{"href":"https://api.simplecast.com/oembed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fheartbeat-narratives.simplecast.com%2Fepisodes%2Fkai-knots-and-nets-lets-go-lets-throw-yYLYGRO0","width":444,"version":"1.0","type":"rich","title":"Kai: Knots and Nets — \"Let's Go, Let's Throw\"","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/20caee61-98b8-42db-bb6b-11b3e4c29658/0eb11ee6-e655-4163-9568-990bf4d84059/000009920029.jpg","thumbnail_height":300,"provider_url":"https://simplecast.com","provider_name":"Simplecast","html":"","height":200,"description":"Meet Kai Uyehara, originally from the south shore of Oʻahu, who is helping revitalize the traditional art of making Hawaiian fishnets. Kai shares about his love of the ocean and how his reverence for Hawaiian culture continues to grow. From learning how to throw net to spending long hours observing the shoreline, he reflects on how slowing down and going analog has shaped the way he approaches fishing, community and life in Hawaiʻi. \n\nIn this conversation, Kai explains how so many parts of his story begin with - and circle back to - the YMCA. It’s where his parents met, where he first discovered a love for ʻāina as a teenager, and where he has now worked for more than a decade. Along the way, mentors welcomed him in and shared their knowledge and practices, from farming to making throw nets, that continue to guide his path today. Through these relationships, Kai has paid it forward by mentoring youth and helping keep cultural traditions alive in the present day. \n\nEpisode Highlights \n00:49 Throwing net, making friends\n03:28 Growing up on Oʻahu's south shore\n05:23 The moment throw nets clicked\n06:52 From appearances to cultural perpetuation\n09:21 Learning how to make Hawaiian fishnets\n12:02 Belonging and hā (breath)\n18:29 What fishing looks like today\n21:05 ʻĀina and spirituality\n21:59 When nature responds - the puhi story \n23:47 Knowing when to stop\n25:01 Chanting at the lele\n28:30 Kilo and reading ocean signs\n29:17 Why I never sell nets\n31:13 Trading, time, and value\n34:13 Teaching takes commitment\n35:47 YMCA roots \n39:11 Coming full circle \n\nCheck out Kai’s work at the YMCA and their student spring break trip on Molokaʻi:\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCItXIhxl6g\n\nPhoto Credit: Kai Uyehara"}