IMUA
Go Forward
This collection of poetry, edited by Malia Guerrero, is a letter of love to the young people of Hawai’i.
Through finely wrought lines, intimate stories, and incisive truths and images, Puanani Burgess, Jamaica Osorio, Kamanukea Kekoa, and N’ou Revilla honor their multi-generational ties to family and reclaim the language, land, and water that is their birthright.
Artwork by Kanani Miyamoto infuses these pages.
Puanani Burgess calls out: “In the spirit of Aloha which our gods bequeathed to us and to you, we ask you to hear our words.”
Kamanukea Keoka: “i am from fresh water/that which holds my culture/because it is, i am.”
N’ou Revilla: “I carry these seeds like a child/carries her grandmother’s blood/’O ka ‘āina nō. ‘O ka ‘āina nō.”
Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio: “Aloha is the way i say/I’ve pulled the mountains out of the sea to bring forth the world you deserve.”
Puanani Burgess, of Native Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, French and German ancestry, was born in Honolulu, O’ahu in the Territory of Hawai’i in 1947. Beginning in the 1970s Aunty Pua became involved in various community struggles in Hawai’i as an advocate. She now considers herself a mediator, community developer, and facilitator of community-building and conflict transformation. Aunty Pua continues to be active in her community and beyond. She sees her work as being a cultural translator, facilitator, and transformer of conflict. She has developed transformative processes that “allow people to talk deeply to each other about things that are important to them without treating those important things as issues.” She calls it “principles of building Beloved Community.”
Learn more here and here.
Dr. Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio is a Kanaka Maoli wahine artist / activist / scholar / storyteller born and raised in Pālolo Valley to parents Jonathan and Mary Osorio. Jamaica earned her Ph.D. in English (Hawaiian literature) from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. Currently, Jamaica is an Assistant Professor of Indigenous and Native Hawaiian Politics at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. Jamaica is a three-time national poetry champion, poetry mentor, and published author. Her poetry and activism are the subjects of an award-winning film, This is the Way we Rise. She was a lead artist and co-writer of the revolutionary VR Documentary, On the Morning You Wake (To the end of the world). A proud past Kaiāpuni student, Jamaica is a graduate of Kamehameha, Stanford University (BA), and New York University (MA). Her book Remembering our Intimacies: Mo’olelo, Aloha ‘Āina, and Ea was published by The University of Minnesota Press.
Learn more here and here.
Kamanukea Kekoa is a music and Hawaiian history teacher at Waolani Judd Nazarene School on O‘ahu, Hawai‘i. Her hopes for this anthology is to encourage and inspire readers, especially her students, to find their voice and raise it for what they believe in. She writes: “Born in the arms of the Ko‘olau, Kapālama sheltered me for most of my life. When I was allowed to choose my own path, Ka‘ala led me home and Lualualei embraces me each morning. Melodies were my first language, and poetry flowed as a result. There is much I don’t know, and much to learn, and while I never intended anyone to see these, I offer my love for Hawai‘i on these pages. “He kanaka ‘oiwi au, he pulapula i ka malu o Ka Haku au, he lālā a Lanakila au, he pua onaona o Leina‘ala au, nāu nō me ke aloha.”
Learn more here and here.
No’u Revilla (she/her) is an ‘Ōiwi poet, performer, and educator. Born and raised with the Līlīlehua rain of Wai’ehu on the island of Maui, she currently lives and loves with the Līlīlehua rain of Pālolo valley on O’ahu. Her debut book of poetry Ask the Brindled was selected by Rick Barot as a winner of the 2021 National Poetry Series. She has performed and facilitated workshops throughout Hawai’i and abroad. She is an assistant professor of creative writing at the University of Hawai’i-Mānoa and a lifetime “slyly / reproductive” student of Haunani-Kay Trask.
Learn more here and here.
Kanani Miyamoto (she/her) was born and raised on the island of O`ahu. She is an individual of mixed heritage and identifies most with her Hawaiian and Japanese roots. She currently lives and works in Portland, Oregon.
Learn more here and here.
Malia Kilihuna Lyman Guerrero was born and raised in the breezy valley of Nu’uanu, just outside Honolulu on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing from Pacific University. She is completing her Master of Education in Teaching degree at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Currently, Malia teaches 9th-grade English language arts at Waipahu High School, where she endeavors to make students the center of their learning experience.
Learn more here.
IMUA is designed for use in the high school classroom.
Malia’s involvement with IMUA reflects her commitment to reshaping the current educational landscape in Hawaii. Her goal is to help create a culturally rich and meaningful curriculum, not only in her classroom but also throughout schools across the state of Hawaii. She believes the younger generations should find themselves represented in their studies.
If you are interested in integrating this book into your curriculum, please contact Malia Guerrero at guer1864@pacificu.edu.
This collection of poetry is a letter of love to the young people of Hawai’i