#RiseForHenoko

[kataibusaibiin]

I stand in solidarity with Mauna Kea Kia’i. 私はマウナケアのプロテクターと連帯しています。 Me solidarizo con los protectores de Mauna Kea. Sou solidário com os protetores do Mauna Kea. As Shimanchu, the indigenous peoples of the Ryukyu Islands (Amami, Okinawa, Miyako, and Yaeyama), we stand in solidarity with the protectors of Mauna Kea and all who seek to defend their rights as first people in their native land.

Mauna Kea:  Lā 168, Oura Bay: Day 2000

Today - December 27, 2019 - is Lā 168 for the Mauna Kea Kia'i here in Hawai'i & the 2000th day of continuous sit-ins for protectors of Henoko's Oura Bay, back in the Ryukyu islands (what is known today as “Okinawa”) - my place of birth and maternal ancestral homeland. 

To pause and reflect on what this means and the parallels of the histories of these islands and our resilience in the face of both physical and cultural genocide is something I find to be bittersweet... 

Together, we rise!

I created this image as I reflected upon the continuous work being done and sacrifices being made by brave and fiercely loving Kia'i / protectors - day in and out - embracing their ancestral sukubun / kuleana to protect our precious land, water, and all life. It breaks my heart that we must do so; in fact, this was quickly pulled together earlier this week when Kia'i at Mauna Kea were bracing under threat of impending arrests, before the current moratorium was negotiated. And yet, despite the twinge of sorrow in why we must fight for our indigenous rights, for our right to self-determination, and for the protection of our lands and waters, there is so much beauty to see how we still rise and rise! 

This image is a small offering but made with immense gratitude to honor the beautiful way in which Mauna Kea is bringing together kanaka as a nation while simultaneously building transpacific solidarity and ultimately inspiring and uniting people all over the world as we (re)dedicate ourselves to protect all our precious land and water. It has been truly humbling and transformative to stand together with the Lāhui here in O’ahu as well as up on the Mauna and to find ways each day, however small they may be, to support this indigenous led movement. By sharing this image, I am inviting you to do the same. As Norman shinshii so beautifully said, "Although we stand on separate shores, distant valleys, or even separate mountain tops, we are emboldened and ultimately liberated in knowing that we stand together."

Aloha from Amami • Miyako • Okinawa • Yaeyama

The hands you see here are based on a photograph of my own hands with  traditional Ryukyu hajichi, specifically from where my maternal grandfather’s family is from in Shuri, the royal capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom. The main text in this image is from the solidarity statement Norman Kaneshiro shinshii wrote on behalf of Shimanchu (people of #Okinawan/#Ryukyuan descent) to the Mauna Kea Kia'i.

The complete solidarity statement, written in English, Español,  Português, and 日本語 is available here: http://bit.ly/MaunaKeaRentaiSeimei

A Note to Fellow Shimanchu/ Uchinaanchu / Okinawans:

If the sentiment of this image resonates with you: 

Please share and/or use this image to raise visibility. It’s sized so you can use it as your Facebook cover photo. 🙏 (I'll try to make twitter-sized version shortly... Feel free to message me if you’re interested.) 

Please sign and share this solidarity statement: http://bit.ly/MaunaKeaRentaiSeimei  ✍️

[pozzym]

SPREAD THE AWARENESS OF THE OURA BAY DESTRUCTION

https://vimeo.com/340517922

PLEASE SPEAD AND WATCH THIS DOCUMENTARY MADE BY A STUDENT AT ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOL IN PORTLAND OREGON.

The documentary is about the military base thats being built on Oura Bay in Henoko within Okinawa. The base has already caused mass destruction among the reef and to the animals within it, and is destroying the beauty that is Okinawa and it's oceans.

