(Instrumental music) Kalaʻi Miller: Aloha, I’m Kalaʻi Miller and in this episode of Home is Here we kick things off with coconut trees.

They’re a symbol of island life, but over the years how we use these trees has shifted dramatically.

An organization out of UH West Oʻahu is trying to shift things back, but an invasive pest is creating a huge challenge.

Manulani Aluli Meyer: (Chanting) Kupu ka niu Kupu ke kanaka Pua ka niu Pua ka wahine uʻi Hua ka niu, hua nā keiki Nā pulapula o ka ʻāina Eia kou niu lā When coconuts grow, humanity flourishes.

NiUNOW is a movement.

It's a movement of people dedicated to the enlivening and the healing of, of Hawaiian cultural values, and principles and practices through the development, knowledge, planting and the enjoyment of the coconut tree.

We have a long history of care and love for the coconut, but it has been truncated.

It has been cut off because of our systems of, of governance here that calls our coconut tree, a liability and an ornamental tree.

So right now we are regaining our knowledge because of people like Indrajit.

Because of his unbroken relationship with ʻike niu, with knowledge of the coconut.

Indrajit Gunasekara: First day I came here I went to Waikīkī.

So I was looking at all the coconut trees and the trees were in a very abnormally uniform shape.

I wanted to make sure they are truly coconut trees or something made out of plastic and put down there.

I actually had to go and touch a tree.

I didn’t want to take that question with me.

That part inspired in the sense, what can we do to change this paradigm?

If this is how the coconut tree needed to be treated, is this the tree all our tropical island ancestors collectively chose to be the tree of life?

And I can honestly say that with confidence, I think it is happening.

We were able to show the people and the community.

There are so many different varieties of niu.

There are certain diversity to this tree.

There is a use and a function.

Manulani Aluli Meyer: The uluniu, our uluniu, our coconut grove at UH-West O'ahu is an 11,000 square foot piece of land.

We call this ulu and niu before we knew that it was the word for coconut grove because we're growing ulu - our breadfruit - and niu.

We have six varieties of the niupoko, six different varieties of the the dwarf coconut tree, which is pretty rare.

Indrajit Gunasekara: We set niu nurseries, the niu nursery means that we collect seed nuts from different trees from the different location in the demographically diverse location.

We are focusing on mostly what called the in situ conservation.

In Hawaiʻi, it would be the ahupuaʻa base conservation because of the varieties in the area should live in that area.

And we collect seed especially from Waiʻanae and Mākaha and Nānakuli, even here in Kapolei.

And so, we germinate them and we try to give them to the people in the area.

Manulani Aluli Meyer: There are so many challenges to doing to planting and growing uluniu and coconuts.

And the biggest one right now is our coconut rhinoceros beetle - CRB.

It was brought in through military from Guam.

I cried when we found it here.

Jahnna Kahele: Right here.

You can see the leaves a lot better.

This guy got attacked pretty bad.

So when the leaves are like this, getting cut like that, you know that the CRB was attacking it.

This netting right here is just some basic mesh netting.

We wrap it around the whole tree, we try to get it down from the bottom of the stalk.

But they really like to burrow inside .

Indrajit Gunasekara: So they penetrate through the tree and try to get into that soft part, soft bark.

So on the way through, they are creating a tunnel.

So a lot of pathogen and all other germs can go through and it's starting to create atmosphere that is starting to deteriorate underneath.

That can eventually result the tree to die.

When we plant this tree, we expect that tree to over live us.

In other words, after our time, this tree is going to live and produce food.

And they are not reaching their lifespan and the goal to be in that level.

It's really hard for us to see you know.

We are extremely frustrated.

But at the same time, there is a lesson to be learned.

The problem we are facing is not the beetle.

This is not the main problem.

This is the issue.

This is detrimental.

Problem is way deeper than this.

I mean we have an ancient uluniu system in Hawaii, coconut grove system.

