Standing proudly on the sands of Waikiki Beach in Hawai’i, Wiradjuri man Chandler Connell has just come in from the surf. He’s still riding high after taking part in a surfing lesson with Hawaiian surf instructor Dave Panoke.
“It was deadly. He (David) really embraced me into his whole practice," he told Living Black.
"He taught me language and was giving me prayers and everything before we entered the water.”
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Ocean Of Unity
episode • Living Black • Current Affairs • 26m
episode • Living Black • Current Affairs • 26m
‘Cheeky’, as Chandler likes to be called, has only recently found an interest in surfing, and can’t believe his luck to already be riding some of the world's famous breaks.
“I felt like I was in Lilo and Stitch. I was having the best time," he said.
"It’s like, 'Wow, I’m in Hawai’i having a surf ... This is pretty special.'”
‘Cheeky’ never anticipated he’d go surfing while in Honolulu.
His priority was to represent Australia as a First Nations delegate at the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, brought over to perform traditional songs and dances on the main stage and share stories from home.
“FestPAC is way bigger than I thought, but it’s fired me up and got my spirit real strong," he said.
I felt really staunch and knew what I was representing ... that we still got strong culture on the east coast.
"That's a big reason I'm dancing for mob.”
Another person keen to represent their people at the festival is Hawaiian woman, Makana Kāne Kuahiwinui. Dancing at the opening ceremony, she said, was magical.
“It’s just a huge celebration of our culture. All of the hula; the movements, the dancing, it brought me to tears at some points.”
Hawaiian woman Makana Kāne Kuahiwinui looks out to sea watching the surf break. Source: NITV / Living Black
“For Hawai'i to be hosting this huge festival while still under occupation by America, it could be a huge political statement and could have political consequences down the road.
"So I really look forward to the collaboration in politics and also thinking about sovereignty and what that looks like in our cultures.”
Finding cultural connectors
With culture on show at FestPAC nearly everywhere you look, the similarities soon become apparent. One of the more obvious is the unifying power the Pacific Ocean has on each of the 25 nations taking part.
“The ocean connects us, nation to nation, Indigenous to their lands and Indigenous to our [Hawaiian] lands,” says Makana.
“We're all just these small little islands, but we are the wide ocean. We are the bearers of our language and of our culture because the ocean connects us.”
Chandler 'Cheeky' Connell with Makana Kāne Kuahiwinui chatting about their cultures by the beach in Hawai'i. Source: NITV / Living Black
“I feel a very strong responsibility to this place, to accessing this place, to continue the use and the cultural practise of our ocean.”
As Makana shares with ‘Cheeky’ stories of culture down by the waters, a rainbow emerges to the side of Diamond Head, the large volcano at the end of the peninsula closest to Waikiki.
Shortly afterwards a seabird appears that Makana hasn’t seen for some time, starting an emotional moment for the surfer.
A rainbow comes out over Diamond Head in Honolulu, Hawai'i Source: NITV / Ross Turner, Living Black
‘Cheeky’ understands: he too has been brought up on Country and knows the importance the elements have on teaching.
“I love what you shared [Makana] because it's same way back home. You're connected to the rain, you're connected to the winds, you're connected to the water, so Country's teaching us everything. That's our first teacher.”
Hawaiian surfing in Australia
Surfing great Duke Kahanamoku Source: YouTube / Duke Kahanamoku Foundation
Keen to understand more, Makana shares stories of the local legend, Duke Kahanamoku, known as the father of surfing.
“Duke showed the world that surfing is a pastime, a way of life. He was an all-around ocean man, a swimmer, a surfer. In fact he really put Hawai'i on the map.”
The surfer and Olympian is also credited as having brought surfing to Australia in 1914, a fact Eric Middledorp disputes.
Eric, a member of the Historical Committee at Freshwater Surf Lifesaving Club in Sydney, says that although Duke did have an important role to play in popularising surfing in Australia, he wasn’t the first to introduce it here.
Freshwater Surf Lifesaving Club Historical Committee Member, Eric Middledorp, stands with Duke Kahanamoku's surfboard. The board was used at Freshwater Beach in the summer of 1914/15 during Duke's surfing exhibition. Source: NITV / Ross Turner, Living Black
"But actually, our local Indigenous population would have been in the surf for thousands of years already,” says Eric.
“The Indigenous population would have used surfed using their bodies, pieces of wood, even canoes, but they would have been the first to surf, especially because they’re the oldest culture in the world.”
Taking to the surf
David Panoke tells the history of Waikiki Beach and Duke Kahanamoku to Chandler 'Cheeky' Connell Source: NITV / Living Black
Humbled to hear this, ‘Cheeky’ wants to make sure he’s respectful. His own cultural understanding tells him just how important this location is.
Sharing a Hawaiian prayer with David before entering the surf, the duo head out to the break known locally as ‘Canoes’. After a few “stacks”, ‘Cheeky’ is soon standing on his board and having a great time.
After an hour and some sage advice from David, the Wiradjuri dancer appears to have found a new dance partner.
“He gave me the same note every choreographer gives me; bend my knees and I'll be right. As soon as I bent my knees, I was fine. I was surfing from there. I even got a couple of ten-foot barrels in there; Nah Gammon!” jokes 'Cheeky'.
Surfers off of Waikiki Beach Source: NITV / Living Black
As the surfing cultural exchange comes to an end for ‘Cheeky’, the budding surfer feels like the cross-cultural connections between First Nations peoples are as strong as ever.
“It just shows how we've always continued to share story and share practises and share culture. Especially with Uncle Duke coming over to Australia and sharing that practise, and now it's all across Australia. It’s really deadly. I can’t wait to go back home, learn some more, and maybe even visit his statue at Freshwater.”
This episode of Living Black can be seen on SBS at 3:10PM Tuesday or catch up on SBS On Demand.
Living Black is also available to stream for free on SBS On Demand and will be subtitled in Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese.
