Sunlight pours in through the picture window casting shadows across his thin frame as he contorts arms and legs to form a human pretzel.  He giggles unwinding his eight-year-old body to stretch out comfortably on the couch.

Palikū Dudoit is another one of our littlest ʻĀina Warriors who has been coming with his family to Hoʻoulu ʻĀina since he was born.  His memory is sharp as a tack as he recalls one of his earliest connections to the land in the ʻili of ʻOuaua. 

“I remember coming to Hoʻoulu ʻĀina and digging in the dirt with my shovel.  It was raining.  That’s why this place is called ʻOuaua,” he smiles eyes alert.  “Oh rainy rain.  It rains a lot here.”

Palikū learns alongside other children about trees that are grown on the land that are repurposed into canoes.  His favorite part about learning is being able to use adult hand tools to carve, sand, and shape waʻa. 

“Did you know that our ancestors used ʻiliʻili (small smooth stones) to sand their canoes?”  Palikū asks.  “We did that too with Uncle Casey.”

Carving is just a small part of the keiki’s introduction to Hoʻoulu ʻĀina.  Palikū and his friends also learn about the forest and where the trees come from that make the canoe.  Large albizia trees whose canopies stretch across the sky and block sunlight are carefully, thoughtfully, and skillfully hewed by staff and then repurposed into canoes.  Although the albizia is invasive to Hawaiʻi, the keiki learn it still holds mana.

“Uncle Casey taught us that the albizia holds a lot of good mana,” Palikū says.  “And if you take care of the waʻa, it will have more mana and then it will become a better canoe.”

And so Palikū Dudoit is our littlest ʻĀina Warrior of the week.  Growing knowledge.  Future carver. Shaper.  Innovator.  Loves to dig in the dirt.