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Haunani Kalama
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Haunani Kalama comes from a strong and deep Hawaiian culture where narrative and context are most important to understanding meanings to things like words, the elements, and healing. She is a Western trained nurse and thus easily bridges from one tradition to the next. Born on Guam, raised at Papakolea, Haunani is of the Kalama 'ohana (kin group) whose members can be found on nearly every island. An ancestor traveled to the West Coast and left his ship in Washington and married into the Nisqually tribe. They settled at the mouth of the river now bearing his name.
I met Haunani in Papa Henry Auwae's laau lapaau class on the Big Island eighteen years ago. She eventually became one of his kako'omua (forward helper) and was instructed "to protect the rituals, protocols and integrity of the practice of laau lapaau in the traditions of our ancestors' to provide a place of foundational clarity and surety. Haunani is a scholar and independent researcher in the area of 'impact of climatic change on health and illness'. She teaches disaster preparedness and supports resilience in communities especially of indigenous people to live the lifestyle of their ancestors. She was in Honolulu taking care of her mother when we did this interview. Here is part one of two parts.June Tanoue: What is the training of Laau Lapaau like?
Haunani Kalama: Spiritual is the foundation of
laau lapaau (loosely translated as
laau - herbs, medicines and
lapaau - solving problems within and through the human body) as was told to us, '
Laau lapaau is working with herbs, to solve problems with all the body, mind and spirit of human beings.' I come from a school of learning passed through six generations of healers, most of whom lived easily over a hundred years old.
Our teacher, Papa Auwae (Henry K. Allen Auwae) immersed us in social, physical and mental challenges designed to gain an array of experiences but mostly to learn about ourselves. These exercises were necessary to gather knowledge, to develop deep understanding, to nurture through reflection and when applied with wisdom enabled us to be effective in helping others.
Mahalo i ke Akau (thank you Creator)!
It's the process of
hoomakaukau - meaning 'to prepare', in a broader view 'to cultivate a level of readiness'. In the Hawaiian way of teaching - most things were taught as experiential with intense observation. Personal growth came with spiritual understanding.
We needed to develop trust with fellow students, with our Self and the environment in which we coexist. We are not separated from any of it - wind blowing past, birds winging above, waves hitting rocks, sand moving under our toes, all happen simultaneously and all relate. Building relationships requires greater understanding; the language of the spirit is a universal one.
Our initial graduation wasn't like many graduations today, rather like a first step - to '
puka', simply translated 'to emerge,' 'to come into sight,' 'to proclaim'. Really at that event Papa Auwae was introducing us to the community. It was a formal recognition, 'these are my
haumana (students),' and also a proclamation, 'those who have shown me they can learn', primarily those able to
hoolohe (to listen and heed), especially to the unspoken. Those are his words by the way. The crucial study in those first eighteen months was learning about 'the spiritual'. It was a beginning class. The pace of training sped up significantly in the succeeding years.
The 'intermediate and advanced training' periods (again these are terms he selected) were spent learning about the changing environment, the power of the elements and its affect on people, plants, sea-life and animals, 22 categories. Some of this he shared directly, others we were expected to search on our own.
I took that instruction to heart and my studies in each category continue even up to today, seventeen years later. In classes we focused heavily on people as well as the plants, recognizing both the male and female parts in each person and people dynamics. Of course, he didn't just list things on a blackboard. It was 'evidenced' in daily life, through stories and by example. We sat in interviews, and followed-up with people, always observing and assessing.
It took me nearly two years to put aside my western training [as a nurse] in order to learn the deeper aspects of what Papa was sharing. You have to clear away the clutter clouding your vision. I was able to do this by spending considerable time in meditation recalling my childhood. Remembering the lessons and the sharing helped me, especially in the language of my grandfather. Learning progressed much faster thereafter.
Years later, I was able to bring back that western knowledge to use as 'tools' in my search for understanding. Papa never discounted other knowledge. What he emphasized was examining that knowledge to see how it actually helps or hinders a person's ability to return to a state of wellness. 'You should never stop learning,' he would say, 'pay attention' or as I understood him to mean, be diligent.
We underwent considerable testing along the way, most we were aware of but some we weren't. It wasn't so much that we passed or didn't, but rather, were we 'ready' to accept and move towards the next step of understanding. The more you learned you began to realize how little you knew. As 'understanding' deepens, choosing to 'accept' the next step is not always easy. But then there is
koho'ia, (choice, no choice). The choice has already been made, realizing that truth sometimes takes more time, and following it even longer!
I was as interested in the 'why' as much as in the 'how'. Even when Papa would give answers he didn't explain a whole lot. Often people wanted things to be laid out, and would ask many questions, - way, way too many questions. The manner in which he answered gave freedom for us to grow - so we could understand more. We weren't restricted to a single meaning allowing it to be a rich, full and self directed answer. It was an exercise of
hoomanawanui, a long period of search and discovery, patience with perseverance.
To be continued next month.
