Celeste Noelani has spent the last twenty years figuring out how to be a Native Hawaiian in Seattle. You can read more of her writing on her blog or on Twitter, where she mostly retweets people who are smarter and funner than she is.
“I’ve never actually visited the pā before,” she said out loud. “Is this where they gather lāʻī to make the pūʻolo?” she asked.
“Yes,” Benny responded, glancing to see where Nanea was pointing. “Here and in other places as well. Many of these ti have been growing for decades now.” She paused for a moment. “I think about all the work you guys do, you know, up in those offices, and I think that all of that work actually starts from right here, in the ground, all covered in the earth and the pōhaku and the ti. Most people don’t even know it, but it all starts right here.
