Punahou Hosts Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu and a Dialogue on Red Hill’s Future with Water Supply and Military Experts
As part of the Davis Democracy Initiative speaker series, on Dec. 5, Punahou School hosted Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, a distinguished Hawaiian author, educator and activist. Kumu Hina, a kumu hula and filmmaker, is renowned for her work in promoting Kanaka Maoli language and cultural preservation. She has been the subject of several documentaries as a spokesperson for mahu identity, celebrating a third-gender “place in between” that recovers pre-colonial ideas of gender and sexuality. Her co-authored book, “Kapaemahu,” is a Stonewall Honor Book about the healer stones in Waikiki that was recently featured in a Bishop Museum exhibit. She has also been named a White House Champion of Change.
The event, organized by students of American Literature: Gender and Sexuality and Gender Studies, included a “Kapaemahu” book talk at the Bishop Learning Commons and a “talk story” session hosted by the SAGA club.
On the following day, Dec. 6, a dialogue assessing the future of Red Hill was held in the Chapel. This discussion featured Board of Water Supply Manager Ernie Lau and Brigadier General Lance A. Okamura of the Joint Task Force-Red Hill. The dialogue, led by student-formulated questions, revolved around the response to the leaks at the Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage Facility and its scientific, civic and cultural implications. This event was hosted by students of AP Environmental Science.
