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Culture & Art

Molokai’s Own Named Statewide Educator of the Year

Thursday, October 30th, 2014

Molokai’s Own Named Statewide Educator of the Year

Every day, Molokai teachers nurture our students in the classroom, spend hours of their own time preparing lessons and assisting youth in afterschool programs, and carry the weight of ensuring the success of the future generation. One Molokai educator was recognized in particular this year for doing it all with grace, and going above and beyond her job description. Molokai Middle School (MMS) Hawaiian Language Immersion teacher `Iolani Kuoha received the Hawaii Association of Middle Schools Educator of the Year award last weekend – and she said she accepted the honor on behalf of her fellow teachers.

“I represent not only myself but all the teachers,” she said.…

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Healing of an Island

Wednesday, October 15th, 2014

For 50 years beginning during World War II, the island of Kaho`olawe was rocked by bombs, dropped by the U.S. military for naval training. Hawaii residents recall hearing the explosions and feeling the ground shake as missiles left gouges in the earth. Now, after decades of protest efforts, cultural reconnection and environmental restoration, a process of healing is continuing as a strategic plan is being developed to guide Kaho`olawe’s future.

Once a spiritual and cultural center for Native Hawaiians, trespassing on Kaho`olawe was prohibited for half a century. In the early 1970s, people began questioning those laws, and in 1976, the Protect Kaho`olawe `Ohana (PKO) formed and filed a suit in federal court to stop the bombing.…

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Molokai Finishes Strong in Ka`iwi Channel

Wednesday, October 15th, 2014

Molokai Finishes Strong in Ka`iwi Channel

Before the 62nd Molokai Hoe, Bozo Dudoit, coach and steersman of Molokai’s Wa`akapaemua Canoe Club open men’s crew, laid out two main objectives for his team.

“My goal is to be in the top ten 10 of the local finishers and top 20 overall,” said Dudoit, a Molokai Hoe veteran who has been competing in paddling’s premier event for 24 years now.

Wa`akapaemua, the host island’s only team in the race, check-marked both goals on Sunday. The crew finished in 14th place overall with five hours, 37 minutes and three seconds. Among the local teams, Molokai finished ninth.

Taking first place overall was Tahitian crew Edt Va`a 1, which finished in four hours, 51 minutes and 43 seconds.…

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Molokai Crewmembers Join Hokule`a Voyage

Wednesday, October 15th, 2014

Molokai Crewmembers Join Hokule`a Voyage

Three Molokai residents have departed on a journey to follow the path of their ancestors across oceans and change the way the world views our environment. Last week, Mel Paoa, Mahina Hou Ross and Keoki Pescaia left for American Samoa to join Hawaiian double-hulled voyaging canoes Hokule`a and Hikianalia as they set sail for the northwestern tip of Aotearoa (New Zealand).

“The Molokai community fully supports these crewmembers as Hokule`a represents all of us, coming together to protect the places, values, and traditions that we love,” said Paoa, Molokai’s first voyaging captain for Hokule`a.

This week, they are sailing to Vava`u in Tonga, about 320 miles from Pago Pago Harbor in American Samoa, where they waited for favorable weather to depart on the first portion of the trip to Aotearoa.…

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Molokai Revives Kulaia in Kaunakakai Town

Wednesday, October 8th, 2014

Molokai Revives Kulaia in Kaunakakai Town

Community Contributed

By Lori-Lei Rawlins-Crivello

Historical records dating back to 1865 note Hawaiian outrigger canoe race competitions as one of the many events our kupuna took part in during annual la kulaia, days of festivities honoring the Kingdom of Hawaii and especially honoring our beloved monarchy.  During that era, kulaia generally occurred once a year during a national holiday or birthday celebration of a mo`i (monarch).

After the overthrow of our beloved Hawaiian Kingdom, kulaia festivities changed focus and no longer celebrated the Kingdom and monarchy.  In historical records, we see the shift from national celebration to simply canoe race competitions. …

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A Look Into Kalaupapa Life

Wednesday, October 1st, 2014

A Look Into Kalaupapa Life

When many people think of Kalaupapa, images of exile, suffering and disfigurement come to mind – stories from history books that tell a horrific tale from outside eyes. A photo exhibit that opened at the Molokai Museum and Cultural Center in Kalae last Saturday seeks to depict the people of Kalaupapa in a new light.

“So much of [Kalaupapa’s] history is based on other people’s accounts and often sensationalized and just not true,” said Valerie Monson, coordinator for Ka `Ohana O Kalaupapa, the organization sponsoring the exhibit. “[The exhibit’s goal] is to capture history in their own words and the images they chose.…

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An International Affair

Friday, September 26th, 2014

An International Affair

Kaunakakai Elementary hosted their first annual Cultural Night last Friday, complete with belly dancing and a balut eating contest, to showcase the cultural diversity within the community.  Parents and community members with many ethnic backgrounds from Fiji, Micronesia, Philippines, Russia, France, Mexico, Japan, Ireland, Turkey, and of course Hawaii, came together to expose students and their families to some of the cultures that make our community unique.

The goal of the evening was to educate and enrich the students by allowing them to “explore” other countries foods, traditions, and languages without even leaving the island, according to  coordinators of the event, Parent Community Network Center Coordinator Jennifer Whitted and Physical Education teacher U`i Kalani.…

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Uniting for the Race

Friday, September 26th, 2014

Amid a sea of mingling visiting paddlers and residents, hula performances, vendor booths and ono food, Friday evening’s Kulaia festival brought the connection between the community, paddlers and Na Wahine O Ke Kai race back to Molokai.

Organized by Molokai Canoe Festivals Committee, the ho`olaulea welcomed paddlers coming to the island for Sunday’s race, as well as paid tribute to the Molokai crewmembers on the three-year Worldwide Hokule`a Voyage. The event was held in front of the Molokai Public Library with vendors and booths lining the street that was blocked off for the occasion.

Penny Martin, Molokai paddler and crewmember on the first Hokule`a voyage, introduced the three Molokai voyagers participating in the vessel’s Worldwide Voyage.…

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Pinot and Painting

Friday, September 26th, 2014

Pinot and Painting

Last Wednesday, 12 adventurous Molokai residents, with paint brush and palette at the ready, tried their hand at acrylic painting as the sun set behind Tante’s at Hotel Molokai. The Art Bar workshop, offered by the Molokai Arts Center, was the first of its kind on the island, but is part of a growing national trend to make art fun and accessible.

Guided by instructor Laura Pilz, graphic designer at The Molokai Dispatch, participants recreated a photo of a colorful heliconia flower.  While the painting came together, attendees also enjoyed the company of new friends and a beverage from the bar.…

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Perpetuating Taro

Thursday, September 25th, 2014

Perpetuating Taro

Dripping with sweat and covered in a layer of red Molokai dirt, attendees of last Saturday’s Taro Field Day still had smiles on their faces as they emerged from chest-high, heart-shaped leaves with arms full of taro plants they had harvested.

The annual event at the Molokai Applied Research and Demonstration Farm at UH Maui Community College Farm in Ho`olehua offers community members a chance to learn about the history, culture and preservation of taro through presentations, as well as taste test poi and kulolo made from various types of taro. Attendees can then venture into the field after receiving a labelled map to select and harvest plants of their favorite varieties.…

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