Culture & Art

The King’s Gala

Thursday, June 13th, 2024

The King’s Gala

Molokai celebrated King Kamehameha I Day early this year with the King’s Gala. On Friday June 7, Molokai community members gathered at Hiro’s Ohana Grill to commemorate the third annual King’s Gala, organized by nonprofit Ho’omohala O Molokai.

Kamehameha Day has been celebrated since 1872, when King Kamehameha V established it in honor of his grandfather, Kamehameha I. This year’s celebration included a fashion show by Kalae Tangonan’s Kupu A’e Molokai, amongst musical and hula performances.

To the backdrop of Keaka Kaiama’s singing, Molokai wahine modeled Tangonan’s batik and silk screen designs.

“Every piece is original. You can’t duplicate it,” said Tangonan.…

‘A Fly on the Wall with a Camera’

Wednesday, May 29th, 2024

‘A Fly on the Wall with a Camera’

Thousands of photos from the 1970s and 80s on Molokai are now available thanks to longtime resident Mike Dooley. Via the YouTube account “Molokai Photos,” Dooley shares his collection dedicated to Molokai’s past.

“I documented everything,” said Dooley. “I was a fly on the wall with a camera.”

Arriving on Molokai in the mid-1970s, Dooley started working at the Ka Molokai newspaper, which gave him access to a darkroom to develop his photos. Dooley explained that he developed more than 50,000 photos over the years, however many of them have since been damaged. What remains are approximately 5,000 film photos of Molokai families, fairs, farms, and more.…

Queen’s Gala Highlights Student Chef Successes

Wednesday, May 29th, 2024

Queen’s Gala Highlights Student Chef Successes

Molokai’s high school chefs had a chance to shine at last weekend’s Queen’s Gala.

A celebration and fundraiser for the Molokai High School Culinary Club, the Queen’s Gala showcased the high schoolers’ culinary prowess. Now in its second year, the Culinary Club is thriving, offering high school seniors education and job opportunities right out of high school.

“If the community sees the success at the end of the rainbow, then they’re more bound to support in the future,” explained club moderator and Molokai High School teacher Tiare Hubbard. “This is a student focused, student created and student driven event.”

The MHS chefs created and served a five-course meal, working alongside mentor chefs from UH Maui College, the Four Seasons Maui and Fairmont Kea Lani.…

Ho’omau Celebrates Olelo Hawaii

Thursday, May 23rd, 2024

Ho’omau Celebrates Olelo Hawaii

In the 29th annual Ho’omau celebration on Molokai, residents from across the island gathered to commemorate the study of ‘olelo Hawaii. The event was a fundraiser for the preschoolers of Punana Leo o Molokai, a Hawaiian language immersion preschool.

“This whole movement is a revitalization starting with our keiki so ‘olelo Hawaii can live on throughout the whole family,” explained Pueo Akina-Sumarnap, a teacher at Punana Leo o Molokai. “This program, this movement, is so important because it’s who we are.”

Last Saturday’s Ho’omau included vendors, food and entertainment. Proceeds help fund school supplies, programming and tuition for the students and families of Punana Leo.…

May Day 2024

Thursday, May 16th, 2024

May Day 2024

For Molokai schools, the month of May means May Day. Students from across the island practiced for weeks, learning hula, mele, oli and more in honor of the aloha spirit. While celebrations vary from school to school, all include the Royal Court procession with students donning specific colors, clothes and lei representing each Hawaiian island. Typically, each grade will have a performance, along with special ceremonies by the King and Queen and their courts.
Photos from Molokai High School, Kualapu’u and Kilohana are included above, with more from Kaunakakai and Mauanloa Schools to follow later in the month.…

Ross Selected for Deep Sea Exploration Voyage

Wednesday, May 8th, 2024

Ross Selected for Deep Sea Exploration Voyage

“All my life, I grew up in and around the ocean, but not really in the deep ocean,” said Molokai’s Gandharva Mahina Hou Ross.
This summer, the Hawaiian language immersion teacher at Molokai High School’s O Hina I Ka Malama program will get the chance to explore the depths of the ocean floor, and share that knowledge with the world.
Ross was selected as one of 13 science communications fellows aboard the exploration vessel (E/V) Nautilus, operated by nonprofit Ocean Exploration Trust. He was the only Hawaii resident chosen out this year of applicants from around the world.
“He mea koʻi koʻi no mākou ke kau ana i luna o ka moku E/V Nautilus e ʻimi ʻike e pili ana i ka papakū o ka moana i hiki ke kaʻana like me nā poʻe o Hawaiʻi a me nā poʻe a puni ka honua,” said Ross.…

Enjoy Our New Exhibits

Thursday, April 11th, 2024

Enjoy Our New Exhibits

Molokai History Project News Release

It’s springtime! The possibilities are endless, and our enthusiasm grows with every beautiful day. Sometimes there is a spark over here and sometimes it’s a spark over there, but it always reminds us more and more folks are learning about us, enjoying what the history project has to offer, and stopping by to learn more about the wonderful and interesting folks who call Molokai home.

The Molokai History Project has now been open for six months, and in that time we have done a huge amount of research into subjects that we’ve exhibited in the museum. …

Molokai at Merrie Monarch

Thursday, April 11th, 2024

Molokai at Merrie Monarch

The 61st Merrie Monarch Festival kicked off on March 31 in Hilo. A hui of Molokai small businesses made the trip over to join in on the celebration of Hawaiian arts. Supported by a $30,000 grant from the Maui County Office of Economic Development, Ho’aka Mana and the second cohort of the Pulauhala small business accelerator program were some of the Molokai businesses who set up shop at the festival. This group included Ishay Kaholoaa of Kahului Designs and Taste of Molokai, Mokihana Paleka of Po’o Hala, Karlie Rose Kalama of Little Learning Keiki, Aulani Herrod of Pailolo Designs, Keoni Perkins of KP Artwork, Courtney Galam of Da Greenthumb, Kauluna’e Hamakua of Kaulu Farms, and Kanoe Davis of PoMahina Designs.…

Molokai Celebrates Prince Kuhio Day

Friday, April 5th, 2024

Molokai Celebrates Prince Kuhio Day

Molokai residents took to Kiowea Park to celebrate the citizen prince, Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaʻole, last Saturday, March 23.

Amongst the venders, food and music, Molokai community members took time to reflect on the lasting legacy of Kuhio.

“For us, the importance is the resilience and the legacy that we are trying to teach our opio to carry on, the gift that we’ve been given by the Prince of our homestead,” said Lu Ann Faborito, treasurer of the Ho’olehua Homesteaders Association and one of the organizers of Saturday’s event. “We are very fortunate that we are lessees.”

Prince Kuhio became a politician and served 20 years as a non-voting delegate from the Territory of Hawaii to the United States Congress.…

Talk Story: The Mid Nite Inn

Thursday, March 7th, 2024

Talk Story: The Mid Nite Inn

Opened in 1935, the Mid Nite Inn was synonymous with Molokai, akule and good times. Last Saturday, Feb. 24, John and Phillip Kikukawa sat down with a packed house at the Molokai History Project to reminisce on three generations of running the Mid Nite Inn. The following is an edited version of the two-hour-plus dialogue from Saturday’s event.

John Kikukawa (JK): “We were born into the restaurant business. We came from parents who were really different. Dad (Art) was a local boy. Mom (Cecily) was a new haole teacher…We lived half a mile away from the restaurant, next to the Seaside Inn…That area was all Molokai Ranch rentals.”…