Kahilu is proud to announce the release of an original Kahilu.TV production. This 5-part documentary mini-series, Na Pua Pasifika, focuses on food sustainability and traditional cooking techniques while promoting food growth and cultural knowledge here in Hawai’i Nei.
The series features music by Makana, and is available for free on Kahilu.TV. Each segment features one of five main food crops used throughout the Pacific Islands that can be key building blocks for improving food security in Hawai’i: ‘Ulu (breadfruit), Kalo (taro), Uhi (true yam), Kapioka (tapioca), and ‘Uala (sweet potato). During each episode, an indigenous person who grew up in a culture that relies heavily on the highlighted plant as a food source discusses how the plants have been used over time, and then demonstrates how to cook them in several traditional styles. The goal of the series is to show how these plants could contribute directly to food security in Hawai’i, and the show’s motto, “sustainability starts small” encourages those of us who live here to grow some of what we eat.
The first episode – ‘ULU features Angelina McCoy from the island of Satawal, the niece of Mau Piailug, the master navigator responsible for setting in motion a renaissance in canoe voyaging by teaching present-day Hawaiians traditional non-instrument navigation. In this episode, Angelina describes her childhood on Satawal and how the uses of breadfruit form a significant part of their culture.
On Satawal, wood from breadfruit trees is used in the construction of their canoes, and as lumber to build their homes and canoe houses, while its fruit provides a major staple food that is cooked in many different ways when freshly harvested. It is also preserved as “maar” (fermented ‘ulu) that can be prepared and eaten months, or even years later, which can be an important means of sustenance in times of hardship or when other local food sources are unavailable.
Hawai’i Nei is in a very unique and precarious position with respect to its current sources of food. We import approximately 40% of the fruits we eat, 70% of the vegetables, and an astonishing 99.5% of our starches. Situated 2,500 miles from the U.S. mainland, Hawai’i is particularly vulnerable to natural disasters and global events that can disrupt shipping and the state’s food supply. If we ever want to cultivate any semblance of food security in the state, we need to learn from our kupuna and their traditional lifestyles that are documented in these films.
Episode 1 of Na Pua Pascifika — ‘ULU, is available now. The remaining episodes will be rolling out in the following months. Please share this Kahilu.TV free episode with anyone who may enjoy or benefit from this type of content.
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