in my   ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i classes.

I met some  people that were involved in hula.

I ended up joining a hālau known as Ka Pā  Hula O Ka Lei Lehua under Snowbird Bento.

According to Kumu Ka‘ai, by joining hula, he  felt more connected to his Hawaiian roots.

My very first Merry Monarch was  in 2007.

This was actually less   than a full calendar year of my first  joining of a hālau to all of a sudden,   finding myself on a Merry Monarch stage.

I was diving deeply into my pursuit of   learning ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i language,  which taught me a lot about myself.

Today, Kumu Ka‘ai finds ways to connect to  his students by coaching and being a part   of student life.

Students from  HPA come from around the world,   and Kumu Kaʻai finds a sense of purpose  in sharing his culture with them.

I kept seeing HPA and all of the students that  we have as a great opportunity to share more   about Hawaiian history and about Hawaiian  knowledge, because the unique makeup of our   student body and having students from across  the globe is an amazing opportunity that I   saw to teach aloha that our students can then  take to other areas of the world.

I see HPA as   ka elele o ka pākīpika, and that translates  to the ambassador of aloha of the Pacific.

[sings in Hawaiian] This is Michella Monello from Hawai‘i  Preparatory Academy for HIKI NŌ, on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave] Seeing Kuma Ka‘ai's performance at  the Merrie Monarch Festival made us   think about this next student reflection  from our archives.

Jadynn-Kalena Young,   a freshman at Pearl City High School, shares  her personal love story with hula.

Let's watch.

Hula is the language of the heart and  therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people.

I can’t describe the aloha I feel for it.

Ever  since I was five, making this now almost ten   years dancing, my passion for hula instantly  became a lifestyle rather than a hobby for me.

When I was five, I grew up watching my mom  dance in our small bedroom trying to copy   her.

I was too young to comprehend the love I  felt for hula, but I always knew it was a way   of expressing myself.

I started dancing for  Hālau Nā Maka o ka Laua‘e with my Kumu Hula   Laua‘e Yamasaki, and it's  basically where I grew up.

It's my second family.

My journey  through life was all through there,   through victories, hardships,  blood, sweat, and tears, all of it.

Speaking of, let's talk about hardships.

We have competed in competitions like the   hula onie hula festival and the Queen  Liliuokalani keiki hula competition.

Training for competition is no time  for nonsense, and you need to put in   your everything.

You need to know what you're  dancing about.

You need to work hard physically.

You need to show up ready for practice on time and  prepared.

Practice lasts for hours almost every   day of the week, and the yelling gets intense.

“Sway your hips, bend your knees, chant louder.” This is what people misunderstand.

Hula is more than just dancing.

But the best part is I get to  bond with people I love most,   where we can understand each other's  happiness and pain throughout labor.

It’s a place where I can embrace  my storytelling.

A place where I   can develop as a person, and so much  more.

Hula will always be a reminder   for me to be myself.

It may be intense, but  my love is unconditional for it.

If I had   one place to be I would always choose  to dance with my hālau over anything.

[cheering] [ocean wave] This next story comes from students at  Molokai High School.

They profile their   college counselor who uses lessons from his youth  to inspire students to reach their full potential.

Meet Earl Nakamura, a retired educator  who volunteers as a College and Career   Readiness Advisor at Molokai High.

He helps  students get to the college of their dreams.

I remember in high school, I had a  counselor told me I would never make   it in college.

In Vietnam, I decided  I think I want to be a schoolteacher.

I got a call from Mr. Balikonta, the principal  at Molokai High School, asking if I wanted to   work on Molokai.

So, I decided, okay, Molokai is  just like Kahuku: country.

So, I came to Molokai,   became a social studies teacher, and taught social  studies for 30 years in Molokai High School.

I know that there's a lot of students  on this campus who have natural talent,   natural smarts.

All they need  is guidance and direction,   and if I can help them in that direction,  then I’ll help any of them to succeed in   whatever they want to study and whatever they  want to pursue as their occupation in life.

The students want to go to certain schools, but  the big problem is the financial aid part, and   a lot of times they end up not going because we  didn't start early enough.

I try to help all the   students with their plans after high school  and financial aid if they need it for college.

There are no best days, you know, working with  the students, seeing them with their positive   attitude, students coming in and asking  for help, I think that's the best thing.

