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Hawaiian Culture

Hawaiian culture stories from Molokai

Molokai Holokai Round Two

Monday, May 16th, 2011

Molokai Holokai Round Two

Every year, stand up paddle (SUP) races like the Battle of the Paddle in Honolulu and the Olukai on Maui attract hundreds of paddlers eager to vie against the sport’s most talented competitors in some of the best paddling conditions in the world.

Lucky for Molokai, local race directors have created what they say is a venue equal in quality to Hawaii’s best races. The second Molokai Holokai will take place on Saturday, May 28 at 1 p.m. Known as the Kamalo Run, the race begins at the old Kamalo Wharf and runs parallel to Molokai southern fringing reef, ending 8.5 miles later at Hotel Molokai.


“When the trade-winds are blowing, this particular course is extraordinarily fun,” said race co-director Todd Yamashita. “The wind whips you along at a good rate and there is a lot of wave riding. I don’t think people realize just how fast our south shore conditions really are.”

Clare Mawae, Molokai Holokai co-director, was introduced to SUP last year and has since been inspired to host the Makani Ikaika race series on Molokai. The Molokai Holokai will serve as the fifth and final race of that series. Mawae, who is also head of Youth in Motion, a non-profit water-sports club for island youth, recently returned from volunteering over the weekend at Battle of the Paddle.

“Everyone is doing standup here (in Honolulu). It made me want to come back to Molokai and strengthen our events,” Mawae said. “We don’t have state of the art equipment but if we can keep our kids excited, everything else will follow.”

“The Molokai Holokai is designed, first and foremost, as a competitive venue for our Molokai SUP community.” Yamashita added. “Many Molokai paddlers often lack resources to attend off-island race events, so this one if for them.”

Race Day Schedule:
           12-1 p.m. registration Kamalo Wharf (east Molokai near mile marker 10)
           1 p.m. All divisions beach start Kamalo Wharf
           3 p.m. Pupus, pa`ina and awards at Hotel Molokai – public is welcome
            Please go to www.Molokai.spruz.com for more info.

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Hawaiian Language Lives On

Monday, May 16th, 2011

Hawaiian Language Lives On

`Olelo Hawaii filled the Molokai High School Hawaiian Immersion graduation ceremony, and dozens of lei rose to the noses of the graduates last Friday evening.

The ceremony was the culmination of five students’ knowledge of Hawaiian language and culture: Kekukuimawaenaokamokumaikekuahiwiakalaniikekai  Kaiama-Lenwai, Kealakai Alcon, Keakaokalani Kaiama, Ka`imiola Sagario and Kailana Eheu`ula Ritte-Camara.

Each graduate spoke in Hawaiian for about 10 minutes in front of an audience of 100 people at their garden at Molokai High School. The students also recited their “Oli Mo Okuahuhau,” or genealogical recitation.

language and culture thriving on Molokai,” he said.

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Revisiting the Old Molokai

Monday, May 16th, 2011

Revisiting the Old Molokai

John Ka`imikaua was a renowned kumu hula who founded the annual Molokai Ka Hula Piko Festival that celebrates the birthplace of hula. He also created a documentary that highlights sustainable living and providing for Molokai community’s needs. The film screened last Friday evening at Coffees of Hawaii for this year’s 20th annual Ka Hula Piko celebration.

Ka`imikaua’s documentary, “A Mau A Mau: to continue forever” not only teaches traditional Molokai values and culture, but also proposes the idea that the old Molokai can be revitalized.

“I’ve known John and his halau for as long as I’ve been alive,” said Molokai resident Juanita Colon. “I think the video is a great introduction to what our culture represents.”

This year’s Ka Hula Piko theme “Aia na kai po`olo`olo`u o Molokai” – there are the turbulent waters of Molokai – is symbolic of interconnection of all things, and their dependence on one another. The saying describes a natural phenomenon that occurs off south shores of Molokai – the way the i`a swarms from the bottom of the ocean and bursting through the surface, creating the illusion the sea is boiling.

Pictured above/left/right, dancers of Moana’s hula halau swirl as Molokai celebrated Ka Hula Piko at the Mitchell Pauole Center last Saturday.

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The Ups and Downs of Traditional Hawaiian Fishponds

Thursday, May 12th, 2011

The Ups and Downs of Traditional Hawaiian Fishponds

Community Contributed

By Walter Ritte

Up: Eight hundred years ago, traditional Hawaiian fishponds doubled the food capacity of the existing reefs, helping the ahupua`a system to feed hundreds of thousands of Hawaiians in a sustainable fashion.

