‘Imiloa: Sharing Hawai’i’s legacy of exploration
Posted on Aug 29, 2019 in Capitol Connection, Featured
Primary: Ka’iu Kimura, executive director of the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center, with the mosaic “Voyage of the Navigator” in the entry to the Center. | Courtesy Katie Young Yamanaka/ Midweek
The ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo has been doing groundbreaking work to integrate modern science and indigenous culture since the center first opened in 2006. Recently, Hawaiian immersion students and teachers, working with ‘Imiloa, have garnered their own share of global attention. Their program aims to make Hawai‘i the first place in the world to weave indigenous practices into the process of officially naming astronomical discoveries — specifically those by telescopes on Maunakea and Haleakalā.
It’s all part of ‘Imiloa’s big-picture mission to connect the scientific work being done on Maunakea with the language and culture of Hawai‘i. “‘Imiloa was founded on the idea of bringing culture and science together,” explains executive director Ka‘iu Kimura. “We were born from the confluence of parallel trends — the revitalization of Hawaiian language and culture and the understanding of the universe enabled by the Maunakea observatories. We are about enhancing culture and science — together — in a way that promotes mutual understanding and respect between communities.”
A Hua He Inoa participants with the Hawaiian names –Kamo’oalewa and Ka’epaoka’awela — of two asteroids they chose, officially adopted by the astronomy community.
The emphasis on “together” is key and has taken on new meaning with the current situation on Maunakea. Kimura says the environment was just as complex back in 2001 when planning for ‘Imiloa first started. “There weren’t many science centers founded on indigenous and modern scientific knowledge coming together,” she recalls. “I think it was the first time that members of our Hawaiian and astronomy communities came together to create something.” The teams of culture specialists and astronomers forged ahead, and the result is a center that has drawn worldwide recognition. ‘Imiloa attracts about 100,000 visitors a year to learn about Polynesian voyaging, Hawaiian mythology, the Mauna Kea observatories, planetarium shows and more — all in bilingual exhibits. A recent program featuring renowned UH-Hilo professor Larry Kimura (Ka‘iu’s uncle) and Dr. Doug Simons, director of the Canada-France-Hawai‘i telescope on Maunakea, drew a standing-room-only crowd.
“We have a strong commitment between ‘Imiloa, UH-Hilo’s College of Hawaiian Language and Culture and the Maunakea Observatories to continue this work. I’m aware there are some who see ‘Imiloa as a proponent of astronomy and, by extension, TMT. But I see our role as critical to bringing the work of the observatories to the community and sharing the culture and values of the community with the astronomical community, both locally and globally. I think it’s important to have a voice that reflects our community’s voice.”
Kimura made her voice heard when she addressed 2,000 world-class astronomers in Seattle this past January at the American Astronomical Society conference. “I checked a lot of the diversity boxes,” she says, chuckling —“female, minority, Native Hawaiian, non-scientist.” Kimura was part of the keynote presentation about the odd interstellar object discovered by telescopes on Haleakalā and Mauna Kea. The weird-looking “visitor” was given a Hawaiian name, ‘Oumuamua, which means “first scout or messenger from a distant place.” Kimura talked about ‘Imiloa’s mission of bringing Native Hawaiian culture together with astronomy to inspire more students to love science — and she received a standing ovation for her message.
The ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo.
“Our programs, like A Hua He Inoa, help our youth statewide engage in scientific, astronomical inquiry in a way that reflects the Hawaiian practice of naming celestial objects,” she explained. “I talked about how critical it was to form a true partnership that advances both the science and the indigenous language and knowledge. That co-dependency is so important as we, as a community, move forward so we can advance one another. We feel it’s important to support all of the perspectives on Maunakea and its future. We’re a product of convergence of the Hawaiian language and culture and the revolutionary astronomy being done.
“We want to share the amazing attributes of Maunakea — culturally, scientifically, environmentally. That’s what keeps our staff going every day. ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center reflects the spectrum of opinion and how it’s possible for people to come together, to bridge the past and the future, and to learn from each other.” For more on ‘Imiloa’s programs, go to https://imiloahawaii.org.
NOTE: This article spells Maunakea as one word, as is the preferred usage by the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center.