Talking Story With Jerry Benson, Master Canoe Builder
By Mary L. Moody When I first met Jerry and Leina‘ala Benson in October 2011, I was unaware that their neighbor and good friend, Herb Kāne, had died earlier that year, in March. Having recently moved to the island from…
In Memoriam: Ginger Sizemore
By Barbara Garcia Editor’s Note:Sue Springer submitted a request for us to publish a story on her friend, Ginger Sizemore, in June 2019. Due to Covid-19 causing us to reduce the number of stories we publish in each issue, it…
Everyone Wins in Honoka‘a’s Feeding Program
By Catherine Tarleton Sustainable, adj. 1: capable of being sustained, 2a: of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged, 2b: of or relating to a…
Sonny’s Healing Journey Began with Music
By Carole Gariepy If you’ve stopped at Punalu‘u Bakery in Nā‘ālehu on a Thursday or Saturday, you’ve likely had the pleasure of enjoying the mellow music of Sonny Ramos. His Hawaiian and American melodies fill the air and provide an…
Meet Bernie Waltjen
By Carole J. Gariepy It’s a special treat when a snowbird from Massachusetts has an opportunity to hear the life story from a native Hawaiian who has many skills, diverse experiences, and a rich Hawaiian history. When I stopped in…
Ikaika Dombrigues: Perpetuating Sacred Hawaiian Wisdom
By Mālielani Larish Wearing a black hat brimmed by a brilliant red feather hakupapa (hat band), Kahuna Nui O Pali Tu Po Paki O Lono Ikaika Dombrigues is as calm as Hiloʻs Mokuola (Coconut Island) on which he sits. Ikaika…
Through the Wide Lens of Kornelius Schorle
By Stefan Verbano Kornelius Schorle deals in postcards from the past. Peering through his camera lens, working with the care and patience of a master craftsman, he has preserved forever—in saturated colors—beloved Hawai‘i Island places that will never be seen…
Photos, Recycling, and the Blues: Paul Buklarewicz’s Sustainable Combination
By Catherine Tarleton What do a professional photographer, blues harmonica player, and recycling educator have in common? In the case of Paul J. Buklarewicz of Volcano, they’re all the same guy. A modern-day Renaissance man, Paul is a career educator,…
Adventure on the Seas with Pete Hendricks
By Ma‘ata Tukuafu Pete Hendricks knows something about curiosity: it’s why he’s done so many different things over the course of his lifetime. Born on August 1, 1938 in Los Angeles, Pete grew up nearby in Long Beach with four…
M. Kalani Souza: Storyteller, Scientist, and Spirit of the World
By Brittany P. Anderson The cobalt blue ocean moves gently across the horizon while an azure sky is dotted with wisps of cotton candy clouds—it is an idyllic day on the Hāmākua Coast. A grounding voice breaks the silence, like…
Athlete and Adventurer Tutu Lorna Just Keeps Moving!
By Sara Stover Lorna Larsen-Jeyte has always been on the move. The lifelong swimmer and 81-year-old adventurer does not, however, workout for the sake of working out. “It is about being outside and in nature,” she says of the active…
Tūtū Lanakila Manini: A Hula Gem and Hawaiian Music Renaissance Torchbearer
By Lara Hughes Hose Lanakila Manini, known to many affectionately as Tūtū (grandpa) “Kila” Manini, has been singing and playing Hawaiian music for more than 50 years. Kila, who turns 89 in 2020, got his musical start in 1966 in…
Ladies of Aloha: K.T. Cannon-Eger and Dinnnie Kysar
By Marciai Timboy “When ordinary people decide to do extraordinary things, they transform their lives and the lives of others around them.” —Oprah Winfrey Daily, Hawai‘i Island residents and visitors engage in diverse activities in beautiful settings. While they enjoy…
Aunty BJ Pa: Tahitian Dance Pioneer Paved the Way
By Tiffany DeMasters 82-year-old Betty Jane “BJ” Pa is the perfect role model for helping kūpuna (elders) live their lives to the fullest, as she continues to fulfill her passion as a hula dancer, despite her own health issues, and…
A Dream of the Heart: Island Artists Jane and Linus Chao
By Jan Wizinowich In the most positive sense, the Chinese saying “May your life be interesting” certainly applies to Jane and Linus Chao, island treasures who have been creating and teaching art for the last 50 years. Primarily watercolor artists…
Louise Hawkins: A Centenarian and World Angler
By Paula Thomas How many people do you know who are 100 years old and I.G.F.A. World Record holders? Hawai‘i Island resident Louise Hawkins is in both rarefied categories. Louise’s past is rich with stories of exploits with all kinds…
Kumu Kele Kanahele: A Unique Son of Ni‘ihau
By Paula Thomas Tucked away in “the boonies,” as he calls it, is the tidy, unsuspecting home of one of Ni‘ihau’s sons, Kumu Kele Kanahele. Kumu Kele is famous for making prized necklaces, chokers, and earrings from the shells that…
Louis and Leifi Ha‘o: A life well lived. A life of purpose. Legacies of aloha.
