Suzanne Wang: Ceramicist Comes Full Circle
By Ma‘ata Tukuafu The idyllic rural-village feel of Wailea/Hakalau is what Suzanne Wang wanted when she moved to Hawai‘i Island 11 years ago. She set up her ceramic studio on the lush Hāmākua coast in 2016, both living and working in a…
Hope for Honu: Green Sea Turtles on the Road to Recovery
By Rachel Laderman with Irene Kelly Four decades ago, the sight of honu (green sea turtles) in near-shore Hawaiian waters was rare. Since then, the honu population—once devastated by harvesting practices—has rebounded thanks to state and federal protections. Today, it…
Hawaiian Hospitality with Hilo’s Songbird Christy Lassiter
By Nancy Kahalewai Since the 1800s, many different types of music have deeply and permanently influenced Hawaiian music. European folk songs and orchestras, Christian hymns, Portuguese ‘ukulele and Spanish steel guitars, Mexican ranchera and Puerto Rican rhythms, American musicals and…
Featured Photographers: Don Hurzeler & Kirk Shorte
Featured Cover Photographer: Don Hurzeler Don Hurzeler’s business cards say he’s an author, photographer, and old retired guy. We think the latter is far from true, Don seems busier than many people half his age. As a lifelong athlete, nothing…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Rock Star Pet Supplies
Providing West Hawai‘i with high quality pet food, treats, toys, and other supplies for dogs, cats, birds, and small animals like bunnies and guinea pigs, Rock Star Pets also boards birds and small animals, and plans to install a self-service…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Injeyan Fine Woodworking
Injeyan Fine Woodworking (IFW) is a woodworking business that specializes in custom cabinets, entry doors, heirloom-grade furniture, and architectural millwork. Art Injeyan originally learned about woodworking nearly 30 years ago, while serving a brief apprenticeship in a cabinet shop, after…
Ka Puana: He ‘ike ‘ana ia i ka pono — It is a recognizing of the right thing.
Birthplace of the Boogie Board: Wai‘aha Beach, Kona
By Fern Gavelek A small beach located just on the outskirts of Historic Kailua Village is officially the birthplace of the boogie board. Known by the local water sports community for decades, the designation was recently declared by state and…
Hank Fergerstrom’s Indomitable Spirit
By Ana Kahoopii and Tanya Yamanaka Unko Hank sits at an empty picnic table near the King Kamehameha statue on Hilo’s bayfront, the sun shining on this Valentine’s Day morn. The gold bodice of Kamehameha glitters behind him; the King’s…
Morinoue’s Hale: A Gathering Place
By Emily Gleason When you walk into Hiroki and Setsuko Morinoue’s home, the first thing you’ll notice is the art. Beautiful paintings, prints, and sculptures cover the walls and all available shelf space. Their own work comingles with that of…
Tsunamis: Hawai‘i’s Most Dangerous Natural Hazard
By Walter Dudley Just before 7am on the morning of April 1, 1946, Seaman Perry Minton was in the radio room aboard the USS Thompson headed toward Pearl Harbor when, he recalls, “Almost as soon as I put on the…
Donnie’s Thanksgiving: First-hand Story of Halapē’s 1975 Tsunami
By Leslee Engler and Donnie Cruz If you lived through an earthquake and tsunami on the beach where your family was camping, you would remember that very clearly. It took place 47 years ago, and Donnie Cruz remembers every minute…
Elizabeth Theriault’s Journey with the Drum—A Pathway of Heart
By Ma‘ata Tukuafu When Elizabeth Theriault moved to Hawai‘i in 1985 with her husband and son, she came with eagerness to integrate into the Hawaiian culture. Elizabeth, a lifelong creative artist, grew up in a diverse multi-cultural family of hunters,…
Mālama Mokupuni: Caring for Our Island Environment—Take These Broken Wings…
By Rachel Laderman The Hawai‘i Wildlife Center (HWC) is Hawai‘i’s only comprehensive facility for rehabilitating native winged creatures. Linda Elliott, the founder, president, and director, says, “Here we are, the extinction capital of the world. Our state has the majority of the endangered…
Chris Berry: Mastering Improvisation in the Land of Fire and Water
