%20SHISHIDO (G)%20&%20JASON%20(Jack)%20SCHWARTZ%207-3-22%20Summary%20&%20Timestamped%20Transcript%20Below...%20%5B00:00%20→%2001:29%5D%20Jason%20Schwartz%20introduces%20himself)
Candidates, Melissa (MISH) SHISHIDO (G) & JASON (Jack) SCHWARTZ 7-3-22
Summary & Timestamped Transcript Below…
- [00:00 → 01:29]
Jason Schwartz introduces himself as the host of The Neutral Zone, a show on Maui Community TV and radio, and mentions his candidacy for office. He then introduces his guest, Melissa Shishido (prefers to be called Mish), a Green Party candidate running for the State Senate in a newly apportioned district on Maui. Mish explains that her nickname originated from a misspelling of her given name, which was intentionally altered by her mother to honor her grandmother, Floy Milissia, with Greek origins to the name. She recounts how “Mish” evolved as a familiar form used by her friends and family for over 40 years. - [01:29 → 06:35]
Mish shares her motivation to run for State Senate, rooted deeply in Hawaiian cultural values and environmental stewardship. She references an olelo no‘eau (Hawaiian proverb) meaning “I am a wind resisting, no gale can push me over,” symbolizing resilience. She relates this to the ‘ali‘i plant, a strong woody native plant used in ecological restoration, especially on Kaho‘olawe Island. Mish emphasizes her desire to leave a sustainable planet for her grandchildren and to help move Hawaii toward self-sustainability, inspired by successful models on Kaua‘i. Her involvement with the Polynesian Voyaging Society has reinforced her commitment to malama honua (caring for the Earth) and the need to educate youth (keiki) about ecological, educational, and economic responsibilities. - [06:35 → 08:40]
Mish describes her 29 years of teaching experience, including a recent transition to teaching 5th grade. She explains that teaching young children allows her to influence not just them but also their families, fostering a community-wide mindset shift toward environmental and social responsibility. Although she is a political newcomer, she brings a deep cultural immersion in Hawaiian values and a commitment to education. - [08:40 → 11:13]
Mish moved to Maui ten years ago from O‘ahu, where she raised her children. She discusses the diversity of issues in her district (District 6), which includes areas like Kihei and Lahaina—regions heavily influenced by tourism, traffic, and infrastructure challenges. Jason invites her to speak broadly about her priorities rather than specific local issues, recognizing the complexity of representing a large, diverse district. - [11:13 → 15:01]
Mish highlights education as a cornerstone of her platform. She shares a recent example of teaching deforestation and reforestation, involving hands-on student participation in a reforestation project at Pi‘iholo on Maui. She references Captain Cook’s journals and the pre-contact ecological state of the islands, illustrating the importance of restoring native ecosystems. Mish stresses that as a Green Party candidate, she rejects corporate donations to remain independent and accountable only to the people. She criticizes the influence of corporate money in politics and emphasizes the need for genuine change driven by community values. - [15:01 → 20:19]
Mish acknowledges that winning on her first run may be unlikely but commits to working hard and learning the legislative process. She describes herself as a strong listener (ho‘olohe in Hawaiian) who will not compromise on critical issues such as protecting natural resources, especially water, which she defines as “wealth” in Hawaiian culture. Mish voices concerns about current infrastructure projects in Kihei, such as the traffic light and four-lane roundabout near a new school, which she believes are poorly planned and may worsen traffic and safety rather than improve it. She stresses the need for community input and collaborative problem-solving. - [20:19 → 26:16]
Mish shares her grassroots approach of listening to constituents and starting conversations that challenge the status quo, encouraging a mindset shift. She recounts a recent visit from a tall stranger she believes was an angelic figure, which she took as a sign to continue pursuing her mission. She emphasizes the importance of educating legislators about the concerns of the community and holding them accountable by paraphrasing and clarifying their statements. Mish wants to change the political narrative and insists she will not “play their game” but bring a fresh, honest voice to the legislature. - [26:16 → 32:00]
Mish reflects on the importance of teaching Hawaiian culture and language, not just as academic subjects but as ways of thinking that guide ethical and ecological decision-making. She recounts visiting kupuna (elders) and learning from their wisdom about restoring the land and culture. Mish connects these teachings to her experiences sailing on Hōkūle‘a, the Polynesian voyaging canoe, stressing teamwork, trust, and unity as metaphors for political collaboration. She intends to bring that same spirit of cooperation and active listening to her role as a legislator. - [32:00 → 37:15]
