traces of colonization

Today in ASCC,
we explored land and feeling, 
textures of living on island,
traces of colonization

The students shared skits in sound, song, story, dance, feeling.

Thanks to the students for such open hearted sharing and Kuki for inviting me to facilitate the creativity writing sessions for the classes...

on the island we smell
coconut oil
freshly baked palo sami from the umu
the breadfruit roasted
and pungent smells of the starkist company…
            we see the high tide waves
from the ocean
where the fautasi races start every year in the month April
 

 
thinking of colonization in samoa
            we smell the smoke from the naval ships coming into the bay
we taste the tears of our ancestors
flowing in the rivers
those fighting to protect and keep our land
oil spilled and
materials burned
gunpowder
blood
dirt
money
 
queen liliuokalani
captured by the American government
the guards walking by…
taste bitterness…
smell the salty ocean…

Every morning  I wake to the blue sky
it gives me courage to move on
and then I hear my mother’s voice
get your ass ready for school
and then
eating grandma’s pancakes
which she makes every morning
I get ready, thinking
oh my god I’m going to be late for class
and then the bus passes by
because I was smoking.