That grove system is dying, that grove system is vanishing.

And the old varieties of Hawaiian coconut varieties are disappearing.

That's even a way deeper problem that we need to address and acknowledge and put the practice to safeguard.

Jahnna Kahele: Native Hawaiians they didn't see plants as like objects it was more like a living thing to them.

Just like the ʻāina, the land.

So we treat them as if, like how we treat basically a person.

And the mission here really is important, though, about the food security.

When 90% of our food’s being imported, you know, especially when we had this COVID pandemic, like a lot of people were like, dang, like, what are we gonna do?

We don't, we don't have all these things coming in for us.

So food security is really, really, really important.

And the type of foods that we're growing, there are like the plants that our ancestors used to grow.

Manulani Aluli Meyer: The uluniu as a, as a cultural revitalization tool is so that we can get to know each other.

Not only the the niu as a, as a thriving food resource for our people, but as the capacity for us to get to know each other to get to know land practices.

And I think that's the key is that aloha aku, aloha mai, kōkua aku, kōkua mai.

It's a, it's a, it's a simultaneous feeling of aloha, when you are receiving a coconut, and then you're going to plant it, because that's what we're here to do is to secure your food security, with your, your interest.

We're not asking anything more, except your interest, and people choose for themselves to participate.

And that is the evolutionary moment of our times.

This is not about money.

This is not about simply knowledge acquisition.

This is about relationality.

This is about aloha ʻāina and this is about caring for our peoples in Hawaiʻi.

Indrajit Gunasekara: When you see a coconut tree take a moment to look at that tree.

Whether you're driving or video stop at the traffic light and looking outside.

Whether you take a walk.

Take a moment and look at the heart of the tree.

We should look at this tree as a way we look at each other and truly as a food tree.

I think that tree has a lot to offer to us.

Kalaʻi Miller: Since 1975, Grant Kagimoto has been the creative force behind the t-shirt brand Cane Haul Road.

His designs tap into what’s special about our local culture, with many of them giving a nod to the past.

Speaking of the past, Kagimoto was actually featured on PBS Hawaiʻi in 1986, in an episode of Spectrum Hawaii.

Even he’s surprised that decades later, he’s still in business.

Grant Kajimoto: We're trying to capture I think a lifestyle that we're familiar with being in our mid 30s.

It's not as much the lifestyle my father's generation is familiar with, nor is it the lifestyle my nephews or nieces may be familiar with.

We more or less design from our own personal experience.

The Spectrum interview, I think I was 37.

We started the company when I was 27.

And when I watch the rebroadcast with my wife, I told her, I don't even recognize myself, who is that person?

If you had asked me back then are you going to be around in another 30 years?

I would have said no, I don't think so or might be just retired sitting on a beach somewhere.

Cane Haul Road started in 1975.

And it was sort of like a hippie co-op of a bunch of former art majors from UH.

Most of the people dropped out.

Carol Hasegawa and I ended up keeping the business and now all these years later, I'm I'm still going with the business, surprisingly enough.

Marie Kodama, who was at the time Marie Yamaguchi, she brought the name to the group.

I suggested Pāhoa Produce because fruit, vegetable names were really kind of hot right then.

Nobody liked that name.

So we ended up going with Cane Haul Road.

And her father was an ag teacher in Waipahu, and I guess Waipahu is known as a cane town.

But there was actually a Cane Haul Road in Waipahu.

And so people still ask me today are if I'm from Waipahu or where did the name come from?

And if they're under 30, they usually don't understand the name at all, because sugar plantations have been long gone.

And much to my chagrin, you know, those kinds of terms have disappeared.

We try to have a subject matter that's fairly broad.

But as we see the local neighborhood shave ice stands disappearing around us.

And as we see, more and more fast food establishments come up with this kind of generic American quality to them, we, we fear that those things that have made Hawaiʻi a unique and wonderful place to live in.

