• Implements of Hula

    By Leilehua Yuen From ancient times, Hawaiian people have had a love of music and rhythm. This love was expressed through oli (chant), mele (song), and hula (dance). While many early visitors to the Hawaiian Islands were not trained in…

  • Hula is Pleasing Because of the Drummer

    By Leilehua Yuen Dancers gliding, hands gracefully depicting misty rains or delicate flowers. Feet grounding powerfully on the earth while knees thrust forward in the motion of a lava flow. Voices evoking the many moods of lyrics newly written or…

  • Almanac in the Sky

    Like many peoples around the world, from ancient times Polynesians have been guided by the stars. The constellations move in predictable rhythms across the sky, with mathematical precision, unchanging over the course of many human lifespans. Weather patterns come and…

  • Chinese New Year

    Around the world, the new year is celebrated at the stroke of midnight on January 1st to ring in the coming year. In Hawai‘i, we celebrate another popular traditional New Year’s event as well, which happens about a month later.…

  • It’s Cherry Blossom Time!

    cherry-blossom

    The age-old tradition of hanami is celebrated on Hawai‘I Island every first Saturday in February during the annual Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival. It’s when cool-clime Waimea, often back-dropped by a wintery white summit atop Mauna Kea, boasts an eruption…

  • Makahiki: The Hawaiian Winter Holiday

    By Leilehua Yuen Long before Christmas was celebrated in Hawai‘i, we had our own winter holiday—the Makahiki. Makahiki can be a confusing word. It means “year,” “new year,” and also refers to the months-long season that heralds the new year…

  • Myths and Legends of Mauna Kea

    By Leilehua Yuen In English, when we speak of literature, we generally classify works as fiction or non-fiction—made up or true. How does one define true? Sometimes, a story that does not adhere to quantifiable data, yet draws on emotion…

  • ‘Ōhi‘a-Lehua Legend

    By Leilehua Yuen Long, long ago on the island of Hawai‘i in the district of Puna, there lived a beautiful girl. Lehua was her name. She had a face as round and glowing as the moon with eyes that glimmered…

  • The Morning Message

    Kakahiaka no. I am an early riser, most mornings I am up anywhere between 2–3am. I guess you could say I’m a morning person. It’s considered a “good sleep” when I can sleep to 4:30am. My closest friends and family…

  • Ho‘omana‘o Mau: A Lasting Remembrance Etched in Gold

    The Hawaiian Islands have neither native metals nor enameling technology. So how did enameled gold bangles become traditional ornamentation for Hawaiians? Ornaments of shell, bone, teeth, wood, feathers, and fiber have been found, which indicate that Hawaiian people have enjoyed…

  • Gathering Na Ali‘i

    This March an inspirational event will take place on a Sunday morning in a small Hawaiian church in lower Puna. The event is Nā Ali‘i Sunday—a gathering of royal societies that will come together to honor both God and Nā…

  • Who Am I?

    In learning about the cover of this issue and of a feature article, I decided to submit one of my “paniolo” poems that is quite personal for me. I am indeed humbled by the upbringing my siblings and I received.…

  • Legacy

    legacy

    It is the gifts I inherited from the ones before me and I ponder on the things I have or the things I do, that were transferred to me. The features on my face perhaps was one thing that was…

  • Cultivators

    Cultivators-Kuulei-Keakealani

    By Ku‘ulei Keakealani So many happenings all around us these days. Movements of aloha are seen and heard from one town to the next, from mountain top to mountain top. Messages of hope and desire are painted, printed, and manifested.…

  • Managing with Aloha: Ho‘ohanohano

    Ho‘ohanohano: The value of dignity and respect. Honor the dignity of others. Conduct yourself with distinction, and cultivate respectfulness. Fourteenth in an ongoing series. By Rosa Say Ah, Ho‘ohanohano! I’ve looked forward to showcasing this lesser known value in our…

  • Kaukulaelae, We Honor You

    Kaukulaelae

    By Gayle Kaleilehua Greco The sun shines, glistening on the waters of Keauhou Bay. The palm trees give notice to the wind as it moves across the land. The paddlers glide their canoe across the sea, propelled in rhythmic stroke.…

  • Through the Years: Hawai‘i Museum of Contemporary Art

    By Le‘a Gleason Lourdan Kimbrell is running late. It’s because he’s at the airport picking up photographs for an upcoming show of Kohala’s archeologically significant areas. Inside the Hawai‘i Museum of Contemporary Art (HMOCA), it’s not just the Director, Lourdan,…

  • Ka Lei Maile Ali‘i—The Queen’s Women

    An original reenactment based on a newspaper article printed in The San Francisco Call This story begins with a listing on KonaWeb.com. January 13, 2013 “KA LEI MAILE ALI‘I; THE QUEEN’S WOMEN,” A PLAY—KEAUHOU A short play remembering a meeting…

  • Worldwide Voyage Update–Mālama Honua

    ‘Ike Hawai‘i: ‘Sense of Place, Sense of Identity’ Mālama Honua Take Care of the Earth “Mālama Island Earth—Our Natural Environment, Children, and All Humankind” Kaulana e ka holo o Hōkūle‘a I ka ‘ale ī I ka ‘ale moe I ka…