Please help spread this around to friends and family and get people talking about it. We need to stop the destruction of a sacred and cherished land.

https://www.riseforhenoko.com/

[milesmegaciph]

Save the #dugong #riseforhenoko watch the documentary, share the info Grow in your belief that we can win over the oligarchs and business interests and military powers and wake them up to the needs of our planet and people!! Shut down the pumps, shut down the bases!! ONE LOVE #PEACE https://www.instagram.com/p/B1eMWEkHV-n/?igshid=kwieem1edt2y

[kataibusaibiin]

Sunday, November 17, 2019 Kia’i ke Kahaukani: Lā 84 Mauna Kea: Lā: 129

Today, many of us have Kalaeloa / Kahuku on the forefront of our hearts/minds. As part of our hui will be making their way out to Kalaeloa tonight to answer the kahea and stand in solidarity, I'll be praying for all who continue to put their bodies on the line because of their ancestral sukubun / kuleana to mālama 'āina  - including all the kia'i at Kalaeloa, Hūnānāniho, Kahuku, and Mauna Kea.   I also continue to hold close to my heart and in my prayers all those across the Pacific and back on Turtle Island who who are working to protect and heal our precious land and water. In my dreams last night, I saw the tears and laughter lines on the faces of some of our brave elders holding the line at Henoko. They couldn't hear me when I tried to speak to them,  but they smiled when I joined hands with the kia'i and fellow Shimanchu here on these islands and sang... On that note, the crew here at Bachman continue to hold protocol 3x daily, every day at 8am, noon, and sunset*. 

At 4pm today, some of Kumu Snowbird's haumana will be leading our weekly workshop. If you're in the area, come join us to learn/practice the hula, mele, oli, and pule used in protocol for the Mauna. 

*Quick reminder that sunset 'aha here at Bachman / Wise Field will now be held at 5pm, starting today.

Ku Kia’i Mauna! Rise For Henoko! Together, We Rise!!

[kataibusaibiin]

One of today's to-dos includes working on some concept drawings and mockups... I'm having fun trying to illustrate a flyer for a local film screening of Kaiya Yonamine's powerful documentary - “Our Island’s Treasure” (私達の島の宝) - about Henoko back in our beloved ancestral homeland of Okinawa / Ryukyu.

So, that’s why I decided to “make” some new friends. Please say hello and let me know what you think. Have you ever met a dugong before?

I hope, I get to see one of these precious creatures in real life some day! In Okinawan/Ryukyuan culture, the dugong was considered the "messenger of peace."

Below are some additional facts about the dugong and Okinawan's efforts to Protect Our Oceans:

• You might not have met a dugong before because they are actually an endangered species! • The governments of Japan and the United States are plowing ahead with construction of a new air base in Okinawa's Oura Bay, off the coast of Henoko, threatening to destroy the last refuge of the critically endangered Okinawa dugong.

• It's not just dugongs that are in harm's way: Okinawa's coral reefs support an entire world of rare, fascinating and little-known creatures — and tragically more than half of these reefs have already disappeared due to global warming and pollution.

• 80% of the Okinawan people, including their governor, oppose the base.

• Both the U.S. Marine Mammals Commission and the World Conservation Union have confirmed that the building of the base in Henoko is a serious threat to dugongs, which are entitled to protections under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

Resources: 

⇒ more info:

https://uchinanchu.com/

⇒ one way to take action:

http://bit.ly/USHASCpetition

⇒ Can't wait to watch? Here's the doc: 

https://vimeo.com/340517922

[kataibusaibiin]

Offering our voices to honor our ancestors

Protecting What is Sacred: Our land, Our water, Our hope for a better future 

 I preface this with an apology because these thoughts were scribbled in the wee hours of the morning when I couldn’t sleep and thus this lacks the clarity I’d hoped for in sharing some of what’s been weighing so heavily on my heart. That said, some folks have nudged me to share some of these reflections and it felt important to start somewhere in voicing how my heart connects these dots. So, below are some meandering thoughts as I reflect on Obon and how it threads us together with our past, present, and future... and ultimately each other...