We feel those things are disappearing, and we have an obligation to some extent to preserve that.

Our designs tend to specialize in that plantation, sugar plantation period, not so much pineapple or anything that came after.

And so, you know, even though I never lived or worked on a plantation, you know, that's why our - almost all our grandparents came here.

And whether we're Portuguese or Japanese, or or Filipino, that's the kind of 100 year, 150 year tradition that we all share.

Unfortunately, the most successful design that we ever did, I didn't draw.

And it's called Home Sweet Hawaiʻi, and it's a plantation house.

And I think we originally got drawings or blueprints from the Hawaii Sugar Planters Association.

And it's like a 1907, sugar plantation, typical house.

And I drew it first.

And it looked like a 10th grade drafting school drawing.

So I turned it over to a friend Arthur Kodani.

And he and I worked together for years.

And he redid it.

And it's still a really popular design.

Arthur's wonderful drawing that was, so full of life and warmth.

And that again, that kind of my own prejudice whole idea of what a neighbor island or country Hawaiʻi is like, is encapsulated in that design.

And, and almost all of us had aunties and uncles, somewhere in the country that lived in one of those kinds of houses.

So it just evokes so many fond memories for so many people.

What we do is we reflect back to our customers who they are.

And we tell them that they are wonderful people.

And what they care about is worth caring about.

And so we're sort of positive reinforcement in a lot of ways.

And we also I think, bring a certain level of humor to our work.

When people come to the craft fair, I find a lot of times they'll be laughing at certain designs and pointing out certain things that they find really, really funny.

I recently did this design that says, “Nattoh for me.

Too many strings attached.” And it's pretty interesting, because some people who love natto think it means, oh, he likes natto.

And other people go like, oh, he's just like me, he doesn't like natto, it's just too disgusting.

But I think again, it's like, we can bring I think humor to our cultural references, without again making fun of people.

And the humor celebrates, again, who we are.

I'm a one man band, now, I do everything.

I do the designing, I do the printing, I do the paperwork, I am the delivery person.

I think in ‘86 it was we were still kind of a young company with young ideas.

And now I'm a much older person.

But I haven't changed that dramatically.

But I, in some ways become actually more subtle and more personal in my work.

The business now is generational.

And so when the customer comes to me, and they say, Oh, we used to have shirts from you.

I look at them like, okay, she's like 30 years old.

So there's probably grandmother bought these shirts for her when she was five or six, or when people come to me and say, you know, I really like your older designs.

And I don't want to be snarky about it, but I have to say to them, are you talking 10 years old, 20 years old, 30 years old, 40 years old?

And then they realize how long the company has been around and, and how broad a brush that is when they ask for older designs.

But it's kind of nice to see when when people come and they’re second or third generation customers of mine, that they still remember that positive feeling.

When you do this kind of work, you're asking to be beaten up.

Because it - you have so many opportunities to fail.

But the reward is, if you really liked it and you're happy, that's one major award.

And if the public, the general public who you're not related to, if you don't even know, like it.

And that's another kind of frosting on the cake.

We come out of quote unquote, the Hawaiian Renaissance and I've always found that term a little difficult for me because I'm not Hawaiian, but it was a magical time that maybe lasted 10 years and has never come again.

And it was a time of Pūnana Leo, Hawaiian language in the schools.

It was a time of a renaissance of hula.

In music, it was Olomana, Country Comfort, Brothers Cazimero, Sunday Mānoa, C and K. Most of those guys are still around and their music is still appreciated.

On stage it was Booga Booga, it was Frank De Lima.

It was such an incredibly great time to be a young person in Honolulu, or in Hawaiʻi in general.

I think if we had come 10 years earlier, or 10 years later, we wouldn't have succeeded.

But we came when it was just in the air.

And we were just it was just magic.

And we were so so lucky.

And that's another thing.

I've been very, very lucky.

I think I'm moderately talented.

