"It May Have Been through My Hands, But That's All the Work of the Mauna, Not Me": Interview with Kanai'a Nakamura

"It May Have Been through My Hands, But That's All the Work of the Mauna, Not Me"Interview with Kanai'a Nakamura Kanai'a Nakamura (bio), Bryan Kamaoli Kuwada (bio), and No'u Revilla (bio) Bradford Kiyoshi Nakamura, also known as Kanai'a, is a graphic designer, musician, and photographer. Of Japanese and Filipino descent, Kanai'a has decades of experience with Hawaiian language and culture, all of which he brought to bear as a member of Nā Leo Kāko'o. Mahalo nui loa iā 'oe e Kanai'a for showing us what it is to be an eye for the lāhui. June 30, 2020 Bryan Kamaoli Kuwada: Would you share some of your background and how you came into this work? What was your role on the media team? How would you describe your relationship to the Mauna before and after your experience? Kanai'a Nakamura: My family went up on day two, and I think we stayed until Thursday and came back for work and school. I had been intending on coming back the following weekend, but by that time they flipped the switch for Kanaeokana to come help support. That was actually a blessing in disguise for me, because I was already prepared to go back up and stand with kia'i to support the Mauna anyway. But becoming a part of this media team, which we all didn't expect to happen, was an awesome experience. The first few days, my son and I were taking pictures, and we didn't expect that we would be up there 200-something days later doing the same exact thing but as part of an actual media team, which was kind of cool. When we went up as media support, I would bring my son if he didn't have school. It's always good to have family around, and I felt it was important the family be involved too. [End Page 665] BKK: What about that connection to the Mauna? What was your connection before and after? Right? Because Miki'ala was in the wahine line the last time, and I know you were paying attention when that was going on, but what was your connection like before this most recent time? KN: You and I both were paying attention at the same time at work in 2015, and Miki'ala went up for that in 2015, and I think that 'Ōiwi TV was probably the only coverage, and even that we had a hard time connecting. Ho, technology has come so far in four or five years [laughter]. We have kuleana in our own ahupua'a, but she heard news of what was happening on the Mauna and she decided right away, "K, I'm going to go to the Mauna, you want to go?" The numbers weren't there like they were this time. In 2019 we heard news about action and we were like, ooh, we have to follow our mom. She's a warrior. She's been the warrior of the family. We knew we had to join her this time around. She set the example for us and made that pilina for us with Maunakea for our family. Up until then we've only had a pilina with Honouliuli. BKK: You wrote the "Lei Wahine" song that was about Miki'ala and the other folks in the wahine line. Why did you choose a mele to talk about what they did? KN: Well, for one thing, it happened twice, once last time and then again this time, and I was just like, ho, they are making a stand again. And without fear. Always mākaukau, and I just admire that. Both times, it was like, whoa, the wāhine are really setting the example. Kāne gotta support them, follow their lead, because as far as Miki'ala—and I guess it goes back to our family dynamics—mom always took charge as far as being the aloha 'āina of our family. Our life has changed from 2015. I never thought I would be involved in this type of movement and activism. BKK: Ah, yeah, and why did you choose...