Mish discusses her ongoing work with students involving direct engagement with the land. She describes a project where students helped with reforestation efforts at Pi‘iholo, harvested kalo (taro), and learned traditional food preparation, which they then shared with their families. This hands-on approach connects science, culture, and community, reinforcing her belief that education must be experiential and culturally grounded. She notes that despite COVID-19 challenges, her students have excelled academically because she taught them ahead of curriculum standards, preparing them well for future success. - [37:15 → 39:53]
Mish summarizes her vision for her Senate campaign as an extension of her classroom—a larger “classroom” where she will work to invoke systemic change through listening, collaboration, and community engagement. She encourages voters to get to know candidates beyond superficial soundbites by watching interviews on mauineutralzone.com. She reiterates that the power to effect change rests with the people and calls for thoughtful participation in the democratic process. - [39:53 → 40:37]
Jason and Mish close the interview with mutual appreciation. Mish confirms the pronunciation of her name and reiterates her commitment to bringing authentic, grassroots-driven change to Maui and Hawai‘i.
Key Insights and Themes
- Cultural foundation: Mish’s campaign and philosophy are deeply rooted in Hawaiian culture, language, and environmental stewardship, emphasizing the value of malama ‘aina (caring for the land) and ho‘olohe(active listening).
- Education as catalyst: She views education—especially experiential and culturally integrated education—as central to transforming mindsets and building a sustainable future.
- Political independence: As a Green Party candidate, Mish rejects corporate donations to maintain accountability solely to her constituents and community values.
- Environmental restoration: Mish actively supports reforestation and restoration projects, linking historical knowledge with contemporary ecological work.
- Infrastructure and planning concerns: She critiques current infrastructure decisions like traffic management near schools, advocating for smarter, community-informed solutions.
- Grassroots leadership and listening: Mish prioritizes community input, transparency, and holding elected officials accountable through clear communication and paraphrasing.
- Vision for sustainable self-sufficiency: Inspired by successful models in Kaua‘i and Polynesian voyaging, Mish aims to foster self-sustainability and resilience in Maui and Hawai‘i.
Quantitative & Factual Data Table
| Data Point | Details / Context |
|---|---|
| Teaching experience | 29 years, including recent 5th-grade teaching |
| Time living in Hawaii | Since 1988 (over 35 years) |
| Time living on Maui | 10 years |
| Number of students involved in kalo planting | 20 students + Mish |
| Length of student project (kalo growth) | Approximately 9 months to first harvest |
| Approximate age when Mish moved to Hawaii | Junior year of high school (~16-17 years old) |
| Roundabout project duration | Not specified in exact months/years |
| Time taken to build new Kihei school | 20 years |
| Number of signatures collected for candidacy | 25 signatures |
Frequently Referenced Hawaiian Terms and Concepts
| Term | Meaning / Explanation |
|---|---|
| Olelo no‘eau | Hawaiian proverb or wise saying |
| Malama honua | To care for and protect the Earth |
| Malama ‘aina | Caring for the land |
| Ho‘olohe | To actively listen |
| Kalo | Taro plant, culturally significant staple food |
| Kupuna | Elders or respected ancestors |
| Hōkūle‘a | Traditional Polynesian voyaging canoe |
| Yaya | Grandmother in Greek, connected to Mish’s family heritage |
Final Summary
Melissa “Mish” Shishido presents herself as a culturally grounded, community-focused Green Party candidate running for the Maui State Senate. With nearly three decades of teaching experience and deep immersion in Hawaiian culture, she emphasizes the integration of environmental stewardship, education, and political accountability. Mish’s campaign prioritizes ecological restoration, sustainable infrastructure, and empowering the next generation through innovative, hands-on education. Rejecting corporate influence in politics, she aims to bring a new voice rooted in Hawaiian values and community engagement to government. Through active listening, transparency, and collaboration, Mish envisions changing the political landscape to better protect Maui’s natural resources and cultural heritage for future generations.