Down: After Western contact in 1776, the Hawaiians, their culture, and fishponds use declined dramatically. By the 1980s, raising fish in the ponds was almost nonexistent – “highest and best use” was declared, and the ponds became marinas, parks, housing, navel facilities, harbors, bird sanctuaries, hotels and millionaire estates.

Up: In the 1990s Molokai led a state wide effort to protect and restore traditional Hawaiian fishponds. With the strong support of Sen. Dan Inouye and Gov. John Waihe`e, highest and best use was replaced with “traditional use” of these of these cultural treasures. In March of 2011, hundreds of fishpond operators and supporters from all islands came to Molokai to kuka kuka and organize themselves.

Down: A week later in March, the Japan tsunami hit many ponds in Hawaii including ones on the east end of Molokai. Some of the ponds were just recently restored, which required many years of hard work by strong young backs of our younger generation.

Up: Three days later, on March 14, the walls of Keawanui fishpond were being restored after being totally destroyed. Some fifty volunteers have already put in valued restoration hours answering the kahea for kokua. Today the students of Ho`omana Hou School proudly harvested 34 pounds of oysters they placed in plastic baskets 10 months ago. It has been a very long time since aquaculture has been successful in Keawanui fishpond…we hope this small harvest will become a sustained “big ups” for traditional Hawaiian fishponds, and once again help bring food security to Hawaii.    

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Library Gets More Native Hawaiian Books

Thursday, May 12th, 2011

HSPLS News Release

The Hawaii State Public Library System (HSPLS) has received a grant from Kamehameha Schools for academic support materials – just in time for their Summer Reading program.

The Kamehameha Schools Public Education Support Division awarded HSPLS a $25,000 grant for academic support materials in nine of our libraries, including Molokai Public Library.  The funds have been used to purchase library materials for students from preschool to age 20, at targeted branches located in communities with large Native Hawaiian populations.

Book topics include Hawaiian language, biographies, non-fiction, fiction, encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, mythology, folktales, and Pacific Island people and cultures.

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Find Your Family Tree

Wednesday, May 4th, 2011

Community contributed by Gladys Brown

Genealogy and family history search is the fastest growing hobby in America.  Come join us for a free workshop on this fascinating pastime on Saturday May 14, 2011, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the Latter Day Saints Family History Library in Kalamaula.

Susan Shaner, Hawaii State Archivist, is the keynote presenter who will speak on "Hawaii State Archives Records."  Learn how to access these public documents.

Alex Haley, author of “Roots,” wrote, “All human beings belong to some family that has ancestry and a native land.  The need for knowing who you is is universal."  If a descendant of slaves could find his ancestors in Africa, we, too, can find our roots and branches.

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Molokai-Made at Merrie Monarch

Monday, May 2nd, 2011

Molokai-Made at Merrie Monarch

Visitors flowed in and out of last week’s 48th annual Merrie Monarch hula fest in Hilo, Hawaii Island, exploring the ancient art of hula and showcasing the state’s best dancers. At an event where tradition mixes with a mercantile mart, local shoppers and visitors alike are able to see and buy unique, home-made Native Hawaiian crafts.

Several Molokai crafters were on-hand, selling delicate jewelry and sustainably-made clothing among many other items. The Dispatch talked with Valerie Dudoit-Temahaga of ` Ohana Creations, Ameron and Haunani Madela of Lokikai o Molokai, and Jaime, Ane and Hina of Kealopiko.

MD: What brings you to Merrie Monarch each year? Is it difficult?
Ohana Creations: Coming to Merrie Monarch is more like a vacation to get away and being around the people and seeing the different crafts and getting ideas.
Kealopiko: It costs a lot to get here – shipping, freight and flight costs are ridiculous. (Ane) feels the nice thing about this fair is that the cost is more reasonable for us.


Ohana Creations: Over 10 years ago I was amazed by the talent of the crafters at the Merrie Monarch Craft Show. One particular craft that inspired me was flowers made of Fimo Clay. My journey of creations using clay started. I first worked with Fimo Clay; as I progressed, I was introduced to Deco and Hearty Air Dry Clay which is what I now use. By going out and selling whatever it was that I had made, word got around and soon people were asking for my business card. Next came invitations to craft shows.

Thanks to Kanoe Davis for the interviews at Merrie Monarch.

