Then & Now: Obon Season–A Favorite Summer Tradition on Hawai‘i Island
By Denise Laitinen Summertime is obon season in Hawai‘i. Every year from June through August, the annual Japanese Buddhist tradition of obon festivals, or bon for short, takes place on Hawai‘i Island. These fun cultural events tend to draw large…
The Ala Kahakai Trail: A Walk through History into the Future
By Jan Wizinowich Hawaiʽi Island’s history can be found along its coastal and mauka (mountain side) to makai (ocean side) trails, a network imprinted by the hands and feet of those who came before. The coastal ala loa trail (Hawaiian…
The Legacy: Pu‘uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park – Celebrating 57 Years
By Lara Hughes Since opening in 1961, Pu‘uhonua o Hōnaunau, a place of refuge, has been a cultural beacon for residents and visitors alike. Kawailehua Domingo, a descendant of South Kona and currently the park’s interpretive supervisor, is the third…
Mahalo, Hawai‘i Sail
Hōkūle‘a and her crew arrived in Kailua-Kona on March 26, 2018 to begin their visit to Hawai‘i Island as part of the Mahalo, Hawai‘i Sail. Next, Hōkūle‘a and crew traversed the island and arrived in Hilo on April 2 to…
Hale o Ho‘oponopono: Perpetuating the Cultural Legacy of Hōnaunau
By Gayle Kaleilehua Greco Driving down the single lane road towards the Hōnaunau boat ramp, there is a quietness that envelops you, a glimpse of the ocean, and a curiosity of what happened on this land in the early days…
Mahalo, Hawai‘i Sail
Poka‘i Bay, Wai‘anae, O‘ahu was the next stop on the Mahalo, Hawai‘i Sail voyage by Hōkūle‘a. Arriving on December 9, 2017, the canoe spent nearly 15 days at Poka‘i Bay where they were welcomed by all eleven schools of the…
May Day is Lei Day in Hawai‘i
By Leilehua Yuen This year’s Hilo Lei Day Festival will be held on May 1, at Kalākaua Park, the original town square of Hilo, and the site of Hilo’s Lei Day celebrations in the 1920s. May 1, celebrated around the…
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…
Iris Viacrusis: Creating Fashion from Paris to Paradise
By Mālielani Larish Dressed in a velvet azure gown made by Hawai‘i Island fashion designer Iris Viacrusis, and adorned with a peacock feather collar that she had handcrafted herself, Aunty Doreen Henderson graced the 2013 Merrie Monarch stage with an…
Behind the Scenes at the Merrie Monarch Festival
By Leilehua Yuen A month before the opening kāhea (to call out) of the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival, the Edith Kanaka‘ole Stadium is filled with sound. Saws shriek, hammers pound, drills buzz, sanders growl, and the pine resin smell of…
Mahalo, Hawai‘i Sail
The Mahalo, Hawai‘i Sail continued in November and December, 2017 to thank Hawai‘i’s people, bringing Hōkūle‘a and Hikianalia home to all of Hawai‘i. They shared lessons learned from the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage, and deepen the organization’s connection and understanding…
Maunakea: A Mountain of Unmatched Amazement
By Britni Schock One of the most captivating mountains in the world is located in the Pacific Ocean on Hawai‘i Island. This dormant volcano, called Maunakea, is the tallest mountain on Earth, with its start about 23,000 feet below sea…
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…
Mahalo, Hawai‘i Sail
After the homecoming ceremonies at Magic Island in June, 2017, Hōkūle‘a was put into dry dock for needed maintenance and repairs. Her first sail after returning to the water was to Honolua Bay, Maui. Hōkūle‘a and her crew arrived there…
Ka Wehena: ‘Ohai‘ula
Na Kumu Keala Ching I ka nani ‘o ‘Ōhai‘ula Ma ke kai hāwanawana Malu ‘ia ‘o Mauna Kea Pili maila (‘o) Pu‘u Koholā Eō mai ē, e ala ē Eō mai ē ‘o ‘Ōhai‘ula Lana mai nā kūpuna Puka maila…
The Hawaiian Cultural Center of Hāmākua
By Mālielani Larish On a balmy Thursday afternoon, the sounds of Hawaiian oli (chant) break the calm of downtown Honoka‘a. A student from Lanakila Mangauil’s Papa Oli class stands in the doorway of the Hawaiian Cultural Center of Hāmākua, embodying…
