Loochoo nu Kwa Podcast

The University of Hawaiʻi, Hilo campus has been designated as the National Indigenous Language Center, and offers a graduate program in Indigenous Language Revitalization and Education through Ka Haka ʻUla o Keʻelikōlani, the Hawaiian Language College.  Koutaro Yūji is the first student from Uchinā to receive his MA degree in the program and is continuing his studies to receive his PhD for Indigen...

How do we open our eyes to be more connected to identity and to be able to take the responsibility to keep the connection to our ancestors, land, culture and language.  Sometimes it takes going away from the ancestral land to look from the outside.  Rinna is a student of Okinawa Christian University who is currently studying in Honolulu.  She hopes to deepen her understanding of Okinawa and help e...

In many places, especially in Indigenous communities, Columbus Day or Discovererʻs Day is being replaced with Indigenous Peoplesʻ Day.  If we look at the background of "Columbus Day" or "Discovererʻs Day", if we really know and understand our histories, we can see that the observance is really a colonial erasure of Indigenous people, history and knowledge.  Letʻs look at who ar...

Lots of discussion lately on social media on the topic of "Shimanchu".  We need to look at our identity and in how it is connected to our ancestral world view as indigenous people of Loochoo.  Our ancestors, like other indigenous people, didnʻt have a word for being indigenous because they understood who they were and didnt have people question where they came from.  When we begin to dis...

The youth riots in Okinawa on Thursday night sparked immediate condemnation from local communities and racial and hate speeches from mainland Japanese towards the youths who participated in the rare type of uprising.  For the country of Japan as a whole, this incident is almost unheard of, which made it hit national news in Japan.   While Japanese newspapers filled headlines with subtle accusation...

In this episode I talk with Ryan Ueunten whose journey to connect and take on the responsibility to help take care of the place he lives in while supporting and honoring the host people and culture of Hawaiʻi.  Ryan exemplifies the Okinawan values of our ancestors through his work and continued learning. 

"Njoo nu naaka, chaa natoibiigaya? "  "How is your relationships?"   "Naaka" is the Uchinaaguchi word for "relationships".  However, how much do we recognize or understand "relashionships" when it comes to who we are as indigenous Shimanchu?  How broad is our lens and what does it include? In relating to the relationships ad responsibilities we hav...

These days we are surrounded and impacted by convenience.  How much do we understand and see our Loochooan/Okinawan identity?  By looking and listening...being more sensitive and connected to our ancestral lens and indigenous perspective, we can see and understand deeper about who we are and where we come from.  We just need to re-establish that indigenous perspective to see and hear through our a...

Looking at Irei no Hi for us today and what it means.  The Memorial Day in Okinawa is observed each year on June 23.  We remember and pray for all victims of the war, especially our ancestors who were brutally sacrificed and whose memories live on today.  Survivors have shared their stories, but what is being done to make sure that these things never happen again?  Do we separate ourselves as dias...

Exciting and interesting discussion with Tatsuki Kohatsu who is a student from Okinawa studying at the University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa.  He talks about his experiences during his interviews for research when working on his Masters thesis and also talks about the essential connection to place as Shimanchu.  He is one of the young up and coming warriors who is reclaiming voice for Okinawa.

In this episode, Keith Nakaganeku Shinshii talks story with us about his experience and connection to uta sanshin.  Keith grew up with sanshin in his family through his grandfather, who was a well known sanshin instructor.  His grandmother played kutu and also helped to support Keith in his journey through uta sanshin.  Listen also as Keith talks about a void he had in his life and how he discover...

Dane Nakama is a young up and coming artist in the Hawaiʻi scene and is just finishing up a show at the Hawaiʻi Theater Gallery in the heart of Honolulu.  Listen in as we discuss his art pieces and perspective on cultural identity and indigeneity as it connects to art and the art world.

In this episode we yuntaku (talk story) with Brandon Ufugusuku-Ing about Shimakutuba and how it connects to indigenous identity.  When we think of language, what do we think of?  Is it just words or is there something deeper than that?  How does our language and indigeneity connect us to other communities?  

I take a break this episode and talk with Norman Kanegusuku(Kaneshiro) Shinshii about Uta Sanshin.  For those of you who think of the sanshin as just a musical instrument, youʻll be in for a pleasant surprise.  Norman Shinshii goes into a deeper explanation about how the sanshin is an instrument that actually connects to relationships.  He also shares his candid thoughts and knowledge of what uta...

Water is often taken for granted.  How many time have we thought about what if there was no water?  If we think about it, water is our connection to each other as we all come from water.  If we look at water, we can see itʻs various forms, just as we have different forms.  So much to learn from water, as our source of life and values, especially in these times as we journey to reclaim our identity...

Most of us have always supported and had some sort of advocacy for our ethnic culture and identity.  Has our advocacy went farther than that to some sort of engagement to put to action waht we support?   Iʻll be talking al little about that in this episode and sharing a story of  one of my favorite songs, "Tsuru Kame", which became even more meaningful after it was explained to me by 2 u...

History holds both great things to be celebrated, but there are also many events which people would rather forget.  However, for many indigenous communities, we need to remember the tragedies and sufferings of history so it doesnʻt repeat itself.  By also understanding our histories, we can also find commonalities which can help to support each other, and also, many times, to bring us to understan...

As we begin our New Year of 2021 and prepare for the coming of the Year of the Ox next month, letʻs look at our responsibility we have for our spaces we live in, community, friends, family and for who we are as Shimanchu.  

Taking action to protect your native language, rights and history isnʻt always easy, especially when itʻs usually an uphill battle that takes sacrifice, time and courage.   In this episode, I am so excited to talk with a young warrior for her Shimanchu roots, Kaiya Yonamine.  Kaiya is the producer of the short film, "Our Islandʻs Treasure" which can be found on Vimeo.  This is one of the...

How do we understand compassion in relation to our engagement with others?  In this episode I look at how we need to look into who we are to understand compassion and to always realize where we come from in order to have "Nasaki".  We cannot just use words like "Chimuguikuru", "Yuimaaru" and such, without living it.  Our cultural values should not have an on and off s...

Aswering couple questions this time about "Canʻt you talk about Okinawan culture and history without politics?", and " Have you ever wanted to give up?" In this talk, I am also reminded of the Shimakutuba expression of "Chimujurasan" and am reminded of how some older Okinawans had explained it to me which gave a deeper understanding and connection to our native way of...

Shui Gusuku, aka, Shuri Castle/Shurijo, was a valuable, historical symbol of Loochoo, our history,culture and identity.  Itʻs been one year since the fire which destroyed the main buildings of Shui Gusuku and the reconstruction planning and work has begun.  Although the Okinawa people and support for all over the world have contributed for teh rebuilding of Shui Gusuku, the Japanese government has...

Continuing the story and information on the desecration of our ancestral bones and lands, and future plans to dig up more bones to use as landfill for the US base construction in Henoko, Okinawa.  

Our bones after we die are sacred physical elements that hold the mabui (spirit) of the person.  In this episode I will talk about the traditions and protocols and also look at a current situation Okinawa now faces in trying to get hundreds of ancient Loochooan remains returned to Okinawa to be put back in their rightful places.