Transcript
00:00
[Music] aloha out there in television radio and internet land i’m jason schwartz your host of the neutral zone mauineutralzone.com to be found on akaku maui community tv on 88.5 fm the voice of maui and on the internet lives on youtube but you can find all these shows at mauineutralzone.com and of course because i’m running as a candidate at dreammaui.com you’ll see that’s where i have a link to all the shows and things about me but that’s neither here nor there i am green you know that already but it’s i’m
00:52
in a non-partisan race and my name out there schwartz you know all that well i have another green i’m very excited to say that because nicki lennon has been running for years and been a backbone but now we have other people that have a lot to say they have passion in the heart and some know her and some don’t but who will after this interview mish melissa shishido what how do you like to be described what do you want to be on the ballot it’s going to say militia shishido and then mish will be in parentheses
01:29
is did mish come about because your kids couldn’t say it easily and they took melissa it’s odd how you would say that because i just got back from three weeks of extensive travel for training and i’ve been always often asked my parents why did you spell my name m-e-l-i-s-s-a-h and pronounced it militia and i recently discovered literally three weeks ago that my name was purposely misspelled by by my mother and she spelt it in a way because i was supposed to be named after my grandmother who who lived in greenville
02:13
missouri and her name was floy militia spelt m e l i s s i a and it has a i believe it has a greek origin and it’s so ironic that i chose the name yaya the title yaya to be called my my grandchildren call me that and yaya means grandmother in greek so when i recently found out i i had to make a stop in california on my way back for some technical training and i started the process in changing the spelling of my name so my girlfriends in high school chopped it from militia to militia then it ended up
02:58
at mish over 40 years ago that’s great and i’m jason you know my given name is jack and uh john kennedy was president his nickname was jack so people used to think my name was john and i just was being like but my given name was jack like jacob so i said my name was jason and they liked that we made it up and my mother said that’s a nice name when american express gave me a credit card with jason on it i adopted it and so i’ve been jason schwartz i look in google on jason schwartz 43 000 things
03:41
look under jack schwartz maui 12 things so yeah so yeah when you’re coming with a name like that and greek origin and middle of this country i said this country we’re in the united states but we’re in the kingdom of hawaii although not declared we sure have a loud cry for that how did you decide and why did you decide to run the state senate newly apportioned district an incumbent in the race for a long time so one of the reasons why i chose to do that would probably stem from a an olelo no that i’m holding
04:31
dear to my heart and it was confirmed by what i thought was an indigenous man yesterday morning but i think he was an angelic being very tall ran into me in the parking lot at whole foods kahului yesterday and he confirmed this particular olelo no and it was which means i am a wind resisting no gale can push me over and when uh when um when mary pukui had written pendo’s words you know she was already looking into the future of the islands knowing the turmoil that it was facing um she made some definitive uh
05:19
quotes that can encompass what our future is supposed to be so i believe i stepped into a position that my ancestors had already dreamed into existence and then i just moved into position and um the ali plant is a very strong woody plant and many don’t know about that how strong this plant is and you can actually see its effects on kahool lave during the restoration that was one of the plants that was used uh to restore that island and the soil and get it to begin to thrive again so my my decision to do this is mainly based on
06:00
i need this to be a planet that i’ll be proud to say as a grandmother i’m gonna leave behind for my grandchildren to enjoy and to malama or to take care of so that was where um i had decided this is what i need to do i moved here ten years ago and my husband and i along with our two dogs called kihei are home and i want to continue moving our state towards self-sustainability because it’s possible it’s being proven on kauai and here it’s possible and it’s really just a mindset change
06:35
after all we are the leading change for our islands our environment and especially our people over the past few years my involvement with polynesian voyaging society has allowed me to adjust the sales if malama honua taught us one thing it’s taught us that we need to keep doing what we’re doing and expand and expecting different results definitely is the definition of insanity i’ve learned that through the voyage around the world that they they recently did and now preparing to embark on yet another one um
07:12
which we need to pay attention close attention to our environment know how to malama that but now we need to begin fostering it educating the keiki um and that’s our job ecological educational and economical it is our responsibility on the valve or canoe it’s clear that each has a responsibility in order to set the course you know to be accomplished so i invented i envisioned the greens in hawaii to provide that hope while when i stepped into the classroom to teach for the first time i might not
