He Moʻo ʻoia
Moʻo is the Hawaiian word for succession and continuity. Moʻo are also ancient reptilian beings, revered as ancestral gods and guardians of Hawaiian fishponds. It’s no coincidence that the word for genealogy is moʻokūʻauhau, the word for grandchild is mo`opuna, and the word for story is moʻolelo. Moʻo is what they share. Family lineage is biological and spiritual succession. Stories, and the knowledge they contain, survive because of ʻōlelo, because of talking and speaking, and through expression and practice, from one generation to the next. Succession. Continuity. Purpose. Meaning.
In the same vein, this blog is the succession of human connection. My job as the writer then is to situate material in a way that triggers a connection at the level of meaning-making. In that space between the writer and the viewer, this is where the moʻo lives. It is born from the artist’s genealogy, a hologram of present/past, and within it the ability to transmit moʻolelo far into the future. Here is where culture matures. Here is where society transforms. Here is where moʻolelo inspires.
Who am I?
I’m Cathy Ikeda, Ed.D., former language arts teacher, former reading specialist/literacy coach and evaluator/instructional specialist. I am currently an assistant professor of education specializing in middle/secondary English language arts. This is my space for meaning making and moʻolelo specifically around Hawaiian culture based education, cultural humility, and creating spaces in the university for Indigenous educators to be present and to be heard. If you have manaʻo to share, contact me at cathy.ikeda1@gmail.com
The Mo'o Project 