I try to help the students, because I never  had that help when I was a student in high   school.

I was told that I would never make it  in a university, so I had to go to college,   graduate, and go back to that high school  and tell the counselor, you were wrong.

Anybody can accomplish anything they want  to do if they have the desire to succeed.

A hui hou from Molokai High School.

My name  is Caulin Nelson reporting for HIKI NŌ.

[ocean wave] This next piece from McKinley  High School students on O‘ahu   is extremely practical.

They share  great advice on how to save money   and think in a financially savvy  way, especially while you're young.

[gasp] Don't be like this student.

Here's how to  be financially smart before you turn 18.

Step one, set some goals for yourself, such  as saving $100 each month for a big purchase,   like a new phone.

Look at it  this way, you need to eat lunch,   and you may want that extra sugary drink,  but you don't need to spend extra money.

Instead, have water.

You shouldn't get your  wants and needs mixed up because that leads to   impulsive buying.

Step two, create a budget,  specifically following the 50-30-20 method.

Divide your savings into three categories.

Set  aside 50% of your monthly income for your needs,   30% for your wants, and make  sure 20% goes directly into   your savings.

This allows you to see  how much you can spend each month.

Step three, track your spending.

Some ways  you can do this are by spending a limit   for yourself on how much you spend  per week.

When you make a purchase,   make sure you log it so you can see how much  you've spent and how much you have left.

Step four, open a checking account or a savings  account.

When you're opening an account, make   sure to bring a government issued photo ID, and  if under 18, bring a parent or a legal guardian.

[phone rings] “Hey, Mom, are you ready to go to the bank?” It is also important that you regularly  deposit your savings at the beginning of   each month.

This way you save money more  efficiently and responsibly.

Following   these simple steps will help you become  more financially smart when you turn 18.

This is Pi‘ilani Holmes from President William  McKinley High School for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave] Now for some more practical advice, this  How-To video from Sacred Hearts Academy on   O‘ahu provides some useful ideas if you're about  to move away for college and need a place to rent.

As I go off to college within  the next couple of months,   I'm going to start searching for a place to  live, and I've come to realize I've almost no   idea about the renting process.

So, here's some  important information I've come to find out.

First, you must fill out a rental  application.

Doing this will   permit the landlord to run personal  credit card and background checks.

Keep in mind there is an application fee, which  varies in price.

If your application is approved,   you sign the lease agreement.

After the lease is signed,   you pay the first month's rent in  advance, as well as a security deposit.

A security deposit is money a landlord takes  in case you violate the terms of the rental   agreement.

It can also be used to  cover damaged property, cleaning,   key replacement or unpaid rent.

You should  be refunded the whole deposit if the rental   unit is in good condition when you move out.

The  final step of the renting process is moving in and   enjoying your new place.

This is Sarah Yiu from  Sacred Your Hearts Academy, reporting for HIKI NŌ.

[ocean wave] On Maui, there's a young singer-songwriter  who's been brave enough to publish her work   on a global online platform.

We'll learn her story   in this next profile piece from HIKI NŌ  contributors at H.P.

Baldwin High School.

Music helps me express myself by turning all my   thoughts into melodies that I've  never thought could ever exist.

[singing] Hi, I'm Francene Kaye and I'm a teen music artist.

I started pursuing music because whenever  I was younger, I went to Filipino parties,   and it was always karaoke, and  I always went up when I had the   chance.

And that made me feel  like I have the love for music.

And so, growing up, I always begged my  parents, begged and begged every day   to finally get me my first instrument,  until I finally had it in my own hands.

Whenever I pick up my guitar, I just feel  happy.

Nothing else really comes to mind,   like my mind comes to a state of calmness,   and that's really what I acquire  whenever I pick up my own instrument.

When I first released my first song  on Spotify, it was so scary.

I didn't   know whether people were gonna love it  or hate it, but after I released it,   I just knew that I really could still  keep continuing this passion of mine.

Music is a big aspect in my life because it's  who I am.

It's who I want to be recognized as,   because I want to be known as Francene  Kaye; not just Francene, not just some   random girl on the street who just randomly  loves to make music.

I want to be out there.

[sings and strums guitar] [ocean wave] Music is just one of the ways to lift your  spirits when you're feeling down.

