In the shadow of Ka‘ala mountain on the Wai‘anae coast of O‘ahu, a unique community project is creating a unique educational curriculum. Gigi Cocquio, a native of Italy, has set up a community farm in Mākaha and works with the children of Mākaha Elementary School to discover the value of mālama ‘āina, caring for the land that feeds them.
The children plant taro and other food plants, tend to their square-foot gardens, learn bee-keeping, animal husbandry, water conservation and medicinal herbs, raise fish in tanks, and cook their food in solar ovens. These activities are combined with courses on science, nutrition, math, and language arts.
NĀ MAKA O KA ʻĀINA
We are Joan Lander and Puhipau (1937-2016) of Nā Maka o ka ‘Āina (“The Eyes of the Land”), an independent video production team that, since 1981, has focused on the land and people of Hawai‘i and the Pacific.
We exist to document and give voice and face to traditional and contemporary Hawaiian culture, history, language, art, music, environment and the politics of independence and sovereignty. Our over 100 documentary and educational programs have been seen on PBS, Hawai‘i public and commercial television stations, public access cable channels, and broadcast/cable networks in Canada, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Japan, Mexico and Europe.
Our award-winning productions have been used by teachers and scholars in classrooms in Hawai‘i and throughout the world, and our iconic footage of the Hawaiian sovereignty movement has been featured in numerous documentaries by other producers.