By Marcia Timboy Renowned Hilo couple and revered kūpuna, Louis and Leifi Ha‘o have contributed much to our Hilo and Hawai‘i Island communities. After decades of community service, they continue an active lifestyle filled with projects, ceremonial blessings, and tending…
George Applegate: A Kupuna Looking Out for Hawai‘i Island
By Paula Thomas He talks in arcs of thought as he shares stories about his upbringing, his youth, education, and coming of age. George Applegate, born in Honolulu in 1947 and raised in Hilo, has created a career out of…
Hilo Kūpuna Share Hula with Aloha
By Karen Valentine Long before the program is set to begin, Clem and Leilani Malani, both in their 90s, are sitting in their car, waiting in anticipation. They are dressed in their finest Hawaiian aloha wear with color-coordinated red and…
Making Life Colorfully Social for our Kūpuna
By Paula Thomas Since 1976, the Hawai‘i Island Adult Care (HIAC) in Hilo has provided quality care for elders and challenged adults as well as support for their families. Their life-enhancing programs include an art program thatʻs been led by…
Lauhala Weaving with Kupuna Art Murata: This teacher helped children understand their culture through the weaving craft
By Karen Valentine As a child who “asked too many questions,” Art Murata of Hōlualoa vowed he would try to answer any child’s question and not be afraid to say he doesn’t know. Growing up with the challenges of being…
Gene ‘Uncle Bucky’ Leslie
By Karen Rose Gene Leslie, also known as ‘Uncle Bucky,’ was born and raised in Kona, yet unlike his Hawai‘i Island contemporaries, he found himself rubbing elbows with the rich and famous in the inner circles of Hollywood and New…
Kūpuna Talk Story: Warren Vignato
By Keith Nealy I first met Warren Vignato about 15 years ago. He was dangling from a thin rope attached to a huge ironwood tree 30 feet above the ground, trimming back the overgrown branches, shaping and pruning one of…
Kūpuna Talk Story: Clayton Bertelmann, 1946–2004
By Keith Nealy As a filmmaker and a storyteller I have been blessed with the gift of sharing the mana‘o of more than 60 of Hawai‘i’s most revered kūpuna in spirited conversation exploring the cultural legacy they carry in their…
Kūpuna Talk Story: Kumu Raylene Ha‘alelea Kawaiae‘a, Native Hawaiian Cultural Practitioner
By Keith Nealy As a filmmaker and storyteller, I have been blessed with the gift of sharing the mana‘o (knowledge) of more than 60 of Hawai‘i’s most revered kūpuna in spirited conversation exploring the cultural legacy they carry in their…
Kūpuna Talk Story–Kai Kaholokai: Native Hawaiian Cultural Practitioner, Kumu Lā‘au Lapa‘au
By Keith Nealy As a filmmaker and storyteller, I have been blessed with the gift of sharing the mana‘o (knowledge) of more than 60 of Hawai‘i’s most revered kūpuna in spirited conversation exploring the cultural legacy they carry in their…
Kupuna Talk Story: Kenneth Francis Brown–Native Son, Holistic Visionary Inspires the Future of Hawai‘i Island
By Keith Nealy As a filmmaker and storyteller, I have been blessed with the gift of sharing the mana‘o (knowledge) of more than 60 of Hawai‘i’s most revered kūpuna in spirited conversation exploring the cultural legacy they carry in their…
A Treasure at 107: Saramae Williams Landers
By Paula Thomas It’s pretty rare to meet people who are 107 years old. Although we are all living longer, most of us never make it to 90, let alone 100. The current average lifespan is 78. According to the…
Kūpuna Talk Story: Herb Kawainui Kāne, Father of the Hawaiian Renaissance
By Keith Nealy As a filmmaker and storyteller, I have been blessed with the gift of sharing the mana‘o (knowledge) of more than 60 of Hawai‘i’s most revered kūpuna in spirited conversations exploring the cultural legacy they carry in their…