But it's, I really feel, luck and timing has been so crucial to our longevity, and being around this long.

Kalaʻi Miller: For nearly 30-years, Eloise Luzader worked as a cashier at the Gateway House Cafe on the campus of UH Mānoa.

She recently retired at the age of 95.

And as we found out, her energetic personality and caring attitude, left an impact on students and staff alike.

(Instrumental music) Eloise Luzader: Annyeonghaseyo.

Annyeonghaseyo.

Okay, thank you.

Eloise Luzader: I'm a, how would you say I'm a gasa gasa?

I do things without thinking sometimes.

Eh, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

Come.

This is, this is Bennett my sleepy head.

I call him my sleepy head.

Every morning.

Okay, yeah, Bennett.

My name is Eloise Luzader and I'm 95 years old.

I was hired at Gateway in August 1994.

And I've been here for about 29 years going on to 30.

Prior to working at Gateway, I used to be a sales rep.

I sold mostly surfwear.

My favorite part of the job is interacting with the students.

And everyone has a different personality, which I love.

Donna Ojiri: Eloise is a special employee and she just has a great personality.

She just basically, you know, connects with everyone individually, gets to know a little bit about them, where they're from, just what their interests are, and just tries to just reach out to them and you know, makes it comfortable for them.

And they're going through a new phase too.

This is the first time they are away from home, away from their parents, away from their family.

So she's kind of like their family here in Hawaiʻi.

Eloise Luzader: Oh, there’s Jace.

Jace, we were waiting for you.

Jace Valentine: I’m here.

Eloise Luzader: Be careful hon.

Jace Valentine: I’ll be careful.

I’ll be careful.

They want to interview you.

Jace Valentine: They want you.

Originally, I'm from Colorado, and coming here was really hard at first.

I mean, I didn't know anyone.

And so the fact that Eloise like as soon as like I saw her, she was always like, oh, good morning.

And you know, she, she like will remember your name, she says this, it makes me feel a lot more comfortable coming here.

There's two different cafes here and there's been many times where I'll be like, alright, I'm gonna go to this one just so I can run to Eloise.

And just so like I can get that special, like good morning, it definitely helped, it helped settle that like homesick feeling a lot.

Eloise Luzader: I look at them and I pick something about them, whether it's their hair, their eyes, their smile, their dimples, whatever.

And then see when they tap the cards, it only shows the last name.

I don't know their first name.

So, I have a manifest every semester, then I look up the last name, then I pick out the first name.

And then when they come in, I call them by their first name.

And they go, wow, they look at me, like, you know, like they say, How does she know my name?

And they feel important, right?

When I first came to Gateway and found the students, which I call my grandbabies, because I have no grandbabies.

And I love them all.

And I treat them like everyone is important to me.

Is that the Wu-Tang?

Student: Yeah, Wu-Tang.

Eloise Luzader: Yeah, I haven’t seen that long time.

Jace Valentine: She tries to actually interact with us and get to know us rather than just good morning, you know, have a good one.

It makes my day a lot better.

I'm sure it makes a lot of other people's days a lot better too.

Eloise Luzader: Every day it's a different you know, it's a different situation.

I like to hook them up too sometimes.

I had one they hooked up, she say oh aunty I found out he's too young for me.

(laugh) And every generation is different too, you know, the, like the ones that say, aunty, let's go nightclubbing.

I will say, I'm too smart.

I'm not going, I gotta pick up the tab.

You know, like that, they laugh at me, you know?

Or they say let's go surfing.

I don't swim.

I hate the water.

I mean, that that’s the conversation that goes on.

So I just have fun with them and just enjoy.

Jace Valentine: It is nice having that like generational difference, because you don't get that a lot.

And like knowing that she has, I don't know lived such a long life and has so much wisdom in a way.

I actually didn't know that she was 95 until the other day.

And because honestly, I thought I don't know, maybe 80 at, at most.