07:59
have had this plethora of experience but what i took to the table 29 years later i have the unique opportunity to change the mindsets of a group of 10 year olds who is also changing the mindsets of their families so i’m i’m i’m a newcomer to your world you speak like you’re hawaiian like you are immersed in the hawaiian culture and children and you’ve been a teacher for many years where were you before you came to maui before i came to maui i was on o’ahu that’s where i raised my children yeah
08:40
so i was on oahu so you’ve been here in hawaii for numbers of years oh yes been here my dad retired out of the navy he was 27 years in so i was a junior in high school when i moved here in two weeks i turned the big 6-0 so yeah i’ve been here for you’re a youngster to me you’ve been here a long time i got here in 1988 from l.a so oh got it um you know you live in the if i were going to choose on maui the big money area it would be guiller and lahaina and cup so you have a major district if i was
09:23
going to say where’s the box where’s the beef so you represent all kinds of interest but heavily um there’s all kinds of things around like t.a.t tax possibility uh here locally there’s possibilities of traffic issues and what they’re doing any pet issues that i mean i don’t need to get specific nor do you if you want sure because i’m looking at you to me i look at who is the person not what do they think about this street light or that pavement well those are important issues
09:58
i’m hoping that those are things one can work out and make sense of but i’m looking to see who you are because like you said you’re a green you’re here because you want a malama the aina you’re here and so to me uh your positions are important but i’m looking for a big setup by me i want to give you the floors okay the traffic’s problem tourism is this it could be this it can be that we can work together because you have your district is like i say if anyone was going to represent tourism
10:33
or not your district is like just a gigantor in maui yes and with all that’s going on and the ideas about overcrowding and all the stuff that i might have to deal with locally on a state level you’ve got education healthcare all the highways all the in the funny world they think they split it up it’s really one thing but they split it up so i’m going to just sit back and let you really roll with it and i may kind of cut out some of my big chatter along the way you got it you got it um i i’m one of
11:13
one of the one of my my heart the major part of my heart is education and education will they basically encompass so many categories and one of the things that i caught wind of this year while teaching fifth grade for the first time in teaching high school uh for those vast majority of 29 years and this year was when i taught about deforestation so while science teaches about deforestation we have a group right here on maui up in piholo that is actively creating what is called reforestation based on what the islands were like
11:54
pre contact with uh captain cook and he himself said and i quote from his journals he was being advised by a local guy his name is tupaya and tupaya was the one that took him to these different places on the islands so when you’re being escorted and taken to places you didn’t find anything it was already there and in his journals that i believed are held in europe that he said numerous times saying to pi as said to assad so i went deeper in to look at you know our pre-contact and what happened
12:37
from then to none how can we get some level of restoration now we’re not going to get 100 but at least move toward that type of restoration and as a green party it’s it’s it’s like so important that we embrace and promote the development of respectful relationships across the human spectrum and this year when um when teaching fifth grade i knew that teaching them about deforestation and now hearing each one of them say why don’t they just stop building yeah so again these are
13:12
conversations that i was having them have at home i would be the starter then they would go home and have these conversations and i i thought to myself in retrospect the last week of may these were not your typical 10 year olds that left my classroom 10 and 11 year olds their conversation sounded like they were speaking with me on this platform and um making any place better you know i don’t while i don’t have that kind of experience that’s really needed to be a politician um what i did realize was
14:22
wonderful things about different um candidates and i asked them i said if i if you were to ask them to wear a nascar jumpsuit and you find out who all paid for their their candidacy and you were seeing today like one high-profile prosecutor who took all these campaign donations so that firm and he are on their way to spend some time thinking about it behind bars but that’s been going on with the history of politics and especially two of those parties so i thought to myself you know this is the most historical
15:01
time that the hawaii leaders have and they direly need people like us from the green party who think differently and who are motivated differently so if you knew who i received my corporate donations from would you still vote for me and obviously the answer is plain and clear so i said this is why this kind of information is kept from the general public and um you know i’m i’m looking forward to invoking so much change um now do i think i’m gonna be successful in my first go round maybe