By Sara Stover For Grammy award winner, singer, songwriter, and drum master Chris Berry, the most important lesson in school wasn’t even part of the curriculum—improvisation. Born and raised in Sebastopol, California, Chris was just 12 years old, learning to…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Big Island Perennial Peanut
Finally, a sustainable groundcover that offers beauty and ease at one-third the price of grass! Big Island Perennial Peanut (BIPP) offers Arachis pintoi, also known as Golden Glory, a regenerative and drought tolerant groundcover in the legume family that is…
Island Treasures: Tiger Shark Nutcracker
Love for a place can express itself in many ways, depending on one’s interests, experience, and talents. Jim Harrold feels fortunate that his 35 years in woodworking allows him to design and build original wood products that dovetail nicely with…
Featured Artists: CJ Kale & Tina Clothier
Featured Cover Photographer: CJ Kale CJ Kale grew up on the Waianae Coast of O‘ahu and has lived on Hawai‘i Island more than 25 years. His early years were spent on the water, as a surfer and competitive swimmer. Those…
Ka Puana: Observing the Horizon Clouds of the Land
Featured Artists: Jeannie Garcia & Kathleen Carr
Featured Cover Artist: Jeannie Garcia Jeannie Garcia grew up in Pennsylvania and attended York Academy of Arts in York, Pennsylvania. After college, she moved to Southern California and trained at the Mission Renaissance Studios in the traditional methods used by…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Maika‘i Veterinary Clinic, LLC
There are lots of reasons that make Hilo’s Maika‘i Veterinary Clinic unique. One is that they treat various small animals, avians, and exotics; another is they are open seven days a week for appointments, with two full-time doctors on staff,…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Hale Malamalama Ola Pono
Kahu Kahealani Satchitananda is a loving, dynamic woman of power, purpose, passion, prosperity, and inner peace, who imbues the true spirit of living aloha. She is a Hawaiian metaphysical minister, Healy Resonance and Ho‘oponopono practitioner, TimeWaver analyst, consultant, and one…
Ka Puana: The Coral Rock Remains Standing
Secrets of the Sand
By Walter Dudley A beach is a magical place for most of us, whether to swim, surf, snorkel, sip a Mai Tai, or simply watch the sunset. When people dream about going to the beach, they envision soft, warm, golden…
Lost Bones of Kamehameha: Tyrone Young’s 1983 Discovery
By Melisse Malone Native Hawaiian Tyrone Young, age 82, was born in the wild isolation of Waipi‘o Valley. Now, he is coming forward to disclose details of his mana‘o (truth) about the most haunting event of his life that has remained unsettled…
Stepping Beyond the Water’s Edge with Adventurer and Artist Joshua Lambus
By Sara Stover Joshua Lambus is literally paddling through a sea of foam noodles. Clinging to these bright green, blue, and pink cylinders are visitors of all ages, many of whom have never been snorkeling before today. As he scans…
Life in the Lava: The Anchialine Habitat
By Rachel Laderman Nestled in the cracks and dips of Hawai‘i’s rugged coastline are sparkling pools filled with tiny, darting red shrimp. These pools are just the tips of an incredible labyrinthine habitat that goes far under the lava, and is…
Ka Lei Aloha with Kumu Hula Lori Lei
By Nancy S. Kahalewai “I’m going to dance with them!” Lori Lei Shirakawa Katahara announced to her mom when she was only four years old. They were watching their family friends at a hula recital, and she started to get…
Meet Bernie Waltjen
By Carole J. Gariepy It’s a special treat when a snowbird from Massachusetts has an opportunity to hear the life story from a native Hawaiian who has many skills, diverse experiences, and a rich Hawaiian history. When I stopped in…
Traditional Hawaiian Lomilomi Is Alive and Well
By Nancy S. Kahalewai, LMT It wasn’t too long after the return of the inaugural Hōkūle‘a voyage, and wave of cultural pride in its aftermath, that Hawaiian lomilomi massage also experienced its own resurgence. Hōkūle‘a navigated the Polynesian triangle, sailing…
