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MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII – Some of the earliest settlers on Oʻahu arrived near Honolulu, establishing their presence on the ‘Ewa Plain. The Oʻahu that they settled was vastly different from the island we see now. The trials, achievements, traditions, and stories of those early settlers are the cornerstone for the collaborative efforts between the Kalaeloa Heritage and Legacy Foundation (KHLF) and the DoD’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program at Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH) to preserve and protect the Kalaeloa Heritage Park (KHP).
The KHP workday that commenced on Feb. 23, 2024, involved KHLF, MCBH REPI, Marines, Sailors, and the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Volunteers removed invasive plant species, reintroduced endemic species, and worked toward restoring the land in the likeness of the original settlement.
KHLF volunteers gave a tour of cultural sites stewarded by KHP to include building foundations, ancient walking paths, and sink holes. The stones of the ancient structures have remained mostly untouched over the centuries and provide insight to what life may have been like all those years ago. Using clues from artifacts, members of the KHLF can paint a picture of what the ancestral community may have looked like and what patterns of life they had. The stonework of the homes has similarities to Tahitian design suggesting the voyagers came from Tahiti, 2,770 miles away. Sink holes – similar to ‘cenotes’ found throughout the Yucatan Peninsula – were a critical source for fresh water but also served a spiritual role indicated by ceremonial burials within certain sink holes.
Partnerships with REPI start with community members, organizations like KHLF, and REPI/military service members engaging in volunteer events and strengthening the relationship between the DoD and the community. For the emerging partnership between MCBH and KLHF, REPI representatives and service members visited KHP to assist in clearing invasive plants while learning about the historical and cultural significance of the site.
Leah Rothbaum, the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program lead for MCBH, is thrilled to be working and collaborating with KHLF on the preservation of KHP.
Leah passionately shared, “KHLF is on a mission to preserve the culture and heritage of ancestral Hawaiians, helping future generations know who their ancestors were. KLHF has managed the 11-acre park in Kapolei at what was once Naval Air Station Barbers Point since 2015. KHP features over 177 recorded cultural sites including coral rock wall building foundations, sinkholes used for various purposes by ancient settlers, and a historic regional walking path the connected the people of Kapolei with Makakilo and Pearl Harbor.”
The REPI program aims to balance military training and testing needs with environmental conservation and the need to increase climate resilience. REPI works to enhance military readiness while safeguarding critical ecosystems and mitigating potential conflicts arising from incompatible land use near military facilities. REPI supports cost-sharing agreements between the military services, federal agencies, state and local governments, and private conservation organizations. An example of REPI support here on Oʻahu, is the Maunawili Forest and Loʻi conservation real estate acquisition where the Trust for Public Land has partnered with over 10 community groups and the state to safeguard lands and return them to community-based stewardship for biocultural restoration and sustainable agriculture. Leah elaborated on REPI’s contribution to the partnership, “The REPI program contributed $11.2 million in federal funds to put towards TPL’s $30-million acquisition of over 1,000 acres of land in the vicinity of MCBH Kaneohe Bay and Marine Corps Training Area Bellows.”
Across Hawaiʻi, there is an emphasis on cultural sites being protected as communities seek to understand the history of the people who first inhabited this land. Partnerships form the bedrock of collaborative preservation and awareness efforts that ultimately become successful REPI projects to protect and secure natural and cultural resources. The partnership between REPI and KHLF is in the early development phase, but the future is bright for the cultural preservation, environmental restoration , and sharing of knowledge about the ancestral history at the Kalaeloa Heritage Park.
Check out https://www.khlf.org if you are interested in learning more about KHP and email volunteer@khlfoundation.org if you would like to volunteer at this unique site.
| Date Taken: | 03.31.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 03.31.2024 16:47 |
| Story ID: | 467442 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HI, US |
| Web Views: | 46 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Building Bridges: KHLF and REPI Lay Groundwork for Partnership, by 1LT John OHara, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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