Mele Murals Keauhou, Mele Ko‘i Honua—Creation Chants
By Fannie Narte Mele Murals is about sharing Hawai‘i’s stories—Our Stories—through art and narrative. These colorful murals command attention and have an enormous historical and cultural impact that will move our people forward as a community. The Estria Foundation (TEF)…
Buzzy Histo “Ola Kupa‘āina”
By Catherine Tarleton How can you not give them 10+? Everybody deserves a 10. They’re all winners,” says hula instructor, lei-maker, and floral artist Buzzy Histo from his Kalikokalehua Hula Studio in Waimea. A judge for the Hawaii Kupuna Hula…
Ka Wehena: He Nani Kou Aloha
Aia ke aloha i ka honua Honua o luna, Honua o lalo He nani kou aloha e ka Honua ēKū kilakila ka ho‘oilina i ka mauna Mauna i mua, Mauna i hope He nani kou aloha e ka Mauna ē…
Island Treasures: The Captain’s Paw Pantry
Sabine-Maeva Andresen’s business started in the fall of 2008 when her friend asked if she would bake a few dog treats for a no-kill sanctuary benefit event on Hawai‘i Island. Her husband, Torsten, had established a reputation as a hobby…
Mele Murals: Local Monuments and a Source of Community Pride
“Our work honors the last commands of King David Kalakaua, ‘Look to the keiki, teach them, groom them, show them wonder, and inspire them.’” ~Mele Murals, The Estria Foundation By Fannie Narte These timeless words offer profound guidance to all…
Sun Power: Deciding if Solar Panels are Right for Your Home
By Paula Thomas For people in Hawai‘i, where the cost of energy per kilowatt hour (kwh) is about the highest in the nation, the biggest incentive for going solar is to reduce the long-term cost of energy. The good news…
The Shining Aloha Spirit of Uncle Donna Kuali‘i
By Karen Valentine It’s rare these days to find someone who is of 100 percent Hawaiian blood, and it’s a happy occasion to find one who is also full of 100 percent aloha. With a smile that’s a mile wide,…
Cultivators
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.…
Healing Plants: ‘Ākia
By Barbara Fahs If you look around the grounds of Kona-area hotels, condominiums, and vacation rentals, chances are you might discover ‘ākia used as an attractive groundcover plant. It’s an endemic Hawaiian plant that botanists call Wikstroemia uva-ursi, or hillside…
No Mākou Ka Mana: Liberating the Nation
Page 3 Recognizing the complex identity of ali‘i such as Lili‘uokalani is an important part of this study; however, the examples of how the ali‘i exercised their agency are perhaps of greater significance for contemporary ‘Oiwi (Native Hawaiian)5 and other…
The IncrEdible Coconut
By Sonia R. Martinez Coconuts have been cultivated for so long and become so naturalized on tropical shores all around the world that the origins are unknown. The coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) is one of the most useful tree species…
Becoming Mele‘uhane: Spirit of Song
By Le‘a Gleason Most Kailua-Kona residents are no strangers to the surname Lindsey, as it signifies a family notorious for playing Hawaiian music and well-known for their ties to the ranching industry. As a boy, Lindsay “Keikilani” Lindsey was raised…
Managing with Aloha: Mālama
I have a client who refers to Mālama as “my take care of business value.” I love his focus with Mālama’s value alignment, and I couldn’t agree more. To ‘take care of business’ in your culture-building with Mālama, is to…
Worldwide Voyage: Celebrating 40 Years of the Hōkūle‘a
In 1976 the Hōkūle‘a weighed 26 tons. After being refurbished for three years before the WWV began, it now weighs 12 tons. The first trip in 1976 took 34 days. In 2014, the first leg of the WWV, from Hilo…
Wai‘ōpae Tide Pools in Puna: Unique Ecosystem Under Siege
By Denise Laitinen A secluded coastline where bright tropical fish swim in calm, azure blue waters. Even the neighborhood overlooking this peaceful setting conjures images of paradise. Its siren call is hard to resist. Vacationland. Located along the Puna coastline…
Preserving a Community: Kona Historical Society
