Queen Emma’s Church
Kate Kealani H. Winter As visitors and locals hurry along the Hawai‘i Belt Road (Highway 11) near Kealakekua, they look mauka (toward the mountain) and see an old lava rock wall that seems to enclose a very old graveyard, and…
Lale Kam: Walking Sunlight, Living Aloha
By Kate Kealani H Winter Lale says her name means “sunshine” in Hawaiian, which seems perfect for this child of Hawai‘i, who has spread aloha across the U.S. for decades. It also may refer to a legendary bird known as…
More Than Mere Stripes and Crosses: The Hawaiian Flag at 200 Years
By Kate Kealani H. Winter From team banners to national pennants, a flag fluttering in a breeze raises intense feelings and inspires loyalty as well as patriotic passions. This year marks the 200th birthday of the Hawaiian flag, the only…
To See the Beauty of the Dance: Kumu Lona Warner’s All-Inclusive Hālau is Truly One-of-a-Kind
By Kate Kealani H Winter At the first Polynesian dance class of the new year, Kumu Lona greets each of the dancers of Hula Hālau Makanani Kona with a bright new sarong and an “Aloha” brimming with energy and affection.…
The Kona Hotel
It’s hard to miss the Inaba’s Kona Hotel, which sits on the side of old Māmalahoa Highway in Hōlualoa. With its bubblegum pink exterior and double lānai stretching across the front, it invites passersby to sit and rest awhile. The Douglas…
Kona’s “Grama Lee”
By Kate Kealani H. Winter The first thing you might notice about Grama Lee is the fire in her eyes. It matches the colorful language that she uses freely in conversation. Grama Lee, now 97 years old, was born Irene…
“Mama” Lily Kong: Keauhou Kupuna
By Kate Kealani H. Winter Mama Lily’s two pairs of boots sit near the door of the family house in Keauhou mauka. Up before dawn as usual, daughter Lily can’t find “Mama” in the house and sees that one pair…
Weaving Kona: Aunty Jo Barney’s Life’s Work
By Kate “Kealani” H. Winter Her hands move with quick certainty taming the narrow lauhala strips into a pattern that often only she can see. Today she is weaving a hat that is going to Mexico when it is finished.…