15:36
not but i do expect to work as hard as i possibly can learn what i need to learn because if if i can read i can teach right and if i can read i can learn and you only have to tell me one time and once i master it it’s time for you to maybe get out of the way because i’m not going to do it your way go ahead as a teacher you’re talking about these kids they are our future and man you’re lighting them up and it’s great to hear that fifth graders are hearing about this but i’m just
16:09
sharing you that other sad part i’ve been banging on this store for 30 years in maui i see all kinds of stuff going on and i think that’s why i’m running because i can talk to others about doing things but unless i’m in the seat one of one of the the things that is really standing out right now for me is when i returned back to college uh five years ago my oldest granddaughter my hiapo opuna a decision was made that she was going to grow up in hawaiian immersion and as a result i knew that i had to i had to
16:52
be in tandem with what was going on with her because as a teacher i want to encourage that so i returned back to college here at uh maui and i’m i’m a continuing student i probably will take classes forever because i just love how the information at that particular school is delivered and one of my most treasured um uh kumu uh kaleiko one of the things that i have learned from him is it’s not just about what you have to say but when you get there look at your audience now there are times that i i was um
17:30
speaking on on whatever legislative issue came up and i was available i would fly to honolulu to speak on whatever issue it was and he reminded me it and he would give us extra credit just for doing that he wanted our whatever we were going to say and one of the things that he told me was it’s not about it’s not about the donkeys that are behind that the the microphones it’s about the people that are sitting with you so you want to educate them so it would elevate the voice of the people and we watch
18:05
that i mean numerous people from all over and are like-minded like us that were there speaking it did elevate our voices and now people were showing up when you know when normally they wouldn’t and people were asking questions of their particular legislators and you can see where the um the um not the responsibility but where they where they would um where the constituents knew they were being heard and when they weren’t and one of the things that stands out for me right now because i live right on
18:41
that street where they’re building the school right here in kihei you know taking 20 years to do it really it doesn’t take a rocket scientist so you already can tell right there that the math was a little bit off now that they’re building it they took a year and jacked the the traffic up here on kulani hakoi right off of ilani highway i’m always going to call it mokulele so they took that they took that they put a traffic light in so over a year it seemed rather safe i don’t
19:12
remember any accidents being up there then they’re ripping that same road apart and now they’re going to put a four-lane roundabout when many here in kihei don’t even know how to use the roundabout on pe care you’re gonna put a four lane on a very busy highway and you’re gonna call it safe to get the kids to school when i was going out getting signatures for uh for me to run i spoke with a one of one of the helicopter pilots for and he works for the county and he told me he says you’re not gonna believe this and
19:50
they’ve been at it for i don’t know how long with that roundabout and the mess that they’re creating here in kihei um he goes they’re they’re laying some kind of pipes down you know and i’m like they’re doing what they’re going ass backwards on this whole thing and that’s just like infrastructure we we build we create this uh where hundreds of thousands of people are going to travel and then you stop and look at taking care of the infrastructure so there’s a there’s
20:19
something that’s going on backwards don’t know why i can figure out why so there are so many voices that i mean i i can sit on the side at the beach under a tent and i can have meaningful conversation with i mean i did have it with a police officer who now is being privy to yeah this is the workings of what is going on and if we don’t do something right now no one else will so even if i start the conversation and that’s what kaleiko said you start the conversation you start the mindset switch and you watch
20:56
the people say wait a minute what did she just say yeah that’s a question to ask so my goal um for the four years would be switch up the narrative one two i’m i when i went around to get those 25 signatures right they had something to tell me and i was hearing each one of them and i put it in here and i thought these are the people that i’m gonna call on i’m one of the directors for kihei town party and we got started and now everybody wants in on the party because it’s you know it’s a wonderful thing
21:35
anyways um coming back again finally huh yes yes all the drama is done and when i was told oh no we can’t have it because this was in march in june there’s going to be a different strain and and i was like oh really so who who’s instructing the mayor on this because i want to know who that is and we’re done with june and in july and you know there was no strain so anyways um i’m like let me talk to the right people and that that is what i do jason i if you tell me that there’s a