By Le‘a Gleason The stories that stem from the history of communities in Hawai‘i are diversified because of a blending of cultures and influence of immigration, growth of population, and the birth of industry. It was during this period of…
Ambassador of Aloha: Michelle Kaulumāhiehie Amaral
By Gayle Kaleilehua Greco Have you ever seen an angel dance?” asks Cultural Center Manager Earl Regidor as Michelle Kaulu Amaral starts to dance in the lobby of the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai. With the first step, Kaulu begins to float…
Featured Cover Artist: Bonnie Sol
Bird song and the soft scent of passion flower greet the senses from Bonnie Sol Hahn’s home studio, which overlooks a backyard lush with flowers and fruit. From this perch, Bonnie Sol creates oil paintings that capture Hawai‘i’s natural beauty.…
Pu‘ukohola: A Prophecy Fulfilled, Past Conflicts Still Healing
Ho‘oku‘ikahi I Pu‘ukoholā (To Unify at Pu‘ukoholā) Pu‘ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site will celebrate its 43rd anniversary with the park’s annual Ho‘oku‘ikahi i Pu‘ukoholā Establishment Day Hawaiian Cultural Festival on August 15–16, 2015. The festival will open with Nā Papa…
Ka Wehena: Ha‘a Ka Wahine
‘Ae, Ha‘a ka wahine Ha‘a ka wahine i kai o Nanahuki I kai o Ha‘ena Puna ka wahine Hōpoe leilehua, Poli o Hi‘iaka Hula le‘a ka wahine Kapo Laka ē I Ha‘ena la, kahi kapu ka wahine Noho mehameha i…
Journey Together: The Art and Poetic Expressions of Terry Taube
By Fannie Narte “The Thinker,” by Auguste Rodin, perhaps the best-known sculpture of all time, was initially named “The Poet.” This statue has become a symbol of contemplation or thoughtful meditation for millions. “The Thinker,” “The Poet,” contemplation, thoughtful meditation—these…
Navigating From the Na‘au: Worldwide Voyage Update with Celeste Ha‘o
Navigating From the Na‘au By Le‘a Gleason In the car on the way to meet Celeste Ha‘o, navigator of the Hōkūle‘a, I wonder if I might cry during our interview. Some people just wear certain integrity on the outside, and…
Composting At Home: Treasure in the Trash
By Barbara Fahs One autumn day in 1971, a young woman was busily building a compost pile alongside her new home. Two little girls, eight and nine, wandered by and asked what she was doing. “Well, I’m making a place…
Healing Plants: ‘A‘ali‘i
Attractive native for landscapes and healing By Barbara Fahs Many of us probably know the Hawaiian word ali‘i: it refers to a reigning noble of any kind. When an “a” is added to this word, it means “of” the royalty.…
Plainly Vanilla
By Sonia R. Martinez The term ‘vanilla’ is used commonly as a synonym meaning plain or basic. Nothing is further from the truth! Vanilla is a rich and complex ‘spice’ used in almost all parts of the world. Vanilla originated…
Island Treasures: Cliff Johns Gallery—Kealakekua
Aurora King, owner of Cliff Johns Gallery in Mango Court, Kealakekua, glows with pride when she describes the artists who have their work on display. “The thing to understand about these wood artists is their long and varied histories. These…
Island Treasures: Susun Gallery — Kailua-Kona
Susun Gallery is an acrylic painter, hula dancer, lover of the ocean, and all things Hawaiian. She opened Susun Gallery Artschool in Santa Cruz, California in 1987, after a career as a sign painter in the San Jose area, and…
Featured Cover Artist: Nelson Mākua
Nelson Mākua has been an artist and designer for more than 35 years in Hawai‘i. It all began with him drawing on napkins at his grandmother’s house at the age of four. Born and raised in Kailua, O‘ahu, he and…
Celebrating a Long Time Advertiser: The South Kona Green Market
In 2008, husband and wife team, Tim Bruno and Karen Kriebl, teamed up with Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden and 24 founding members to begin a truly local farmers’ and artists’ market. Tim says with pride, “Again the ancient…
Ka Puana–The Refrain: Kamehameha: The Rise of a King
By David Kāwika Eyre Like Kaha‘i, Kamehameha would grow the land. Slowly, the life of the land would return. Slowly, for too many people had died. There were not enough kānaka left for the heavy work. It was later that…