Donna Ojiri: Well, you know I because I ask her how do you stay so you know, lively and fit, and she just says, you know, move around.

She always talks about moving.

She was taking Zumba classes and she just she says she does a lot of stretching on her own.

Eloise Luzader: While I'm in bed, I do the stretching that way then, when I get out of bed.

I can move faster.

But if I don't stretch then, I'm kind of hobbling.

But if I stretch, I just jump up and go.

When you have something to look forward to.

I mean, you have more energy, you know, it gives you energy.

That’s what kept me young, too.

You know what?

I mean, being with the younger crowd.

You kind of blend in with them.

I tried to blend in with them, even if they think I'm nuts or something or crazy, but I like to act crazy with them too.

(instrumental music) Jace Valentine: I almost cried a little bit when I found out that she is leaving.

And I think it's, it's gonna be tough at first, but I love all of the staff here.

They're all amazing, so it's gonna be a nice easy transition.

Eloise Luzader: I just tried to teach them to behave, most of all.

And I said, you got to get more exercise, not just, you know, with your phone, just sitting, because I'm beginning to do the same thing too, which is bad, you know, and they laugh at me when I say things.

See at my age, I can tell them anything.

I can tease them.

I can call them different names.

They don't get offended because I'm too old I guess for them to really get mad at me, you know.

You say hi first, he’ll answer.

Hey, howz it?

I’m going to miss you guys.

Donna Ojiri: Seniors are, they bring so much to our environment, and they provide different learnings, I guess, for the student, life learnings for the students here.

So we really, you know, appreciate our seniors.

Eloise Luzader: My life has been happy.

I've traveled all over.

I've had enough traveling, and I have a wonderful son who takes good care of me.

This job was perfect for me.

And I learned a lot from them, too.

You know, it's not it's a two way street, really.

So it's time for me to retire now.

I don't want to retire, but it's time.

Person off camera: We’ve only given this award out once before and it’s called the spirit of thanks.

And it’s an award that represents people that just embody what we’re trying to do with customer service.

And since you completely embody the aloha spirit and customer service, we wanted to present you with this award in recognition of all the, all the great service and the memories and great engagements you’ve created there at Gateway.

(Intrumental music) Eloise Luzader: What I'm proud of?

That I've lasted this long and I’ve met so many nice people, working with nice people and meeting different students from all over the world.

Woman: Thank you.

You always make my day so happy whenever you come, so, whenever I come by.

So, thank you.

I’m going to miss you.

Eloise Luzader: I'm going to volunteer wherever, whoever needs help, just to keep busy.

Every day when you wake up, I mean, you gotta be positive, have a positive attitude.

That's to me, that's a, that's my goal anyway.

That keeps me going.

Yeah.

Hopefully I'll reach 100.

My sister is 100.

But keep talking.

Keep moving.

That's the secret.

For me, that's the secret.

Kalaʻi Miller: Mahalo for joining us.

It is because of the generosity of viewers like you that we are able to share these stories.

If you would like to support our mission to advance learning and discovery, please visit PBS Hawaiʻi dot org and click on the donate now button.

For Home is Here, I’m Kalaʻi Miller.

A hui hou.

Jahnna Kahele: We try to try to malama and make the trees feel special.

Yeah.

Because when the tree feel special, they grow a lot better.

It's like anything you do in life you have to be positive you know, put your like love into it.

Grant Kajimoto: Darrell Lum and I are friends from university and he's the Bamboo Ridge guy.

And I told Darrell a little while ago, we're not people anymore we're institutions, because we've been around for so long.

And, and people will, they will also say to me at craft fairs, oh, you're still doing this or you know, and I want to say back at me I haven't died yet.

Eloise Luzader: So we kinda like you know interact and talk about our hair whatever nails or whatever.

It's just a conversation that makes them comfortable.

It's not like straight laced, you know?

Because I'm not a straight laced person.