22:07
special strain that’s gonna explode in in june i want to i want to know i’m going to locate what what is it called lokai of enunciation i want i want the person who said it and i want to know their background so as as a state senator for district 6 i’ll tell you what my background is i’m a mom i’m a grandmother been a teacher for over 29 years so you trust me i know what’s going on and given the right platform i know i can invoke change i know one thing is i listen to people and one of the things that’s
22:44
happened over the years and this is ever since i can remember you can do all this waha all this talking and say you’re gonna do this and do that and don’t tell me that when i get into office i have to play their game no no no the rules of engagement are going to change and even if it means i have to be that one voice i do one thing well i ho’olohe and in hawaiian that means to actively listen so ho’olohe actively listen i’m going to be doing a lot of listening right but i’m i’m damn well not going to be doing
23:22
a lot of agreeing because no there’s no compromise you’re asking me to compromise our very uh our very resource here the hawaiian word for wealth is do you think that my ancestors just went and picked that that word out of the sky and decided this is going to be the mean the word for wealth i uh uh they knew what they were doing they knew that water is wealth and they knew that water was health and i am going to do everything that i possibly can to protect that one source that we have here on maui because we can sustain
24:04
ourselves from for from now until kingdom come but i think we just need to hear i need to hear what the issues are and you can trust me that the dialogue isn’t just gonna be me because i’m gonna need a community behind me that are saying hey can you this is something that you should think about very thoughtful very insight not just flip it from the top of their head but hey let’s look at this so then i gather all the information like i do with our non-profit out in cohoma and we put
24:35
these put this information together and say okay how is this going to help the entire community from now till 130 years from now which is how long they kept that water from flowing your philosophies if i’m listening i can’t help but then the world is burning we are at that point so i don’t think we’ve even seen the half of what the next storm will bring down where where in mckenna all those those billion dollar beachfront homes down there i don’t think they have any idea of what is impending and i’m
25:14
not this huge negative person but i’ve studied science enough that these storms that we’ve had have given us insight and quite possibly a warning but the one that’s coming that’s the one that like we’re saying they’re not gonna be prepared for that school itself is gonna be right it’s gonna be a train wreck like maui medals is anytime there’s these huge rains but wait to the 100-year one and everybody thinks if this is not every hundred years to understand a hundred year rain
25:47
you’re talking about a back up that will look like it didn’t rain for a hundred years but one of the one of the major things that i think i’m to do is i’m going to ho holohe for a little while i’m going to listen to some of it will i know it’s going to i’m going to be sitting there and thinking that was delusional thinking so that’s where that word belongs but i’m going to be doing a little bit of listening because i believe i’m going to bring to the table
26:16
something that will turn into like a firework show by the time the discussion begins and my heart is that everyone will hear that even as a fifth grade teacher if a 10 year old can understand this and say why don’t they just stop building there it is uh spoken from the mouth of a babe learning my culture because i wasn’t i i went to school in washington state great state because of the indigenous peoples that are there as well so i had that really good strong um teaching on base and and i’ve
26:56
embraced that part of my heritage as well and then when i think about what’s happening right now in order to invoke change it’s not just going to be my thinking that thinking that i’m taking to the table and all of the people here in in kihei and everyone in lahaina that i do so much community work with and whether it’s on a small scale or a large scale i plan on and they’re on speed dial on my phone i’ve got their email addresses and when i ask them for their mana or opinion on this and what do you think
27:33
and not just what do you think about it but what do you think is a viable solution just a couple of ideas those are the kind of conversations that i have had for many years now so we can do all that talking and when i started learning my own culture and language one of the bases that kalaeko and even kumu kyope raymond lays out is it’s it’s easy to say well how do you say this in hawaii what you have to do is you have to think hawaiian so you don’t have to be a hawaiian to think hawaiian
28:07
you have to think back to those days what were they thinking because everything they said they meant what was meant to be said was said so there’s no way to convolute uh conversation in hawaii so that was the thing i had to adopt was i have to think hawaiian think all the way back then listen to the interviews of old hawaiians i went and visited one up in um up in kula hospital spent a few days with her we made food for her and sat there as she began telling me this is like five years ago i did that as a
