The Hawaiʻi Food and Wine Festival brought its culinary spotlight to Kamehameha Schools Kapālama for the first time when prominent Indigenous chefs shared wisdom on traditional crops, sustainable practices and food sovereignty with students.
Through the panel, haumāna kula waena from student leadership and the Kaʻāmauloa Pathway classes connected with seven food experts whose practices revive ancestral foodways and uplift their communities, highlighting the deep connections between food, culture and identity. KS supports the festival as it showcases Hawaiʻi’s rich agricultural diversity and local culinary talent.
“Identity is just as important as food, shelter and clothing,” said Denise Hayashi Yamaguchi, CEO and founder of the Hawaiʻi Ag & Culinary Alliance, which organizes the premiere event. “Any way students can connect to their cultural heritage – like these chefs through food – is so important.”
The chefs, welcomed with oli and lei, shared personal stories about rediscovering traditional foods. Chef Elena Terry from Wisconsin spoke of replacing oatmeal with corn mush, a significant shift that brought her closer to the foodways of her Hoocąk (Ho-Chunk) ancestors.
“It was like the memories that my ancestors instilled in my blood were coming back to life,” Terry said. “My palate craved those foods, and then my family started craving them, so it was really transformative across so many lines.”
The chefs’ histories echoed a universal theme: reconnecting with tradition transforms both spirit and community. Chef Pyet DeSpain, a Native American and Mexican chef from Los Angeles, spoke passionately about the links between sustainable food systems and community health. Hearing about food deserts – where fresh, nutritious food is inaccessible to residents – was a powerful moment for many students.
“Food sovereignty allows you to grow and choose your own food, reclaiming the right to eat what you want, not what you’re forced to,” DeSpain said.
Reflecting on their own ‘āina sustainability program, where they work in loʻi and loko iʻa, the students resonated with the chef’s similar relationship to land.
“Food is not just about feeding your body but also feeding your spirit and connecting with the land, your family and Mother Earth,” DeSpain added. “The soil is part of your DNA, and everyone in this room has the power to create that connection and practice true sovereignty in your own backyard.”
Middle schooler Kahi Fox found common ground with the chefs and their heritage-based approach to food, realizing the importance of spending time with kūpuna and learning from them in the kitchen. His classmate, Ulumāhiehie Beazley, was inspired by the culinarians’ words, seeing her role as an ʻōiwi leader in a new light.
“It’s our generation’s responsibility to make that change,” Beazley said. “When we see maps of all the land before that are now covered with buildings, or native plants that have invasive species, it’s mind-blowing but it makes us want to be better.”
Isabela Duenas rounded out the group’s reflections, igniting a sense of responsibility among her peers.
“We’re the people from Hawaiʻi. This is our home,” Duenas said. “If we’re not the ones fighting for more sustainable living, then who will?”
As Kamehameha Schools continues to support the Hawaiʻi Food and Wine Festival, world-class opportunities like these spark pride and ambition among our haumāna, empowering them to pursue pathways that strengthen their Native Hawaiian identity and contribute to a thriving, resilient Hawaiʻi.
TAGS
kapalama,ʻāina pauahi,food systems,agriculture,native hawaiian identity,indigenous,hawaiian culture based education,ks kapalama
CATEGORIES
Kaipuolono Article, Regions, Kona, O’ahu, Themes, Culture, Community, E Ola!, Kapalama Newsroom, Kapalama Home, KS Announcements, Newsroom, Kapalama, Community Events, Oiwi Leaders, Kapalama campus
Print with photos
Print text only
