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 Alonzo Spirit Band: Music for the Soul
By Ma‘ata Tukuafu It was in 2007 when Alan “Alonzo” Rosen began hearing voices in his head; not crazy voices, but rather, he was hearing notes, lyrics, melodies, and completed songs. After meditation or sometimes in dreams, Alan would hear…
100 Years of Worship: Ka Mauloa Church
By Denise Laitinen If you stop and listen on any given Sunday as you travel along Highway 11 in Kurtistown, you may hear the sounds of church parishioners singing in Hawaiian. Small in size and humble in nature with roots…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Ka Wehena: Moemoeā
Na Kumu Keala Ching Eō ka Lani, nani ao Ao melemele a‘e nō Noho puni ka ‘Ōpua Pua lei Kahiki moe Moemoeā, moemoeā Ola ke ola, lani ao Ao poli makamaka Kau aku i ka poli Lipolipo, komohana Moemoeā, moemoeā…
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…
Ke Wehena: Nani o Pele
Na Kumu Keala Ching He ‘Ike I Ka Nani a ‘o Pele He ‘Ike I ka nani a ‘o Pele Ka wahine o ke ahi luapele Noho ka wahine Hōpoe Lehua Hi‘ileilani o Hi‘iaka Pā ahe Pu‘ulena o Kīlauea I…
Ka Wehena: Kaulana Lekeleke
Na Kumu Keala Ching Eō e Keauhou, kaulana Lekeleke Kaua pili kapu, kapu o Kuamo‘o Mālama ke Akua, Akua o Pili Kūka‘ilimoku Akua ko Kamehameha ē Kaulana Lekeleke, Kuamo‘o iho nō Kaulana Lekeleke, Kuamo‘o a‘e nō Kekuaokalani, he ali‘i kō…
Ka Wehena: Kaulana Kō Kona
Na Kumu Keala Ching Kaulana kō Kona, ka makani ‘olu‘olu Pā ahe uka nō kō KonaKaulana kō Kona, I kai ‘Ōpua ‘O ke kai kaulana nō kō KonaKaulana kō Kona, Ma Hualālai ‘O ka mauna malu nō kō Kona Kaulana…
Ka Wehena: Oli Hi‘uwai—Oli Ho‘ōla
Na Kumu Keala Ching He wai ua, ua ka ua Ua iho mai ka wai ola Ola a‘e ka wai Lono Ho‘olono ka leo Leo o nā kūpuna Puna wai a Kāne ēKāne ā ka wai Kanaloa ā ke kai…
Ka Wehena: Kawahinela‘iokekapu
Na Kumu Keala Ching ‘Ae, Kawahinela‘iokekapu He wahine la‘i o ke kapu I lei hīhīwai kuahiwa la Pili ke aloha o Kaupo‘ohiwi Kawahinela‘iokekapu Kawahinela‘iokekapu He wahine la‘i o ke kapu Hū ka wai ola he wai ala nei I lei…
Ka Wehena: Ku‘u Mauna
‘Ae, Ku‘u Mauna Aia la ku‘u mauna ha‘aheo Ha‘aheo iho nō kō Kona ala Laha launa ‘ole he mauna kapukapu Kapu ka hua noho i ka la‘i La‘i ana i luna o ke ao nei Nene‘e maila ka nani o…
Here Indeed is Kona, part 2
I Ho‘olulu, Kī‘ope o Waihā ala Ke one ōneo, Wai ola o Waikūpua I Lani ā kea Ōneo, ‘Ena o ka lae pa‘akai Waiwai o Waiaha, Kahului o Puapua‘a I Hōlualoa o Ka Moa, Kapu o Keolonāhihi Eia la, ‘o…
Ka Wehena: Here Indeed is Kona, part 1
‘Ākau ala kahi ‘o ‘Ānaeho‘omalu Malu ‘o Mauna Kea, Kapu o Kapala‘ao La‘i ‘o ‘Akahu Kaimu, Weliweli ‘o Pueo Keawe‘iki ka ‘iwi, ‘Ōhiki Hou a‘e I uka o Pu‘uwa‘awa‘a, aia la ‘o Pu‘uanahulu Eia la, ‘o Kona nō ia Kīholo…
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…
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…
Eō e Hōkūle‘a
