Ancheta works to bring 'The Aloha Spirit' to Western
Bellingham is 2,705 miles from Honolulu, Hawaii, a fact that Brenda Ancheta knows well.
Ancheta, a native of Honolulu, first began working at Western Washington University as a fiscal tech for Business Services in 1989, and has been here ever since. While she loves the Pacific Northwest, being removed from the culture and identity of her home island isn’t easy for her, she says.
She had the opportunity to reconnect with her roots in 2007 when she went to her first meeting of Northwest Hawai'i 'Ohana, where she eventually was nominated to be treasurer. In 2008, she was named president of the club, and she's held this position ever since.
“The main mission of Northwest Hawai'i 'Ohana is to preserve, honor and perpetuate the unique blend of cultures found throughout the Hawaiian Islands,” Ancheta says.
The club is committed to the Hawaiian cultural values of Aloha, Lokahi, Alu ike and Lokomaika'i. Aloha is love, compassion, kindness, grace and charity; Lokahi is unity and harmony; Alu ike is cooperation and acting together; and Lokomaika'i is goodwill and generosity.
“The culture of Aloha is the culture that we value and live in, and that we want to share with others,” Ancheta says.
Northwest Hawai'i 'Ohana was started by a small group of individuals, most of whom were employees of Western, meeting in each other's houses to celebrate their culture and heritage. Joan Ullin, a co-founder of the group, is Western's assistant director of Student Outreach Services. The club was incorporated in 1995 when it participated in welcoming the Hokule'a, a voyaging canoe, to the Pacific Northwest for dinner and a gift exchange.
As president of the association, Ancheta helped to establish the Bridge of Aloha Festival, first held in 2012. The event, held annually in June, features Polynesian dancers, vendors and workshops, raffle tables and activities for children. The group has brought in a Hawaiian artist each year to perform at the festival.
Because the purpose of the festival is to form a connection with other cultures, Northwest Hawai'i 'Ohana tries to involve local Native American groups in the Aloha celebration. In 2012, the first year of the event, the club invited members of the Lummi Nation and held an opening cultural ceremony in which they exchanged gifts.
The group has since held similar ceremonies with Nooksack Indian Tribe and Samish Indian Nation in different years of the festival, and plans to approach all of the tribes in the immediate area.
“This is their land, and we want to honor them because of that,” says Ancheta.
Each year, the club offers a $500 educational scholarship. Since 2008, nearly all of the recipients have been WWU students, with the exception of a few students from Whatcom Community College.
Ancheta said that Northwest Hawai'i 'Ohana also stays in close contact with the Hawaiian student club, Hui' O Hawai'i WWU. Some students are also on the board of Northwest Hawai'i 'Ohana and volunteer at the Bridge of Aloha festival.
The group also offers hula classes and performs at local festivals. For the past two years, they have performed at the Live Aloha Festival, an annual Hawaiian cultural festival held at the Seattle Center.
“Being in this club, because I'm from Hawaii, allows me to get back to my roots and do the things that I like with other people that enjoy doing the same,” Ancheta says.
While Hawaii is still far away, Northwest Hawai'i 'Ohana allows Ancheta, and others in the group, to feel a little bit closer to home.
[ Editor's note: This article is one of a series running this week in Western Today in conjunction with the state’s Classified School Employees Week March 14 to 18. ]