Makua Valley

I knew Makua would be an interesting field trip. That's why I went in the first place, although it was not quite what I expected. I was hoping we would get to walk through more of the beautiful valley. I had heard that there was a designated path that had been checked for unexploded ordinances, but I was picturing it winding through the valley like a hiking trail. I hadn't realized how much of the area was actually damaged, and to such an extent, by the bombing. Even though the surrounding green hills look healthy at first glance, they are clearly full of debris and possibly live explosives.
It was a different experience for me to be in such proximity to the army and having them practically guarding us from something we couldn't see. You can almost feel the tension present in the area from the uneasy partnership that has been formed between the opposing parties of the army and the groups of people who are trying to restore the valley.
I never knew that after WWII, the U.S. had bases in Germany and other European countries, but were forced to clean them up and give them back. I heard what he was saying about giving Makua back to Hawai`i, but it does seem like a slightly different situation since Hawai`i is now a part of the U.S. (Plus Hawai`i is such a strategically valuable place for military bases, I'm sure nothing would make the country want to give it up) Maybe they feel they are still entitled to using the area. Or maybe it just makes it easier to ignore the people in your own country. It's not admirable, but it makes sense. They could have at least told the truth, though, instead of promising to give it back, then saying it is too dangerous (but at the same time not doing anything to clean it up).
Even though I wanted to see more of the valley, I was really glad we got to see heiau and get a bit of a cultural lesson out of the trip. The women guiding us sang the chant to ask permission to enter the valley. I've always been more logical than spiritual, but I can't deny that the wind has picked up every time I have seen someone sing that chant. Even if I am just an observer to something that seems foreign to me, that's as close to a spiritual experience as I have had.

I get schooled in the Hawaiian language

Our guest speaker Kamu Ramsay Taum showed us that, hidden in the Hawaiian language, are patterns which dictate the right way to live and be in tune with the environment and the community around us. Whether these patterns are seen simply because we look for them, or the language was consciously crafted this way, it is plain to see they exist, and I found it fascinating.

Vowels = Elements of the language
A = fire
E = wind                                                                     
I = water
O = earth                                                 
U = the human element (the spirit of man)

Ma = feminine          Na = masculine
when ma and na come together, they make the life power, mana.   

MAlaMA- to care for, (feminine) nurturing

"na" - more/ plural

" 'ai"- (fire and water) steam, life energy, food, to feed
'ai + na = " 'aina"- land, that which feeds us

"ha"- shared breath, breath of life, etc is in so many important words

• aloHA
• maHAlo
• 'oHAna.... earth + life + more (future)
• poHAku... darkness + life... first breath from which we came

"wai"- water (important resource)
"i" - self/ subconscious?

HA + WAI + I

This was how he brought it all together- the name of this place also, in a way, contains its mission statement for how to live in harmony.
I hope I got all that right... please correct me if I'm missing the point!

Ted Talks

I like that we watch a lot of Ted talks videos in this class. I had been introduced to these in ANTH 2000 with a talk about education by Ken Robinson. That video actually crossed over into my writing class because it prompted me to choose education reform as my research topic for the semester.
I have been meaning to just go on the website and search around; I might find some additional interesting videos on my own.
Some things I have liked about/ taken away from the Talks we have watched so far in this class:

"[Rules] prevent disaster, but what they ensure in its place is mediocrity"
-Barry Schwartz

Michael Pollan: Plant's Eye View
I keep hearing about Michael Pollan's books such as The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food. I am interested in the subject and have been meaning to read his books- one of those things you want to do but never make time for... I also just found out that he teaches at UC Berkley, which means he lives somewhere close to my area. I have a good friend who is attending Berkley for Environmental Studies, so I told him that Michael Pollan teaches at his school and that he should try to get a class with him. I would, if I was there.

This was kind of a fascinating subject to hear someone talk about- it sounds really crazy but he might actually have something there.

-plants might actually be manipulating us on a biological level, which would make agriculture not an invention but a co-evolutionary process.
-Descarte's theory that awareness separates subjects from objects has led us down a path to believing we have dominion over environment
-Human consciousness may not be the end of creation
-where we have our advanced brains and self-reflection, plants have biochemistry and have perfected it to an insane level

Michael Pollan puts himself out there by asking, "what if the corn is using us to take over the world?" Humorous, but (I think) believable.

He also states that he has another book out called the Botany of Desire, which is also now a documentary. Now I really  want to watch it; it is added to my mental list of things I have heard about in this class that I need to check out. Along with the Hunt for Red October and the Value of Hawai'i.