‘Laulima’ is an ‘Ōlelo Hawaiian word meaning ‘many hands working together’. It’s a concept that can apply to many aspects of conservation, from on-the-ground restoration to large-scale initiatives. In April 2024, as part of a collaborative grant, staff from five National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRs), together with local Indigenous community partners and staff from Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture, gathered for a week-long workshop at He‘eia, Hawai‘i, with laulima as a central concept.
National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) Science Collaborative Catalyst Grant
The workshop is part of a 2023 National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) Science Collaborative Catalyst Grant in collaboration with Pacific Birds, and Indigenous partners and local communities at Heʻeia NERR (Hawaiʻi), Kachemak Bay NERR (Alaska), Padilla Bay NERR (Washington), and South Slough NERR (Oregon). The year-long project investigated ways to interweave Indigenous knowledge and Western science to improve estuary stewardship and management, with shared benefits for coastal birds and local communities.
Sharing, learning, and laughing together at He‘eia NERR
A key part of the project was a week-long workshop on O‘ahu, in Hawaiʻi. The goal was to bring together project partners to learn about the co-stewardship framework that He‘eia NERR has developed, biocultural restoration practices, and perspectives on Indigenizing science. 41 participants attended, learning from each other through stories, shared experiences, and laughter. Many attendees shared that the workshop helped them appreciate new approaches to research and stewardship alongside Indigenous communities, and reaffirmed their commitment to this work, to sharing knowledge, and to strengthening collaborative relationships.
Following the workshop, each of the participating reserves explored and co-adapted what they learned at the workshop to meet the needs of their local ecosystems and communities. They found new ways to integrate Indigenous Knowledge, cultural values, and management practices into the stewardship and management practices and priorities of each reserve.
As the year-long grant wrapped up this fall, the team prepared two documents - a final report, and a key takeaways document, summarizing the experiences and lessons learned during this process with the hopes that it may be useful to others engaging in similar work, now and in the future.
This resource summarizes the grant and workshop's technical, logistical, and qualitative aspects. It also includes participant feedback, post-workshop actions, and helpful resources for others working to strengthen relationships with local communities and Indigenous partners.
A few of the main goals and outcomes of the project included:
- Co-developed reserve priorities, including management plans and hunting/harvesting policies with Indigenous and local community partners.
- Re-framing of stewardship and research priorities using a biocultural lens
- Interweaving Indigenous culture, language, place names, history, and ongoing presence at reserves through updated education materials and signage.
- Co-created internship and training opportunities for Indigenous partners.
- Co-developing funding proposals to support the integration of Indigenous Knowledge in reserve research and restoration projects. Two specific proposals are already being developed.
- Formalization of Indigenous roles in reserve decision-making (e.g., formalizing inclusion of Indigenous roles in guidance documents; cooperative agreements with NERRS; expanding councils/commissions to designate Indigenous seats)
Overall themes from participant reflections included:
- A better understanding of the reciprocal, interconnected relationship between humans and nature.
- The cascading benefits that reconnecting people with lands, waters, and cultural practices have for entire ecosystems and communities.
- Service-learning projects (laulima, or ‘many hands working together’), shared meals, and shared stories build trust and are important for cultural connection.
- An intergenerational approach brings value to these shared experiences and introduces new perspectives and opportunities to learn through ‘talking story’.
You can read the full document here, and learn more about the project here, and the work of the NERR system at https://www.nerra.org/
