It’s a dark and rainy February day on the Moanalua High School campus, but there’s a spark of intrigue in Ms. Cheng’s English Class. Her 11th-grade students are learning more about their ancestors by interviewing family members for their life stories. The students participated in a Digital Storytelling Showcase that was arranged by the University of Hawaii, under a program called Kākau Mea Nui. The showcase will be displayed for the public between January 27th – February 28th at the Capitol Modern Museum in downtown Honolulu. The purpose of the showcase is to present student-created videos where students share important familial stories.
Ms. Cheng learned about the showcase from a workshop through The Hawaii Writers’ Project. She encouraged her students to participate in the showcase and learn more about their families. “It’s important to listen to the Kūpuna’s voices,” observed Ms. Cheng. If we don’t learn about our past, then we cannot build on it into the future. To Ms. Cheng, the project is important because it helps students “find other means,” of passing on stories to the next generation, instead of just writing them down.
The student groups covered a variety of topics and a multitude of experiences. One group discussed a tsunami, whereas another described what life in Micronesia during the 1940’s. Other groups made videos about topics such as changing technology and living in Lahaina. These groups not only submitted projects but were also accepted to be included in the museum’s display, in contrast to a typical school project.
Each of Ms. Cheng’s groups had different takeaways, most of them sharing that they would like to participate in a project like this again.
“The hard part is making the story and planning everything out,” remarked Liam Pangilinan, who worked on an animation project.
Some students also shared their obstacles. Bree Balisican shared that she had trouble finding pictures from her grandmother’s childhood. She noted that it is often difficult to find such photos because they are from the 1940s, and may have been lost to time.
Joshua Jaictin commented, “[The project is] important because it shows how different life was in the past versus now.” He realized that these stories help shed light on unique and interesting parts of history.
Overall, the project has helped students to learn and retell the stories of their ancestors. As George Santanaya wrote in The Life of Reason, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Looking to the past can help students and others to inspire, create change, improve their environment, and even impact their corner of the world. The stories of the kupuna are important, and these students worked to perpetuate, preserve, and honor them.