In less than a month, I will be returning again to my place of birth - my maternal ancestral homeland in Okinawa - to visit with family and friends and to pay my respects to those who came before us.  It’s been 2 years since my last visit and it will be the first time I am able to speak to my beloved grandmother in Uchinaaguchi -  one of Ryukyu/Okinawa’s indigenous languages which I’ve been studying - to thank her and share with her my ongoing studies here in Hawai’i as I continue working to record our family’s stories, deepen my appreciation and understanding of our indigenous Ryukyuan history and culture, and create resources to share with fellow Uchinaanchu/Okinawans living in the diaspora across the globe. My grandmother is 96 now and has been my trusty compass since as far back as I can remember - back to my earliest childhood memories in Okinawa. Her visits to see us once we moved to North Carolina are highlights of my youth. Even when we moved to the states and we were thousands of miles apart, I could still always feel her love and would sometimes look out across the ocean in the direction of Okinawa, trying to picture her and the rest of the family there, hoping that I too could cultivate the kind of love she shares which could be felt across time and space.

It is not coincidental that my upcoming trip to Okinawa next month was planned to coincide with Obon and, as such, will involve returning to my grandmother’s village in Kijoka, Ogimi where some of our family tombs (ohaka) are located. I have yet to find the words to express what it means to me to be able to revisit the same land where generations of my family have lived and where we continue to return, year after year, to offer prayers and gratitude for our village, our ancestors, and all the sacrifices they have made for us. It is something to treasure all the more since there are many who are unable to do so, especially since I know many in Okinawa whose family tombs were destroyed during WWII or were paved over for US military bases under US occupation in the aftermath of the war.

I remember before taking that trip back to Okinawa two years ago, my mom had told me on a number of occasions that visiting our family tombs to pay respects was something she had always wanted us to be able to do together. I was never able to line up the time and resources to return for Shimi but she’d made clear that the timing wasn’t even what was important - just that we made the time.  And I vividly remember when I finally had the opportunity to join my family to do so as an adult during that trip, time seemed to collapse onto itself. I could feel an overwhelming connection to the past, present, and future as a continuum extending well beyond the 5 generations of our family represented in the gathering that day.

One of my young nieces and I tidied up the area and altar together as other family prepared the offerings we brought.  As we did so, I recall my grandmother commenting how happy the rest of the family (meaning our ancestors) must be to see my niece Sawana and I there together, putting such love and attention to detail in cleaning and helping with preparations. Hearing this as a gentle breeze passed, it certainly didn’t feel like we were alone. After our prayers and offerings, we found a nearby spot to enjoy our family picnic. Sitting in a circle, I looked around at my family with the sweeping views of the ocean behind them and my eyes welled up with tears of joy as I laughed and we talked story, savoring the beauty of that moment and seeing it similarly reflected on their faces. As I think back on such moments, my hope is that each day, I find a way through actions to express how much I cherish these gifts of love, tradition, and hope for a better future that have been and continue to be passed forward through my family and communities.

As many of you know, my return to Okinawa two years ago was something I was apprehensive about in many ways - despite longing to return since I was little - and I am beyond grateful that it was ultimately a deeply healing and transformational experience. During this trip in August, I plan to return to Shuri were my grandfather’s family is from and offer prayers and gratitude for my grandfather’s family at their hakas too, in hopes of contributing towards intergenerational healing within my family. After all, the history and stories of my grandfather’s family are part of what motivates me to do some small part to preserve Uchinaaguchi and not only Ryukyu/Okinawa’s history and culture but also our family’s legacy as part of that living history.  (Some of you already know why I’ve not grown up close to that branch of our family but for others, suffice to say my grandmother is a strong, fiercely loving woman who would always stand up for what is best for her children...no matter the self-sacrifice involved.) I mention this because history is never clean - often filled with pain, conflict, and contradictions - but we shouldn’t shy away from certain parts of our past because of that; those parts shape(d) us too and can be part of how we learn, heal, and ultimately reclaim our futures.  This is true even of my father’s side of the family - direct descendants of both Reverend John Robinson “Pastor of the Pilgrims” who sent his congregation over on the Mayflower as well as the Mississippi band of Choctaw who were nearly wiped out by the arrival of these European immigrants. I often think about how to hold these complicated truths and seeming contradictions of our past and/or different perspectives and the importance of doing so even as we face such situations in the present...

