Culture & Art

La Ku’oko’a

Thursday, December 5th, 2024

Last week, Molokai residents had an opportunity to celebrate La Ku’oko’a, or Independence Day for the Kingdom of Hawaii. Honored annually on Nov. 28, the day marks the 1843 recognition of the Kingdom of Hawaii’s sovereignty by England and France, and the work of figures like Timoteo Haʻalilio, William Richards, and George Simpson. 

This year, residents celebrated at the Molokai Community Health Center on Nov. 29 with varieties of cultural demonstrations, live entertainment, silk screen printing and more. 

Earlier in the week, a program series dedicated towards Hawaiian history met outside the Molokai Public Library for an afternoon of oli, mele and education about this historic time period.…

National Arts Prize Winner Credits Molokai Roots 

Thursday, November 21st, 2024

One of the most prestigious awards for the arts, the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, was recently awarded to Vicky Holt Takamine of Oahu, for her work as a kumu hula and executive director of the PA’I Foundation. With the prize, which includes a cash amount of $450,000, Takamine joins the likes of Robert Redford, Bob Dylan, Spike Lee and more. 

While she lives and works over on Oahu, Holt Takamine explained that it was time spent on Molokai as a girl during which she was first exposed to many of the Hawaiian cultural arts she champions today. 

Holt Takamine’s family would spend their summers with the Place ‘ohana on Molokai’s east end.…

Festivals of Aloha Kicks Off the Molokai Hoe

Wednesday, October 16th, 2024

This past weekend, the action continued in what has been a busy few weeks here on Molokai. Festivals of Aloha, operating out of a new location at the Molokai Community Health Center (MCHC), punctuated the return of the Molokai Hoe with a ho’olaule’a last Friday night. Featuring tons of Molokai venders, food and award-winning music, the festival offered the opportunity for paddlers and Molokai residents to mingle before the big race on Sunday.

With the new format at MCHC came novel activities for the festival. After the presentation of the royal court and a performance from Moana’s Hula Halau, guests participated in a series of contests from best poke to aloha wear to top motorcycles and trucks.…

Na Kupuna o Moana o Molokai Win Hula Contest

Thursday, October 10th, 2024

Community Contributed

By Kim Markham 

Celebrate Molokai!  Na Kupuna o Moana are the overall winners of the 38th annual Kona Kupuna Hula Contest held Sept. 11-12. This contest is the sister competition of the Merrie Monarch, the world championships of hula. Both contests were founded by Kumu Hula George Na’ope. The latter is for hula dancers under age 55 and the former for dancers over age 55.

The senior division of Moana’s Hula Halau was founded by Kumu Hula Moana Dudoit and Raquel Dudoit. When they began over 25 years ago, the dancers were in their 50s and 60s.  Kumu Hula Kanani Brighter led the kupuna until his passing in the year 2000.…

Hokule’a Visits Molokai

Thursday, October 10th, 2024

For the first time since 2017, the Hokule’a docked at the Kaunakakai Harbor, open for tours, talks and more.

“Coming to Molokai is always special,” explained President of the Polynesian Voyaging Society and famed navigator Nainoa Thompson. “It’s a blessing for us to be able to talk with the community.”

Molokai students from every school made their way down to Kaunakakai to interact with the crew and learn more about the history and purpose of the canoe. The crew focused on teaching the three M’s – mo’olelo, malama and mo’oku’auhau – explained Hokule’a Captain Kaiwi Hamakua-Makue. They used the framework of the canoe, with its reliance on teamwork, the natural world and Hawaiian culture to bring these lessons to life.…