Karen Valentine
Karen, along with Barbara Garcia, envisioned and created Ke Ola Magazine in 2008. She acted as co-publisher and editor until 2012. She has lived in Hawai‘i since 1999 and has family on Hawai‘i Island. She was co-publisher of Hawai‘i Island Journal until 2005, when she moved to Honolulu for two years. She has worked as an advertising copywriter, publisher of several magazines in Michigan, book editor and writer for such magazines as Hawai‘i Business, Enterprise magazine, Southwest Michigan Living, and Better Homes & Gardens. Karen has a college degree in journalism and art, and is a practitioner of Hawaiian cultural arts, including hula. She enjoys sailing her yacht throughout the Hawaiian Islands.
Rashani Réa: Passionate Earth Steward
By Karen Valentine In spring 1988, Rashani Réa rode her motorbike through the vineyards, orchards, and medieval villages of southern France, a frame drum tied onto the back, stopping only to look at her map to find a spiritual community…
One Hawaiian Voice: Kimo Pihana
By Karen Valentine It is truly rare to know a pure-blood kanaka ma‘oli (native) today, as most Hawaiian koko (blood) is mixed with that of many other heritages. Kimo Keli‘i Ka‘aha‘aina Pihana is a 100-percent Hawaiian man. Much of Kimo’s…
Two Artists Transform Trash into Treasure
By Karen Valentine When two artists each blend their creative talents with their passion for the environment, magic can happen. For both Kat Crabill and Mattie Mae Larson, growing up in Hawai‘i meant falling in love with the ocean—only to…
Talking Hula with Kumu Aloha Victor
By Karen Valentine The conversation begins with a hug, even in the time of COVID-19. This serious kumu hula (hula teacher) tests himself regularly, not only for the health of himself and his students, but in life itself. After entering…
Wood Valley Temple and Its Fascinating Historical Journey
By Karen Valentine Those who wonder how a small, yet world-renowned, Buddhist temple ended up in a remote valley not far from an active volcano, may realize that a scholarly account isn’t adequate to tell the story. There must be…
Every Paddler Knew the Voice of Aunty Maile
By Karen Valentine Kapono It’s race day at Hilo Bayfront. The summer outrigger canoe paddling season is in full swing. Colorful canoes are lined up, ready to race. Canoe club T-shirts with club insignia move through the crowd on paddlers…
Keiki Hālau Honors Ancient Hula Legacy
By Karen Valentine Kapono Like one of the glistening orbs in a string of pearls, Pelehonuamea Puku‘i Suganuma Harman joins other daughters and granddaughters of hula dancers in a string of generational legacy that is rare in today’s world. In…
The Meditative Nature of Carving Stone
By Karen Valentine Kapono For sculptor Fred Soriano, it’s a working partnership with the stone sculpture he is crafting that is both difficult and peaceful. Contemplating his creations, you get that impression yourself. Where did that stone come from and…
The Hidden Power and Tradition of Oli
By Karen Valentine Kapono Just imagine a sophisticated culture whose history and daily news was never written down, only spoken. This is a story about oli, or Hawaiian chant, the Hawaiians’ chosen method of all communication. It was never intended…
From Kapa to Kalo: Bernice Akamine
By Karen Valentine As an artist, Bernice Akamine has gone far beyond the basic skills of applying artistic talent to media. When one reaches the pinnacles of art, one has put heart and soul into practice, not to mention, as…
The 11th Annual Keiki Fishing Tournament Rocks at Punalu‘u
By Karen Valentine Not long after sunrise at Punalu‘u Black Sand Beach, light sparkles on the waves, tipping the bright blue sea as it splashes on the black rocks lining each tide pool. The parking lot is already filled with…
A Journey with Kumu Kawaikapuokalani Frank Hewett
By Karen Valentine This is a story about one who might be called a Hawaiian renaissance man. This man is multi-facetted and multi-talented, with an insatiable drive to serve his culture through sharing his knowledge. Like a tripod that will…
Aunty Doreen Henderson: Fascination with Feathers
85 Years of Perpetuating an Elegant, Native Hawaiian Craft By Karen Valentine With the confidence of a master craftsman who is still working and teaching at age 92, Master Kumu Doreen Henderson’s eagle eye marks each student’s feather work and…
Hilo Kūpuna Share Hula with Aloha
By Karen Valentine Long before the program is set to begin, Clem and Leilani Malani, both in their 90s, are sitting in their car, waiting in anticipation. They are dressed in their finest Hawaiian aloha wear with color-coordinated red and…
Invoking the Warrior: Hula Kane