Puka‘ana Church: Steeped in History and Spirit
By Denise Laitinen Like a lei of vibrant Hawaiian flowers, you will find small historic churches dotting the landscape around Hawai‘i Island. Like the flowers bound together in lei, many of the churches are connected, either built by the same…
Hands On History: Relive the Life of Kona’s Coffee Pioneers
By Fern Gavelek Step back in time to the 1920s–40s and relive the simple, yet arduous, life of Kona’s Japanese immigrant farmers during Hands On History at the Kona Coffee Living History Farm. It was a time when Kona farmers…
Ho‘ina Hōkūle‘a — Hōkūle‘a Returns
By Leilehua Yuen Hōkūle‘a now begins her final leg of the Worldwide Voyage—traveling the Hawaiian Archipelago to approximately 30 ports. Her crew will get to share their adventures with some 100 schools on various islands. After circumnavigating the Earth in…
Ka Wehena: No‘u ē, Aia e ka Lā
No‘u ē Na Kumu Keala Ching Aia lā kahi kapu i mua o‘u ‘Ō ihola ka pono no‘u ē Eia maila ka ‘i‘ini a‘e nō Nene‘e akula ke ala no‘u ē I laila ala kahi kapu nō No‘ono‘o ka pono…
Twilight at Kalāhuipua‘a’s 20th Anniversary: A Time of Remembrance, Preservation, and Community Service
By Gayle Kaleilehua Greco “My first impression of the property and ponds was that I didn’t think there were places like this that still existed.” says Danny “Kaniela” Akaka, reminiscing back to a day in 1972 when he first stepped…
HawaiiCon: Magic and Mōhihi‘o*
By Catherine Tarleton Every day, people travel from around the planet to bask in the Hawai‘i Island sun, immerse in the ocean and feel the warm culture of aloha. This fall, that welcome extends to those from far, far away…
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…
A Depository of Stories: Hawai‘i Plantation Museum in Pāpa‘ikou
By Catherine Tarleton “I never thought I would be in the museum business,” says Wayne Subica, director of the Hawai‘i Plantation Museum in Pāpa‘ikou. Floor to ceiling, wall to wall, the old Onomea Plantation Store is filled with an ever-expanding…
A Garden Fit for a Queen: Celebrating Lili‘uokalani In Her Garden’s Centennial Year
By Brittany P. Anderson & Leilehua Yuen As the sun rises steadily over Hilo Bay on a bright Saturday morning, a group of college students rake leaves at the far end of Lili‘uokalani Gardens. While dozens of early morning walkers and…
Worldwide Voyage of Hōkūle‘a: Homecoming: Leg 31
Wednesday evening, May 17, 2017, Hōkūle‘a, her sister wa‘a (canoe) Hikianalia, and the escort vessel Gershon II departed Tahiti for the final leg home to Hawai‘i. The canoes will returned to a welcoming cultural celebration in Honolulu’s at Magic Island.…
Historic Campus Gets New Life, New Vision
By Ma’ata Tukuafu The parking lot is brand new. The short walk is breathtaking as the sun shines through the lush trees and the road curves, opening up to beautifully renovated buildings. This is the Kohala Institute at ‘Iole (KI),…
The Worldwide Voyage of Hōkūle‘a
Mālama Honua Update: Legs 28 and 29 brought Hōkūle‘a to the Galapagos, Rapa Nui, Pitcaairn, and the Marquesas Islands After passing through the Panama Canal in January, Hōkūle‘a engaged in a cultural exchange with several indigenous groups in Panama before…
Talk Story with Harry ‘Uhane Jim: A Story of Ho‘oponopono
Ho‘oponopono is an ancient tradition of creating balance and harmony within ourselves—the self that is now, the self of our past, the evolving self of our present and the self of our future. It is our identity. It embodies our…
To Celebrate the King: Kamehameha Day and Kamehameha’s Legacy of Aloha
By Jan Wizinowich Every June 11 the islands celebrate Kamehameha, the Hawai‘i Island warrior chief who changed the course of history in the 18th and 19th century by uniting the Hawaiian Islands, preparing Hawai‘i for the future in a rapidly…