To Honor My Ancestors Is to Honor All Our Ancestors

Here in Hawai’i, Obon festivities have already begun as there are literally bon dances held every weekend from mid June through August. To write about some of my experiences and reflections thus far (including the way Obon is celebrated here versus back in Okinawa) is a topic for another time. I share this as context though because as a member of the Young Okinawans of Hawai’i (YOH), we share our song, drumming, and dance as offerings to our ancestors and to communicate with them, just as Okinawan eisaa was traditionally intended for. It is not entertainment for the crowd that gathers but, if anything, an invitation for the community to join us in this collective offering for all our ancestors. Whether it’s the little ones that find their way towards the inner circle around the yagura to dance by our side during our bon dances or the young ones in my family and communities, I hope that any child I ever interact with can feel and cherish the gifts of our uyafaafuji (ancestors) and learn to manifest that gratitude with their voices and in their actions, guided by what’s in their hearts. I do not take lightly the moments like this weekend when a group of little kids surrounded me and looked up wided-eyed and open-hearted, eager to watch and follow in my footsteps as we sang and danced around the yagura together. When I heard one of the littlest ones next to me begin to join me as we called out with our heishi, I’m not ashamed to admit I got a little something in my eyes.

In sharing the history and meaning of Okinawan eisaa and inviting friends to join us for Bon dancing, I have found myself often clarifying for folks that when I say I dance and sing for “our ancestors” I am referring collectively to the people we are tied to through our connection to place as well as our families of origin which we are connected to through blood and other familial connections. So, when I sing and dance here in Hawai’i, I too sing for the kanaka maoli - the indigenous Hawai’ians and the Kingdom of Hawai’i. I am aware that in moving here to study and build community with the Asian plurality and fellow Uchinaanchu here, I am also a settler. So, I strive to listen and learn from not only the elders I meet but also to their ancestors who sought to protect this land and its precious resources.  That comes with inherent responsibilities to listen, learn, and take heart when I am asked to speak out as someone whose ancestral homelands were similarly colonized, whose people also endured physical and cultural genocide, and whose democratic voice and right to self-determination is still being ignored. As shimanchu whose past have so many parallels, I believe our hopes for a better future and collective liberation are also bound together. So too, I feel a deep responsibility as someone raised in the US and with the relative privilege that comes with that, even when so many Americans have made it clear that they will always see me as an outsider. It is all too clear to me how these things are all interconnected.

So, this weekend, I danced not only for my ancestors back in Kijoko but also for those in Henoko, Okinawa where my parents met and for the community there who have been dedicated to protecting our one ocean in the face of joint US-Japanese military construction in Oura Bay. My heart also joined the protectors here in Hawai’i who have been gathering at Mauna kea to prevent the desecration of that sacred land. I lit candles and held in my heart the memory of my paternal grandparents and their families. My heart too, also sang out for the children who are locked up in cages across the US for the crime of having a family who dreams of a better future for them but come from another side of an imaginary line.  I carried in my heart - the heart of a first-generation immigrant to the US - all the families of refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants who are dreaming for a brighter future.

I might not have all the answers for how to re-envision the future to be a better one for all, but I’ve seen enough to know one thing we have to do is speak out to say that this current path we’re on sure isn’t the way. 

To honor my ancestors is to honor the preciousness of all life. Nuchi du takara. So, to honor all my ancestors, I offer my voice to honor the ancestors of all of us - to acknowledge our interconnectedness - and to share our ancestors hopes of a better future for us all. In sharing my voice as an offering, I also extend an invitation: Let us never give up the hopes and dreams of our ancestors. Instead, let that be what unites us as we protect what is sacred. 

Rise for Henoko! Aole TMT! Protect Our One Ocean! Kū Kia`i Mauna!  Never Again is Now!  Together, We Rise!

p.s. I recently shared this music video but felt it was apropos to share this song again here with a gentle request to take the few minutes to watch and reflect:

[milesmegaciph]

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A post shared by Miles Megaciph (@megaciph)

life is in constant motion I'm airing out the soundproofing for the next 48 hours then finishing off the room and ceiling with foam. Last step will be posters and #inspirational #art but then when will be the last step in this constant life of flux and motion #riseforclimate #riseforhenoko (at Mobile, Alabama) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4xfal0HEvv/?igshid=i4zngr550lmq

[kataibusaibiin]

#RiseForHenoko "Our Island's Treasure" Documentary | ドキュメンタリー映画「 私たちの島の宝」

Kaiya, a 17 year-old from Portland and fellow Okinawamerican, created this informative and heart-felt 30 minute documentary to help Americans understand the indigenous struggles in our ancestral homeland of Okinawa/Ryukyu.

