Local space science organization, the International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA Hawaiʻi) hosted an impactful cultural exchange ceremony at its most recent Galaxy Forum in Wenchang on the island of Hainan, China December 8-12, 2024. The Cultural Ceremony featured local students who highlighted the culture of China through music, song and dance. From Hawaiʻi, Hawaiian Cultural Practitioners Kimo Pihana and Leilehua Yuen shared the Aloha Spirit and Hawaiʻi Astronomy through ʻoli and storytelling.
“Sharing respect and sharing cultures with all of these international people from different backgrounds and nations was one of the most important aspects of this Galaxy Forum meeting and this journey to Hainan, China,” said Kimo Pihana.
“Finding the connections between our cultures is especially important in divisive and tumultuous times. We all share the same Moon and stars. Lunar studies, astronomy, astrophysics… these sciences encourage us to literally look up and elevate our minds. We can use them to inform our traditional understandings, and we can use our traditional understandings to inform how we use what we learn as we move into the future,” Kumu Leilehua said.
Galaxy Forum is ILOA’s global education and outreach program, designed to advance 21st Century education, exploration and enterprise. Presentations are provided by experts in the fields of astrophysics / galaxy research, space exploration and STEAM education, as well as related aspects of culture and traditional knowledge. This Wenchang Galaxy Forum, with its numerous presentations and discussions following the ceremony, sought to bring Hawai’i Aloha and Astronomy to Hainan, and return a Hainan perspective and understanding to Hawaiʻi. Developing this relationship between Hainan and Hawaiʻi will provide great inspiration and opportunity for Pacific space access in the 21st Century.
Director for ILOA Hawai’i, Steve Durst states “ILOA hopes the long-pursued Galaxy Forum China in Wenchang can help build a Hawai’i-Hainan bridge of mutual interest and understanding, with exchanges of Astronomy, Pacific Space Access, and Aloha enhancing life for peoples of both islands and their respective America and Asia mainlands: And per the Apollo 11 Moon plaque, in Peace for All.”
Hainan is sometimes known as China’s Hawai’i and research shows that Hainan—Hawaiʻi connections have long, historical roots in Hawaiʻi. The most recent exchange at government level was last year's "China Hainan Night" held in Honolulu on August 7, 2023. Hainan Province Deputy Governor was the delegation lead, and the Los Angeles Chinese Consulate General also attended the event. Hawaiʻi State Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke warmly received the Hainan provincial delegation. Both Xinhua News and Hainan Daily reported the event and mentioned the sister city/island concept.
Closer to ILOA’s home of Kamuela, Hawaiʻi, the Chinese Civic Association of Hilo, comprising both newly established and multi-generational Chinese residents of Hilo, has a long history of organizing local activities such as Chinese New Year, Middle Autumn Festival and Moon Cake Festival parties. The CCA also was instrumental in initiating scholarships for the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Master of Arts in China-US (now Asia-US) Relations, as well as providing a grant to provide appropriate reference books to the UHH library.
At the turn of the 20th/21st Centuries the US China Peoples Friendship Association (USCPFA) had an active chapter in Hilo, with Sarah Burgess, then Hilo's chapter president, hosting tea tastings at various private homes of Hilo's Chinese community members as Hainanese tea experts lent their expertise to Hawaiʻi farmers interested in tea culture. Space Age Publishing Company, partner to the Galaxy Forum program, was an active supporter of these efforts and sponsored Hilo's USCPFA delegation to national meetings.
ILOA Hawaiʻi continues the tradition of supporting cultural exchange through the Galaxy Forum. Further exploration of Hawaiʻi—Hainan connections can only enhance international and intercultural understanding, a necessity for our future. This journey is a reflection of the international endeavor astronomy encompasses and is a shining example of Hawaiʻi Astronomy and its collaborations with people from around the world.
For more information about ILOA and the Galaxy Forum program, please contact us at info@iloa.org or 808-885-3474.