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Culture & Art

Molokai in Poetry

Wednesday, May 18th, 2011

Molokai in Poetry

Susan Gerard-Schelinski has been composing poetry for years, but never had her writing published. She had always wanted to print a collection for famlily and friends, so she decided to do it herself.

“Recently, a gal from Montreal stayed at our home and suggested a website called blurb.com that publishes books,” said Gerard-Schelinski. “It was perfect.”

Through the website, she printed a poetry book called “The Naked Heart.” It’s a collection of Gerard-Schelinski’s poems about Molokai, paired with photos she’s taken of the island.

Describing the book as “word sketches that sum up life on Molokai,” Gerard-Schelinski said her poetry touches on a variety of topics that anyone who has lived on the island could relate to.

She sells the books locally at Hotel Molokai on Friday nights and occasionally at the Saturday market in town. She said she’s already sold about half of the 40 books she had printed.

Gerard-Schelinski currently prices “The Naked Heart” at $20 – a price she admits is high, but is “the price of a 12-pack of beer.” She recommends blurb.com to anyone who wants to print their own book, but because it’s a costly option, she added that she is looking for another publisher so she can sell her book more cheaply.

Contact Gerard-Schelinski at 552-0176 if you would like to buy a copy of “The Naked Heart.” She said she would like to connect with anyone interested in starting a publishing group.

 

Questionable Claims
By Susan Gerard-Schelinski

I'm English, but I've never lived in England.
I'm a Scot who loves a Scottish aire.
My roots claim the Black Forest of Germany
And yet, I've never lived there.
When I hear a fiddle, a jig or a reel,
There's no doubt I'm Irish from head to each heel.
I'm French though I've never set one foot in France.
I've heard I'm part gypsy.  How I love to dance!
By name and by marriage, I'm Polish 'tis plain
Though, no drops of Polish blood run through each vein.
I was born in the U.S. of immigrant stock,
Then, lived in Hawaii.  Hawaiian I'm not.
But, one of my kids married into the koko.
That made me a "Tutu", a local gone loco.
My grandson's part Portugee, a fisherman too!
I guess if I stretch it, I'm Portuguese too!
One son married Chinese.  His kids are Pake
Another wed in Japan and celebrates with sake.
I've a great granddaughter from Taiwan
I've one from the Philippines.
Who knows to where our line will go with this next set of teens.
We've kids in Australia already, and know
We cannot control where our bloodline will flow.
Our language has somehow evolved into pidgin
No take one big brain or one fancy religion
To know if grandma and poppa had been "fridgus",
None of us kids could be now called "indigenous".
Danish, Norwegians, Russians and Swedes,
Fins and Popolos have all mixed their seeds,
Till we're all just a mish mash, mongrels and such,
As if the whole world, were one big rabbit hutch.
We're brothers and sisters of one common Father.
This "racism business" just don't hold much water!

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Gig in the Garden

Wednesday, May 18th, 2011

Gig in the Garden

Haunting melodies of a single wooden flute drift into the indigo dusk, its song joined by a waterfall of piano notes. It was the first “concert in the garden” held at the newly-revitalized Mahana Nursery last Thursday night, featuring two world-renowned musicians.

“Their music… takes me into my heart,” said Teri Waros, organizer of the concert.

Pianist Peter Kater is a six-time Grammy Award nominee who’s composed music for over 100 TV shows and films and is also a recipient of the United Nations Environmental Leadership Award. He was joined by one of the world’s top Native American flutists, R. Carolos Nakai, who has collaborated with dozens of recording artists, including Keola Beamer. Together, they touched their Molokai listeners with their powerful music.

Waros first met Kater over 20 years ago, when he played at her mainland jazz club.

“He played piano like no one I had ever heard before,” she said. “I carried their music around the world with me – no, actually, it carried me,” she said of Kater’s albums.

The stunning outdoor venue at Mahana Nursery, recently restored by Nan Omstead and Dusty Dancy, drew a crowd of eager listeners. Many came before the concert started to enjoy ono pupus provided by Mahana.

“It’s a real treat to play outside with nature,” said Kater, who was visiting Molokai for the first time. He described the island as “the most unique, energetic place I’ve ever been to.”

The recital, part of a Hawaii tour with the mission to “awaken kindness,” featured music improvised on the spot by the duo.

“This is a unique concert – just for you,” Nakai told the audience.

With Kater on keyboard and Nakai using a variety of wooden flutes, a golden eagle bone and chillingly beautiful vocal additions, Native American melodies melded seamlessly with nature-inspired piano harmonies.

The concert was originally schedule to be a collaboration between Kater and Tibetan flutist Nawang Khechog. Nakai stepped in when Khechog unexpectedly had to undergo surgery for a blood clot in his brain last week.

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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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Royalty Returns

Tuesday, May 10th, 2011

Royalty Returns

Royalty returns to Molokai! Hundreds of keiki and their families participated and enjoyed this year's May (Lei) Day events, scattered around the island. Below are pictures from Molokai's six schools' celebrations.

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‘Mythical’ Music

Monday, May 9th, 2011

‘Mythical’ Music

A Tibetan flutist and Grammy Award-nominated pianist have come together to provide Molokai with an evening of unique music, chanting and prayer – Awakening Kindness for Mother Earth – on May 12.

Peter Kater, six-time Grammy Award-nominated pianist and composer, and Nawang Khechog, flutist, author and former student of the Dalai Lama, have been friends and music collaborators for almost 20 years.

“All our concerts are improvisational around various structures, key changes, chord changes and spiritual concepts,” Kater said via email.

Kater and Khechog’s concert will be held at Mahana Gardens, 10 miles west of town, and hosted by Kalele Bookstore and Divine Expressions. Kater said he met Kalele’s owner, Teri Waros, in California while he was on tour. Kater moved to Maui a few years ago, where Waros found him again and asked him to play on Molokai.

“We're so much looking forward to coming to experiencing the land and people of Molokai,” Kater said. “It's almost mythical in its beauty and energy.”

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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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