Posted on: Friday, May 25, 2001

'Building Bridges' conferees to pool native expertise

By Yasmin Anwar
Advertiser Staff Writer

Honolulu's next global conference will explore such topics as ethnobotanical applications in Polynesian tattooing, genetic diversity in wild American ginseng and sacred uses of Indo-Malay fruits.

And unlike the recent Asian Development Bank conference, next week's "Building Bridges With Traditional Knowledge II" won't attract anti-globalization protests.

About 1,000 people are expected to attend the gathering organized by University of Hawai'i botanist Will McClatchey and Markus Faigle. It will take place Monday through June 1 at Hilton Hawaiian Village.

Experts will come from far afield as Madagascar, Finland and Belize,but the spotlight will be on Hawai'i's native culture.

Local speakers include ethnobotanist Isabella Abbott, Polynesian voyager and Bishop Estate trustee Nainoa Thompson, kumu hula Vicky Holt Takamine and Moloka'i la'au lapa'au practitioner Marie Place.

Participants will also include practitioners from Native American tribes and two recipients of the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize.

McClatchey's last "Building Bridges" summit, which took place in Florida in 1997, led to the formation of two Native American medicine corporations.

Organizers hope the Hawai'i conference will inspire more stewards of indigenous knowledge to exchange expertise.