28:47
simple project went up there and she shared with me took me into the past and even told me how we can get back there you know so these visionaries they’re huge these these kupuna these elderly hawaiians they have such vision and they say we can can mish that’s what i hear from them can just have to do this just you know and so you know sailing sailing on hokule’a getting in those short sales and learning how to operate as a unit knowing that we depend on each other and our future depends on us
29:24
listening to each other and becoming cohesive so we create that bond on there because we’ve got to trust each other 17 of us are on there and there has to be some level of trust one of the things that i think we need to build and i’m not it’s going to be an underturn under undercurrent to everything that we do is you know if a 10 year old can get it because i’m one of them who will say okay so this is what i heard you say correct me if i’m wrong and i want to be doing that with with these politicians
29:56
who probably have never really heard anything paraphrase or let me tell you what i just heard you say and then yeah so tell me if that’s something that you would explain to one of your family members that you that you expect them to understand that you’re willing to um jeopardize their future uh living here and enjoying hawaii because you’re deciding that and this is what i plan on doing i plan on paraphrasing things and putting it right up in their face which is what i did with ross like like are you hearing
30:28
yourself 20 years and you’re so proud that 20 years later that school is gonna get built really what exactly was the process for that because i teach my students that i teach them process i teach them processes in algebra in english in spelling in history and science it’s it’s not it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to do this and it’s proof right right after all these years of all these politicians we know it doesn’t take a rocket scientist but it’s just gonna take someone who’s saying i’m
30:58
done with this and i won’t have to say it but i’m gonna begin looking at them like did you like hear what you just said so let me let me repeat it to you so i would love to just if even change the narrative to begin one two to invoke whatever changes i most possibly can i do believe that when i do take that seat that they’re probably going to be people that are going to have to bring me up to par well i’ve got enough people in my circle of influence that are just as crazy about change as i
31:30
am and have the answers that that’s who i want on the side of me that’s what i want to hear i know what you can and cannot do or what little unwritten rules you may have well mish isn’t going to be one of those politicians because i’ve got people to answer to number one the constituents number two my own family members do you know what it would be like having a conversation with my nine-year-old granddaughter and explaining to her why i was exploited and how i changed my mind no i’m not
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doing that if i gotta explain myself to a nine-year-old i’m gonna be telling her the truth just like i do in my classroom and i’m just grateful that given that opportunity this year to teach those ten-year-olds they left my classroom speaking hawaiian and that wasn’t part of the curriculum thinking hawaiian they left with a math background that will make them second to none in their sixth grade class they left with an english background spelling science history and that is what i’ve
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been doing for 29 years and i am not going to stop at the legislature in the teaching that you’re doing what i hear and but i see it but i hear this other side which is much more get in the dirt teach these kids not only science and math and history which obviously will help them be more competitive as they apply it in a global world that now you can reach because the you don’t even need a wire you can suddenly be plugged in so i failed to mention jason that in that deforestation lesson i took them to get their hands
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into the aina and we went up to piholo where they are actually reforesting we helped to clean uh parts of the land and as a result of mahipono not covering the ground of a lot of the land that’s out there the wells of pii holo are almost running dry because see the aina knows that where there’s no ground covering they’re gonna it’s gonna heal itself and send the water there and as a result of you know uh rerouting a lot of the water the well there was sort of dried up however that didn’t mean that that reforest
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station wasn’t going to be successful so while when we were done we um together with the havahiva’s their who um our maui nui the the the farm that’s doing this along with kelly ira shell they got they they are like educating people like to no degree so we left there harvested dry land tarot um got the entire explanation from the very root the quorum all the way to the leaf and once they were educated we took what we harvested um i took the the kalo cleaned it with them at the school
