Reclamation

PowWow Hawaii

Kaka'ako, Hawaii 2018

Titled "Reclamation" - This piece is to lend reference to reclamation on a cultural level and environmental level. The potted pineapple as a symbol of the annexation and occupation of Hawaii and the subsequent loss of traditional Hawaii culture through assimilation. The pot is being cracked open by the Poi Pounder, a traditional tool used to prepare the kalo plant into poi, a staple food in traditional Hawaiian culture. The water is being released from the pineapple pot back into the Kalo fields and off the land into the sea. The releasing of water back into the Kalo fields is meant to show the reclaiming of Hawaiian tradition and a step in the direction of more sustainable farming practices that were integral to the flourishing society of ancient Hawaiians.