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Blessed Marianne Cope Returns

Monday, April 25th, 2011

Blessed Marianne Cope Returns

While St. Damien is a household name on Molokai, Blessed Mother Marianne Cope isn’t far behind in the process of being declared a saint. A relic of the venerated nun, who served in Kalaupapa with Damien, will be on display on Molokai on May 6 and 7.

Not only did Mother Marianne leave her home in New York to care for Hansen’s disease patients in Kalaupapa and Honolulu for 35 years, but she also founded the first hospital on Maui, as well as Hilo General Hospital and orphanages for children around the state.

“I am hungry for the work, I am not afraid of the disease, hence it would be my greatest delight even to minister to the abandoned lepers,” said Mother Marianne in response to a request to serve in Hawaii, in 1883, according to blessedmothermarianne.org.

,” Lau said. “She assured none of our sisters will contract Hansen’s disease. And nobody has. That in itself is a miracle, I think.”

Mother Marianne spent the last thirty years of her life in Kalaupapa taking care of those exiled there, never having a chance to return to her home in New York before dying of natural causes.

During her time there, she helped start the construction of the Bishop Home in Kalaupapa for homeless women and girls affected with Hansen’s disease. She also opened the Kapiolani Home on Oahu for daughters of Hansen’s disease patients.

Possible Sainthood
In order to be declared a saint by the Catholic Church, two miracles must be attributed to the subject and verified by the Vatican in Rome; Mother Marianne has one miracle to her name. In 1992, a cancer patient, Kate Mahoney, touched a relic of Mother Marianne and was healed shortly after. Doctors were dumbfounded by her recovery, and she is still alive today.

There is currently one more alleged miracle attributed to Mother Marianne, but the details of it have not been released.

Marianne’s first phenomenon was verified in the late 1990s.  Another possible miracle is being reviewed by the Vatican in Rome, but the details of it have not been released.

The relic comes just in time for her six-year anniversary of being declared Blessed.  She gained beatification in 2005, which is the third step of four in the canonization process.

Mother Marianne’s efforts on Oahu earned her the Royal Medal of Kapiolani. Upon arrival in 1883, the Sister’s first task was to take care of newly diagnosed Hansen’s disease patients at Branch Hospital. A year later, she founded Malulani Hospital, the first hospital on Maui.


Mother Marianne met St. Damien two years before he was diagnosed with Hansen’s disease, in 1884. He was so satisfied with her and her Sisters’ work, he requested that they take over for him in Kalaupapa after he died.

Blessed Mother Marianne Cope’s relic will be on display at Kalaniana`ole Hall on May 6 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and at St. Damien Center until midnight for prayers. From there, it will be transported to St. Francis Church at 10:30 a.m. on May 7.

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Preserving a Rare Tradition

Thursday, April 21st, 2011

Preserving a Rare Tradition

Over 30 Molokai residents moved in a huge, swaying circle, blowing air through one nostril into a bamboo flute. There were learning an ancient form of hula – the `ohe hano ihu, or nose flute. The Hula Preservation Society (HPS) in collaboration with Oahu’s Hakipu`u Learning Center held the workshop last Saturday as part of their effort to preserve the first hula and demonstrate hula implements rarely seen today.

Participants each made a nose flute and learned the basics of playing, along with its accompanying hula, pictured above.

Showing grace and adaptability, a group of 10 youth demonstrated various forms of rare hula. Normally, dancers learn from one kumu in one style, but in order to preserve a wide variety of traditions, these students learned to be adaptable.


It is said that King Kalakau`a, who reigned in the late 1800s and was responsible for revival of hula, created the papa hehi after a trip around the world. He was inspired by seeing the treadle of a sewing machine, according to Iwalani Kalima, a kumu hula of Hilo who taught the students some of the rare forms.

“It’s so wonderful to be able to keep the legacy,” she said.

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Modern Kids, Old History

Monday, April 11th, 2011

Modern Kids, Old History

Students at Kualapu`u School transformed their auditorium into a multi-cultural mecca last Thursday with a school play about Hawaii’s history.

“I wasn’t nervous today,” said La`a Sumarnap, a sixth grader of Kualapu`u School.

Last Thursday’s play portrayed important events from Hawaii’s history, starting with the formation of Hawaii’s archipelago, to the banning of hula, and the migration of Chinese, Japanese and Filipinos who worked on Hawaii’s plantations.

“We made our drums out of tires and tape,” he said.

Kenilyn Nishihiri-Aki, a sixth grader at Kualapu`u , summed up the play.

“We all have aloha for this place where we live. We love the Hawaiian culture,” she said.

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