Blending local knowledge with ecological conservation efforts by engaging young adults aged 18–25 in oral history documentation is the focus of a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa project that was awarded $114,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, International Program Office and U.S. Agency for International Development.
The project “Enlivening Forest Landscapes in Hawaiʻi and Indonesia,” will be led by Thao Le, principal investigator, professor and chair in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, alongside Micah Fisher, co-principal investigator and assistant professor at the Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, which is housed in the College of Social Sciences.The Project also partners with Ming Li Yong at the East-West Center Research Program.
“We hope that this grant helps a group of students from Hawaiʻi and Indonesia learn and experience humility by honoring and respecting the wisdom of our elders, kupuna, who really knew what it means and what it takes to care for the land, and by land, we mean all the elements that sustain a community,” said Le.
Learning from elders, community leaders
Students will interview elders and community leaders in both Hawaiʻi and Indonesia, deepening their understanding of the cultural significance of landscapes. The initiative is a collaboration with Hasanuddin University in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, providing students from both institutions with hands-on experience in place-based oral history documentation.
“I’ve always believed in the power of field-based learning and its transformative opportunities,” said Fisher. ”It allows us to learn in different ways, from different people, different places, and through the sharing of experiences across cultures, environments, and backgrounds. Having this sort of grounded context also helps to deepen learning opportunities in the classroom after students return.“
The project will take UH students to the Bantimurung-Bulusaraung National Park in Sulawesi. Participants will gain insights into climate change, environmental governance, and social justice histories. The experience will culminate with an exhibition and video documentation of the oral histories collected at UH Mānoa.
In spring 2025, students will delve into environmental ethics and governance, with Indonesian students invited to UH Mānoa to facilitate an exchange of ideas and knowledge.