Another   way is to get out and exercise.

This next  story from students at Kamehameha Schools   Maui Middle School explores a new school wide  initiative to get out and walk Miles for Smiles.

Kamehameha Schools Maui Middle started a  campaign called Miles for Smiles to raise   awareness about mental health and suicide.

This card was used to record miles walked   by students to get to the school's  goal of 1,000 miles for 1,000 smiles.

[conch shells blow] For the first time ever Kamehameha  Schools Maui Middle held a one mile   walk to raise awareness about  mental health and teen suicide.

Miles for Smiles is something that we came  up with to create awareness during Suicide   Prevention Month.

And the whole idea behind  the Miles for Smiles campaign was to, you know,   get people out, talking and  walking with each other,   to increase protective factors that we  know are the best ways to prevent suicide.

Kumu Kekaula started the Miles for Smiles campaign  because he believes that teens should be outdoors.

It's important for teens because I feel  like nowadays, we spend so much time on   computers and cell phones, and our  screen time is going up.

Sometimes   our middle school students don't want to  go for walks, but in the end, you know,   once we get out there and we're hitting the  pavement and talking story, then you know,   you know, the proof is in the pudding, where,  you know, people are smiling and having fun.

And   you know, once we get out there, I think  everything ends up working itself out.

Exercise was a big part of this campaign,  but another part of this campaign was “LAP.” “LAP” means listen, ask questions, and pray.

I  was asking a group of kids, “What do you think a   good solution to combat depression and suicide?”  And one of the students said, “Listen and pray.”   And then the ʻʻask questions” came about later.

And the reason why listen and pray, or listen,   ask questions, and pray, work so well is because  we can walk laps together.

Because anybody could   walk.

LAP is good for mental health and also  moving our bodies.

It helps our souls grow.

Kumu Kekaula hopes to expand the  event to the rest of the school.

What I'm hearing for next year is maybe we go  for 10,000 miles, and it might be involving,   you know, our entire campus, with everyone from  kindergarten to senior year, our senior class   getting involved next year.

So, looking to grow  it and spread awareness next year, even more.

Activities such as the Miles for Smiles Walk helps  raise awareness for mental health and suicide.

This is Victoria Ventura from Kamehameha  Schools Maui for HIKI NŌ, on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave] Let's stay active and visit Waimea Canyon Middle  School on Kauaʻi in this next archive story,   which features a new playground on campus that  brought energy to students' daily school routine.

One, two, three, four.

There is more than one way to build upper body  strength than by just doing push-ups.

In the year   2011, Waimea Canyon Middle School built a fitness  equipment gym to give kids the opportunity to   get exercise and build upper body strength.

With the growing concern of child obesity,   there is a big push to increase student activity.

The gym includes many different sessions,   such as monkey bars, a place where you can  stretch your Achilles tendons, and others that   can help you improve your upper body strength.

But some may ask, was the money well spent?

I'm really pleased with the results  of the new playground equipment.

It really helps our students  become active, physically active,   because we have kids on the equipment before  school, during morning recess and at lunchtime.

I like this playground because we can have  fun, and sometimes we don't get in trouble if   we climb.

If we're climbing, then yeah, we can get  in trouble.

And we also can exercise on that gym.

They're swinging on the bars.

They're actually  playing on the equipment appropriately.

We haven't had any inappropriate  activity on the equipment at all.

So,   we're really pleased with the outcome  of having the equipment on our campus.

Although it has proved to be a success,  students have different opinions of the gym.

The reason I don't like the playground  is because it has fake grass.

I like the fitness playground because I like  to exercise and have fun on the multi bars.

I don't like how you can rub your  feet on the grass and shock people.

Many students of Waimea Canyon Middle  School can be found playing on the gym,   but some feel that it is missing something.

I think they should add swing sets.

I want a swing and a slide on a playground.

I would like a swing on the playground.

I like it the way it is, but  I think that they should add   a seventh and eighth grade tetherball set.

And even though they don't notice it, they're  getting more healthy one pull-up at a time.

This has been Jianna Wachi from Waimea  Canyon Middle School for HIKI NŌ.

[ocean wave] Now I'd like to share a story from my  school, Wai‘anae High School on O‘ahu,   about the legacy of learning to  voyage the traditional Hawaiian way.

