Culture & Art

A Decade of Environmental Leadership

Thursday, August 22nd, 2013

A Decade of Environmental Leadership

As a child, Uncle Mac Poepoe fondly remembers fishing down at Mo`omomi Beach with family and friends, but as time passed, he began seeing the area increasingly populated with unfamiliar boats and people, over-fishing in its waters.

“I said, ‘Hey we’ve got to do something about this because if this continues, we’re not going to have many fish left for ourselves,’” said Poepoe.

He came together with a group of Molokai fishermen and community members who decided they needed more public input as to how environmental resources are managed.

Nearly 20 years later, his efforts have spread statewide. With the help of Kua`aina Ulu `Auamo (KUA)—formerly known as the Hawaiian Community Stewardship Network—a community-based management network formed incorporating more than 25 communities statewide dedicated to restore and sustain their environmental heritage.…

Brother Dutton Statue Installed

Monday, August 19th, 2013

Brother Dutton Statue Installed

Molokai Catholic parishioners got to see the face of a new statue of Brother Joseph Dutton for the first time when it arrived on the island from China last Thursday. The statue of the Civil War veteran who worked for 45 years in Kalaupapa with St. Damien depicts him in his youth wearing his Union uniform. There is a growing movement to promote Dutton to sainthood alongside Damien and Marianne Cope, and the statue may be one starting point for that process, said Molokai’s Father Bill Petrie of St. Damian Catholic Parish.

The statue was donated to Molokai by Oahu benefactor John Perreira, who worked with local residents, including the late parishioner Larry Helm, former commander of the Molokai Veterans Caring for Veterans, to design the statue.…

Intro to Drawing

Wednesday, August 14th, 2013

UHMC Molokai News Release

ART 113 Intro to Drawing is being offered at University of Hawaii Maui College (UHMC) Molokai campus this fall semester. It is structured as a beginning level class and focused on exploring a variety of media from charcoal to marker, pencil to pastel, ink to conte crayon.  You will discover more techniques and styles for how to draw what you see three dimensionally as well as how to express your feelings, culture and knowledge visually. Most importantly, you will learn how to see as an artist and realize that everyone can learn to draw.

The class is held on Tuesday and Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m.…

Partnering for Preservation

Wednesday, August 14th, 2013

Partnering for Preservation

Protecting Molokai’s Watersheds

An understanding of the connections between mountains and ocean — mauka and makai — is rooted in ancient Hawaiian culture. Today, invasive species and human impacts are threatening to clog Molokai’s reef — the most extensive coral reef in the Main Hawaiian Islands — with sediment washed down from the mountain slopes. Today, scientists are doing studies to provide proof of this evidence and offer their data to help find solutions. And today, Molokai residents are meeting together to discuss those solutions and taking action to protect the island’s most valuable resources — both the mountains and the ocean.…

Family Comes Full Circle on Molokai

Wednesday, August 7th, 2013

Family Comes Full Circle on Molokai

Molokai has played a large role in what the Haase family believes is fate. In the fall of 1992, Ineke Bylsma and her friend Elizabeth Peters — two young travelers from Holland — were visiting Molokai as one stop of an around-the-globe tour. They ended up camping at Papohaku Beach for a few months, hitching rides to Kaunakakai to buy food.

An article about the two was even printed in the Nov. 12, 1992 issue of The Molokai Dispatch, titled “What Are Two Ladies Like You Doing in a Paradise Like This?”

They decided on Molokai as their Hawaiian stop because “we were told that Molokai was the most Hawaiian of all the islands and that we would find Hawaiian ‘culture’ on Molokai,” according to the Dispatch article.…

Protecting a Cultural Legacy

Sunday, August 4th, 2013

Protecting a Cultural Legacy

When today’s kupuna were growing up, they remember being told that the Kapuaiwa Coconut Grove was a sacred place. It was kapu, or forbidden, and their kupuna told them not to play in the grove or freshwater springs that open up in the ground beneath the towering trees. But today, those kupuna are concerned because they often see trucks driven into the grove, children swimming in the pools, tourists oblivious to the dangers of falling coconuts and rubbish littering the springs and grove.

“We were all taught by our parents and our grandparents that we are not to go in there and play [in the grove],” said Kanani Negrillo of Kalamaula.…

Summer Surf Results

Thursday, August 1st, 2013

Summer Surf Results

Ko Molokai Keiki O Ke Kai News Release

The 2013 Ko Molokai Keiki O Ke Kai summer surf series has come to an end, providing dozens of keiki with an opportunity to spend quality with their families and a fun, safe and drug-free activity during the summer break. The series celebrated its 24th anniversary this year, organized by a not-for-profit group of dedicated parents and volunteers to perpetuate the culture and traditions of surfing for the next generation.

Organizers would like to thank supporters and sponsors Friendly Market, Molokai Drugstore, Volcom, Dennis Kirk-HIC, Mickey Neilson-Quiksilver, Donald and LaVonne Pahia-Quiksilver, Kehau Mckee- Wailua Beach, Pua and Heather Rochlen- Jams World, Aunty Shirley Rawlins- Chevron, Pu`u O Hoku Ranch and Friendly Isle United Fund.…

Dancing with the Spirits

Thursday, August 1st, 2013

Dancing with the Spirits

On the lawn of the Molokai Guzeiji Soto Mission Buddhist temple, dancers stepped with slow grace in a circle beneath glowing paper lanterns and a fading sky. Families joined in the dance or enjoyed food and the company of family and friends. But there was more to the rhythmic steps than just a dance — for those in the Buddhist tradition, it was a once-a-year chance to reunite with the spirits of those who have passed.

“Bon dance is the time that we remember our departed loved ones… a time to celebrate and honor life,” said Rev. Shuji Komagata, of Oahu, who helps lead the Bon Festival on Molokai every year.…

Hawaiian Studies Degree

Wednesday, July 24th, 2013

UH Maui College Molokai News Release

The University of Hawaii Maui College, Molokai will be offering an associate in arts degree in Hawaiian studies starting this fall.

“Establishing the associate degree program is an important step for UH system initiatives perpetuating Hawaiian language, culture, and values,” the Hawaiian Studies instructors at UH, Maui College said.

The new associate degree program will benefit all students seeking a deeper understanding of Native Hawaiian culture and history and is a pathway to any four-year degree.  The degree also is expected to be of interest to those entering the workforce or other areas of study where knowledge of the host culture is desired.…

Seed Savings – Part II

Wednesday, July 24th, 2013

Community Contributed

By Glenn I. Teves, UH County Extension Agent

Many seed varieties developed in Hawaii and passed down through generations are difficult to find today, such as Lualualei pole beans, and Kulanui and Kauwela lettuce. These varieties were stress-tested and adapted to our specific climatic challenges. Saving and sharing seed helps to preserve these special varieties not only for the next season, but also for generations to come.

Some seeds, such as beans and inbred corn, are among the easiest to save. Allow them to dry on the plant, and remove them from the pod or husk and screen out misshapen or damaged seed.…