This is not simply an indigenous or environmental struggle in Okinawa. And it’s bigger than Japan or even the US. I hope you will watch this film with open heart and mind to see these connections and allow us to join each other in our efforts to protect our land and water across the globe, taking steps towards a more sustainable future for us all! Some context: Uchinaanchu (the indigenous peoples of the islands of Okinawa / Ryukyu, known today as Okinawa Prefecture of Japan) have been peacefully protesting the militarization and occupation of our islands for many moons, but the US military ignores these voices, saying it's a Japanese issue to be dealt with by the Japanese government, but the Japanese central government doesn't care to listen to the voices of the people they colonized and and continue to treat as second-class citizens. The militarization of our islands has historically led to devastating loss of human, plant, and animal life which did not end with the conclusion of the Battle of Okinawa when the land and people of Okinawa became the battleground between Japan and US/Allied Forces. And yet, even as the US military and Japanese government continue to dump onto the coral reefs in Okinawa’s Oura Bay today to build yet another military base, many of us Uchinaanchu believe there is still hope for healing and peace to prevail, particularly if other voices join in a global outcry, demanding the US and Japanese governments listen to the will of the people. 

My personal connection to this story: Some of you know that I was born in Okinawa - land that both the Japanese government and US military has claimed as theirs. If you know me in-person, I may have shared with you the history of the Ryukyu Kingdom and how Okinawa became an internal colony of Japan.  What you might not know is that my dad actually met my mom while he was stationed at Camp Schwab with the US Marine Corps in the 70′s, situated at the site in Henoko where the US military and Japanese government are attempting to build a new base now, extending out into Oura Bay. In other words, my very existence originates at the epicenter of this controversy. So, it's from a place of personal responsibility / kuleana / sukubun as well as love and respect for all that I raise questions about the ongoing US military presence in Okinawa and across the globe as well as the lessons Okinawans have learned about the toll of war and militarization first-hand from the Battle of Okinawa and the ongoing occupation of our islands. So, what can you/we do? I believe that the ocean literally unites us as it connects all our respective homelands and sustains all life - from Guam, Philippines, Jeju, Djibouti, Hawai’i, Turtle Island, Brazil, Argentina, Puerto Rico, etc...  As such, our efforts to protect our land and water has the potential to unite us. From Standing Rock to occupied Chochenyo Oholone land in present day California, across the Pacific Islands, and beyond...From elders who have sustained these efforts over many moons and to young generations across the world growing up with the reality of Climate Change and an increasingly militarized world, I truly believe that our responsibility to our land/water/ancestors/all life/future generations is something that can (and will!) unite our hearts and minds toward a brighter future for us all.  Sharing this documentary and a bit of my story is one small way I hope to create spaces for us to connect and explore our shared responsibility - particularly with fellow Americans and International Uchinaanchu -  but also as global citizens. Perhaps sharing this doc with others is a starting point for you to engage with your friends, family, and community too!   Now that you know about Henoko, what will you do? How can you/we deepen the awareness and connections between each of us and our collective efforts? (I’m not asking that rhetorically. Let’s discuss, brainstorm, and become co-conspirators! Feel free to contact me here or via twitter: @kataibusaibiin)

Please consider what you can do to help amplify the voices of the indigenous peoples of Okinawa / Ryukyu and share your voice too!!!  Appreciate your taking the time to watch, share, ask questions, reflecting on what you/we might do with our relative privilege, etc. 

Thank you! / Nihee deebiru! / ありがとうございます。/ Mahalo.

Additional Resources:  ⇒ link to video: http://bit.ly/Rise4HenokoFilm ⇒ more info: https://uchinanchu.com/ ⇒ one quick way to take action: http://bit.ly/USHASCpetition