Kū ha‘a heo.

Kū ha‘a heo means  to stand firm and to be pa‘a,   to be strong.

And I feel like as Hawaiians,  we should be pa‘a to our culture.

One, two, huki.

Polynesian Voyaging Society Captain Lehua Kamalu  believes this is the time to look for the helpers.

Our whole organization is built off  the help of others.

It's a whole   community that launches a canoe,  they say.

And it really is true,   every part of your community has to come  together for you to make voyage happen.

Super clear today.

For 15-year-old Kristyn  Kailewa, this is the dream:   sailing the Hōkūleʻa, a Hawaiian cultural  icon that first set sail in 1975.

I just love being connected with, you know, as  a Hawaiian, to do the cultural practices as what   people did back then.

It's always been a  dream of mine to just step on that boat.

Her connection to this moment is much  deeper than just being on this canoe.

Being involved in the ocean and just  going out and paddling is part of our   culture.

And Hawaiian culture was just  built in me since I was a little kid.

But for a long time, Hawaiian culture was  something that was not practiced, but buried.

And it's a reason for that, because 200 years ago,   there was a new wave of exploration  that came from the Western world.

Nainoa Thompson, master navigator and the  president of the Polynesian Voyaging Society,   is one of the stars in the revival of  traditional voyaging arts in Polynesia.

And things change with Native  Hawaiians in the loss of population,   loss of culture, loss of language,   which is the same kind of chronic story that  is throughout all native people on the planet.

If I didn't get to practice my  Hawaiian culture, I would be angry.

That anger is one that also sparked  the dream of the Hawaiian cultural   revival that is still being navigated today.

So, this canoe that we're sitting on or standing  on today is really a dream that was created by   many, many people that went back as far as they  could in history and come up with the design   of the traditional, ancient voyaging canoe.

And so, this is a spaceship of our ancestors.

And making the voyage happen is about tying  together the past, present and future.

I love to hear about young people  who are already in the water,   who are so connected to it and want to learn more.

And then we need young people to  take the challenge, to step forward,   to take this canoe away from  my generation and sail it.

It's important for us to learn what he  knows so that we can become explorers   and sailors before, you know, this  tradition would just become extinct,   and no one will know how  great it was to just sail.

This is Tyler Bright from  Wai‘anae High School for HIKI NŌ.

[ocean wave] To close out our show, let's meet an eighth  grader from Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy on the   Big Island who is helping his ʻohana and  community by preparing meals for another   traditional voyaging group.

You'll feel  inspired by Waika Takushi and the wa‘a.

This is Waika, an eighth grader at Hawai‘i  Preparatory Academy on the Big Island.

Ever since   I was born, I was always surrounded by the ocean.

During my childhood, my mom, papa and dad were all   on many voyages with the Polynesian Voyaging  Society and Nā Kālai Wa‘a, like Mokumanamana,   and even around the world.

As a little kid, I  would hear and watch as the va‘a members blew   the pū when going for a voyage.

I was interested  and intrigued.

My papa was the one who connected   me to those things.

My papa cares for the  wa‘a.

He grows and prepares the food because   it is special to him.

I helped him grow and  prepare the food ever since I was very young.

When I was 13, my papa had a heart attack and  had to slow down.

This surprised me and my   family.

It was hard for all of us, because  he is such an important part of our lives.

This meant my family had to step  in and offer more support to him,   while he was forced to slow down  and rest.

I had to help even more   with preparing the food and cooking for  the va‘a, which has a crew of 16 people.

However, this was different.

I had to take on  a bigger and more independent role.

There was   one voyage where I had to help even more than  usual.

I had to help plant, harvest, prepare,   and serve the food more than ever before.

I had  never cooked for that big of a group of people,   aside from my family.

I didn't feel comfortable  doing this at first, but my mom encouraged me to.

I know I didn't want my papa to do it by  himself, so I put aside my discomfort to   help him.

People thought the food was good,  and this motivated me to continue helping.

I now realize the impact my papa has on  my family, wa‘a crew, and our hometown.

He inspires me to want the same  impact on my community in the future.

[ocean wave] That's it for our show.

Thanks for joining us to  watch the impressive 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.

[outro music]