Puuopelu and Mana Hale: Home of Modern Day Ali‘i
By Catherine Tarleton Two long rows of eucalyptus bow to the left, in respect to the prevailing makani (wind) from Kohala Mountain. Through the gate, down the long lane leading to Parker Ranch’s historic homes, there are horses grazing in…
Managing with Aloha: Ka lā hiki ola
“Ka lā hiki ola; The dawning of a new day.” Ka lā hiki ola is a phrase I initially learned of right here on Hawai‘i Island, for it is deeply ingrained into our local community. Its presence and influence is…
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.…
Hawaiian Immersion Schools: on Hawai‘i Island
Editor’s note: This is the second article in a series about the 15 charter schools on Hawai‘i Island. In the last issue, Ke Ola Magazine introduced these alternative public schools that parents and children are choosing for their curricula, which…
Ke Ola Pono: Ka Wai Ola
By Leilehua Yuen Back in the 90s, when I was a cultural demonstrator at Pu‘uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, we sometimes used to enjoy mildly teasing visitors who asked us if there was a place they could find traditional…
Bridge House: A Sanctuary with Mana, Where Recovering Addicts Can Find Peace and Healing
By Karen Valentine It’s a rocky road full of pitfalls and the illusion of adventure, the life of a drug and/or alcohol addict. For those who want it to end, at the end of the road is a place called…
Lucille Chung: A Kupuna Extraordinaire
By Paula Thomas We sat in Short N Sweet Bakery and Cafe, Aunty Lucille and me, along with her first cousin, Kawepa Francisco, known on O‘ahu as Natalie. Not much later, another cousin joined us making a tidy crowd for…
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…
The Rebirth of the Kahilu Theatre
By Catherine Tarleton From the front, Kahilu Theatre is similar to the building created 35 years ago by Richard Smart, sixth generation Parker Ranch heir, Broadway entertainer and “modern day ali‘i” to the Waimea community. Around the corner, however, brilliant…
Laupāhoehoe Music Festival: Celebrating and Supporting the Community
By Denise Laitinen On April 23, one of the largest and most beloved annual events on the Hāmākua coast will take place at Laupāhoehoe Point Beach Park. Now in its 11th year, the Laupāhoehoe Music Festival draws residents and visitors…
Featured Cover Photographer: Doug Perrine
Our cover photographer Doug Perrine says the pictures he takes reflect his love of the ocean. Doug’s captivating photographs of sea life are truly one-of-a-kind. His photographs range from a whale’s eye to dolphins smiling while jumping in mid-air. He…
Yuca
By Sonia R. Martinez The Manihot esculenta, or yuca plant (you-kah)—yuca with one c and not to be confused with the American Southwest yucca plant from the agave family)—is a tropical perennial and better known in some areas as cassava…
Island Treasures: Hawaiian Crown Plantation & Chocolate Factory
Grown and manufactured on Hawai‘i Island, Hawaiian Crown Plantation & Chocolate Factory makes every effort to produce entirely local products. Owner Tom Menezes has been in farming for close to 40 years. Tom has a degree in tropical agriculture from…
Island Treasures: Ipu Arts Plus
The artists and owners of Ipu Arts Plus are bringing back to life a once-lost Hawaiian art form called ‘umeke pāwehe. Co-owner of the gallery Karen Root says, “An ‘umeke is a bowl or container, and pāwehe means ‘from within.’ ”…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Kona4u Property Management
Kailua-Kona resident Suzanne Louise offers a truly unique business to Hawai‘i Island. “What I do is I care for people’s homes when they are off-island,” she says. Such a business requires a lot of trust, which all of her clients…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Paradissimo Tropical Spa, LLC
“I had a flash that I was guiding a group of women in slathering papaya and avocados on themselves while explaining the importance of connecting to the ‘āina,” she says. “This vision popped up repeatedly over a few days, so…
Celebrating a Long Time Advertiser: Plantation Interiors, Teak Garden & Lanai
Aloha! Come in, make yourself at home!” That’s the greeting you receive when you enter Plantation Interiors, Teak Garden and Lanai. It is a family owned and operated furniture store in the Aloha Plaza. Their furniture store was established 13…
Ka Puana: Hawai‘i Tsunamis
April 1, 1946 A Lucky Switch. Roy Wilson was a brakeman working on the train on April 1. The coach was transporting students, farmers, and goods from Puna to Hilo. Not his normal route, Roy had argued with his dispatcher…
Mālama Honua 2016 West Hawai‘i Events with the Hikianalia
Sunday, February 28, afternoon Community welcomes Hikianalia (weather permitting) Location: Kohala Waho, Kawaihae Join the host ‘ohana in welcoming the canoe. Potluck for community participants and wa‘a ‘ohana—bring something to share. Wednesday, March 2, 5:30–8pm Music and stories from the…
Tea Parties in Hawai‘i
Hawai‘i Island is known for great coffees. Did you know that it also has a small thriving industry in growing and producing tea? Tea was grown commercially in Hawai‘i from the time it was introduced in 1887 until 1892. The…
White Lace and Promises: A history of the classic American wedding gown
A good Regency novel is historically accurate down to the smallest detail. One of the details I look at is the wedding. If the bride wears white, I question all of the other details. What many think of as the…
Hawai‘i Wedding Customs Come from Around the Globe
Every day, wedding couples flock to Hawai‘i to exchange vows and wow their guests—or escape the pressure with a private elopement. Our beautiful romantic settings, near-perfect weather, and atmosphere that breathes aloha make these islands a destination of choice for…
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…
Unusual Wedding Locations: Ranches
Hawai‘i Island is unique in its rich paniolo (cowboy) history and nowhere is that more evident than in North Kohala. The first paniolos on island date back to 1833, when three vaqueros—Spanish/Mexican cowboys—arrived at Kawaihae Harbor to teach Hawaiians how…
Tropical Flowers Make Weddings More Meaningful
Each wedding has special meanings for the bride, groom, and their loved ones. It’s simple to enhance the heartfelt emotions shared by everyone who is involved by incorporating flowers with special meanings into the ceremony. Hawaiian weddings open up a…
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…
Loyal to the Land: The Legendary Parker Ranch, 750-1950
Waimea Foothills and Adjacent Plateaus: Post-Discovery In Exalted Sits the Chief, Ross Cordy maintains that early recorded post-discovery history describes the plateau of Waimea as being forested with ‘ōhi‘a lehua (Metrosideros collina). ‘Ala ‘Ōhi‘a (fragrance of ‘ōhi‘a) was the euphonious…
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.…
Surf Cowboy: Craig Cunningham
If you were a male in my family, you were a cowboy, or a bronco rider, or you were left behind,” says Craig Cunningham, saddle-maker, surf instructor, artist, and lifetime cowboy. “As a youngster those were the kind of people…
Worldwide Voyage: Hawaiian Star Compass
An ingenious tool introduced to Hawaiians by Pwo Navigator Mau Piailug of Micronesia, the star compass is a mental construct that allows navigators to read the starline, wave direction, and bird flight paths. Learning Objectives Key Concepts To share how…