By Karen Valentine The line of kane (male) hula dancers lies in the shadows, poised to walk onto the Merrie Monarch Festival stage. Their kumu (teacher) takes his place behind the pahu (drum) and raises his arms along with his…
Lake Waiau
By Karen Valentine Like a deep and mysterious woman, she lies nestled in her bed of ancient lava within the majestic pinnacle of the sacred mountain Maunakea. One of the few tropical alpine lakes in the world, Lake Waiau has…
At Kilauea Military Camp: Morale, Welfare and Recreation are Served Along with Aloha
By Karen Valentine Eyes light up when visitors to Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park (HVNP) arrive during the holidays and they see the seemingly incongruous row of small cabins, lined up in military precision, bedecked with colorful holiday decorations, each one…
Hawai‘i Artist Collaboration: A Masterful Art Happening
By Karen Valentine What happens when you bring together a group of 42 master artists and craftsmen, put them in a confined space for only four days, and task them with producing fine art worthy of a gala charity auction?…
Lauhala Has Strong Roots in Puna: ‘Aha Pūhala O Puna Weaving Club celebrates its 25th anniversary
By Karen Valentine “Nānā i ke kumu” is a Hawaiian proverb—‘ōlelo no‘eau—commonly used throughout the culture to express the correct way of passing down wisdom from one generation to the next, from teacher to student, and even from the wisdom…
Lauhala Weaving with Kupuna Art Murata: This teacher helped children understand their culture through the weaving craft
By Karen Valentine As a child who “asked too many questions,” Art Murata of Hōlualoa vowed he would try to answer any child’s question and not be afraid to say he doesn’t know. Growing up with the challenges of being…
Worldwide Voyage of Hōkūle‘a
After spending several months sailing up and then down the East Coast of the US, Hōkūle‘a left US waters in Key West, Florida headed to the Panama Canal. The crew spent Christmas and New Years in the Caribbean, sailing to…
Mr. Yuen Wong and the Wong Yuen Store
By Karen Valentine If you find yourself in Wai‘ōhinu or Nā‘ālehu on the south end of Hawai‘i Island and you need a snack or a staple food item, or let’s say a six pack, don’t even think of finding a…
Recalling the Majestic Palm in Art: Artist Shelley Hoist Partners with the Palm to Create Natural Beauty
By Karen Valentine Who doesn’t love a palm tree? Swaying in a tropical breeze, it’s the stuff dreams are made of. Whether for a visitor or a local Hawai‘i resident, the palm tree is a living symbol of paradise. As…
Habitat for Humanity
By Karen Valentine To build a community takes more than money. Habitat for Humanity West Hawaii has come up with a term that is friendlier than fundraising. Want to make friends? Engage in a Friend-Raising activity with Habitat. This year,…
Meet the Artists of South Kona
Artists are often reclusive people. You may imagine them sitting in a messy studio, contemplating the universe until some inspiration enters their being, causing a masterpiece to be born. That may not be too far from the truth! Bringing their…
Feeling the Touch of Aloha with Aunty Tutu
The rich, deep tones resounding forth from a conch shell announce the beginning of the ceremony—like the first strains of “Here Comes the Bride,” or the ringing of a church bell. This is the Hawaiian way, with the pū (conch…
How to See Papahānaumokuākea–And How to Say It!
By Karen Valentine From exploring and visiting a real gem of a visitors’ attraction in Hilo. Mokupāpapa Discovery Center is the primary interpretive center for the Northwest Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument—more correctly named Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Not only…
Featured Cover Artist: Patricia Leo
The holiday theme of artist Patricia Leo’s painting showcased on this issue’s cover is a dreamlike scene from a magical, enchanted forest in Hawai‘i, illustrated in vibrant, glowing colors. Part of her ongoing series, 16 years of Christmas in Hawai‘i,…
Renaissance at Honomū: Successful Former Residents Return to Help Lift a Sleepy Plantation Town
By Karen Valentine A sleepy town sits with remnants of yesteryear, while locals and visitors drive by toward the Hāmākua Coast tourist attraction of Akaka Falls. Is there hope of rebirth, perhaps with the right formula of dreams and talent?…
Building with Bamboo, Local Style: One Man’s Crusade to Prove it Can be Done
By Karen Valentine There has been a lot of talk over the years about the viability of locally grown bamboo as a building material in Hawai‘i. Here we must distinguish between building homes imported from elsewhere and building homes from…