Pa mai ka makani Pu‘ulena Hiki mai ka la ha‘aheo A hiki pu me nā A‘a Ea nā me‘e o ke kai Nā me‘e kaulana o ka Pākīpika Ua ho‘i mai E lohe kākou ka nuhou Ua ho‘i mai nā…
Healthy Boundaries
By Ku‘ulei Keakealani I forgot I booked one meeting after obligating myself to another. Then I confirmed one excursion while planning to have lunch with some friends at the exact same time—can’t be two places at once. Nope, not possible…
Strong in Spirit and Build: Puna’s Historic Congregational Churches
By Denise Laitinen Puna residents are a hearty lot, known for their resiliency and ability to survive. So it should come as no surprise that their places of worship are equally strong, having withstood a myriad of natural disasters. In…
Ka Wehena: Kaulana Ka Pua ‘A‘ala
By Kumu Keala Ching Ae, Kaulana Ka Pua ‘A‘ala Kaulana ka pua ‘a‘ala, He kupa o ka ‘āina la eā He ‘āina kupaianaha kō Hawai‘i, Ahe leo o ka lani la eā‘A, ‘E, ‘I, ‘O, ‘U, He, Ke, La, Mu,…
Lessons in the Land: Connecting with the “Dryland Kine” Kūpuna
By Ku‘ulei Keakealani The inspiration, or perhaps subtle dictation for this story came from a phone call that sounded a bit like this, “Bebe, daddy just saw what you wen write in dis magazine ova hea. Nice what you wen…
Ka Wehena: Mele Ho‘omana
Na Kumu Keala Ching HE ALI‘I He ali‘i, he ali‘i, he ali‘i ho‘omana Ho‘omana ‘oe ia‘u, he ali‘i. He aloha, he aloha, he aloha ho‘omana Ho‘omana ‘oe ia‘u, he aloha. He mihi, he mihi, he mihi ho‘omana Ho‘omana ‘oe ia‘u,…
Ancient Hawaiian Agricultural Practices at Sacred Sites in North Kohala
By Jan Becket Archaeological surveys in Hawai‘i yield valuable knowledge about the traditional life of a place, and yet it is often knowledge that is inaccessible to the community where the surveys are conducted. Many contracts call for reports to…
Fire and Ice: Kumu Dane Kaohelani Silva’s Life of Spirit and Service to Health
By David Bruce Leonard, L.Ac. As the late afternoon sun warmed his back and shoulders, the chiropractor, acupuncturist, and teacher of Long Life Lomilomi walked briskly across his garden, following a well-worn path between tall ‘ōhi‘a trees bedecked with scarlet…
Aloha ‘Āina: Waimea I Uka
By Ku‘ulei Keakealani On April 20, 2008 a group assembled on a misty Waimea morning. The destination was somewhat clear and somewhat vague, i uka, to the uplands, was our chosen destination. Were we on a journey for answers? Perhaps.…
Wa‘a Hoena: Outrigger Canoe Paddling–Bonding through Lōkahi (Unity) and Mo‘olelo (Tradition)
By Alan D. McNarie Septuagenarian (in his seventies) Rafael Ramirez still vividly remembers the first time he set a paddle in the water. “I paddled out and saw the reef and saw the fish, and I paddled back and said,…
Each Place has a Voice of its Own
By Ku‘ulei Keakealani Place names in Hawai‘i are important for many reasons. Above all, it is to honor this homeland, its native language, people, and heritage. Despite the nicknames that are regularly used in place of actual names, it is…