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took it to our cafeteria had it cooked served it to them in a few different ways then um i took the leaf we made laulau um they ate poi and i took the keiki that were a result of harvesting and we put them into buckets i had students asking to take them home and sending me pictures of it flourishing one keiki nine months from now will sustain that family and as a result i have 20 students that are growing kalo including myself and i told them you can do it right there wherever you live and their families
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embrace it and that is something else that i teach as well so while it may not be in the curriculum i’m grateful for the school i’m at i don’t have to teach to that curriculum i can take that curriculum and just bring it to life and i’ve been dealing with phone calls because their parents are wanting me to teach their sixth grade class and i’m like oh gosh i just i just want to give this to teachers alike that bring that class alive and you know what when they said these students are going to be a little
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behind you know the national because of of covet i decided to teach them without thinking of what they missed i taught them ahead and as the result they’re going to be top gunning sixth grade and they’re going to be students that are going to be sought after because of that mindset change that and i thought are they too young for this i did question myself i’m like no they’re not i have this conversation with my nine-year-old granddaughter this conversation is rather appropriate
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i mean we think about all the inappropriate things that are going on at schools and in curriculum i just added to their curriculum so i’m excited about that so i like you i believe in not just teaching them but they went and put it to the grind that parents are a part of it and knowing that they can harvest that come january we’re harvesting that kalo that we planted and it just continues so they’re going to get cakey from that the makua or the older one will always be the the one that
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sources but the keiki that come out of it or the children they’re going to replant that and this process at least for 20 students and myself is going to continue so they’re going to infect other family members and friends because they’re all asking next year this coming school year i have students one more time that i’m going to to continue doing this with so running for that senate seat district six it’s just a different kind of classroom is how i’m gonna look at it and if why
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i’m there is going to invoke that kind of change and to know that it is possible stop sitting here and figuring you know things out the way you guys are i’ve got an idea i’m going to listen to your idea and if we can put our ideas together and make and invoke changes i’m excited about it so i’ve got a lot to learn still um believe it or not we’ve spent i think an hour i think so yeah why don’t you kind of sum it up and talk to the people out there like you’re looking right in the air
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the future generations are depending on us the future generations are depending on us and i would expect that we give them nothing less than what our heart desires what our mind can conceive and we just have to keep that in our forefront while i think my future is there as well i’m going to tell you the future generations are depending on us and i don’t believe by happen chance that visit that i had from this very tall gentleman yesterday was nothing short of an of an angelic visit to give
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me uh the i guess what they call the oomph to move forward with what we’re about to do so i’m excited jason thank you so much for this time and thank you for taking over time this is to me a way that uh people can get to see you up close and personal so that they know hey i like this woman i would like to be able to have her in that seat these three minute things just we get three minutes as a candidate i can’t imagine how someone’s going to look at 80 candidates three minutes at a
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time and think that’s their political experience yes yes but here they can get up and you know they can watch it again they can get in touch with you and they can really embrace what you’re talking about and even if the election is just a benchmark it’s just a along this road you’re on a road of healing and being there with the kids and really setting the foundations for the future thank you bish mahalo my halloween lord jason mahalo and all of you out there please know that you can watch this again and get up
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close to all the candidates at mauineutralzone.com and take the time to see who you think in these races there are more than just one or two candidates so take the time to take a look because you are the reason that things move we stand in place but you have to give us the power the power is the people i know that’s how i feel militia militia yes is that right yeah that’s correct like in like in militia yes that would be me but mish i i much prefer mish i can see i thought it was a a conglomeration but
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your story’s a good one thank you thank you blessings to you all out there and uh thank you again mish for being here hello everyone aloha
