December–January 2013
Kekemapa–‘Ianuali 2013
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KeOlaMagazine.com | Maui County, December 2013/January 2014
Art “The Life” Celebrating the a r ts, culture, a nd susta inabilit y of the Hawa i ia n Isla nds
December 2013–January 2014 Kēkēmapa 2013–‘Iānuali 2014
UA MAU KE EA O KA ‘ĀINA I KA PONO.
The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness. [Its sustainability depends on doing what is right.] Proclamation by Kona-born King Kamehameha III in 1843. Later adopted as the Hawai‘i state motto.
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15 Nourishing Art on Lāna‘i By Joana Varawa
Culture 11 The Resonant Beat of Kapa By Kaualani Pereira
Land 7 Ocean Conservation the Modern Way By Ruby V. Ayers
People 5 Magic Made Possible Improving Lives at the J. Walter Cameron Center By Marina Galvan and Tom Blackburn-Rodriguez 9 Hui Holomua Ancient Hawaiian Values and Mentoring By Kama‘ema‘e Smith
Spirit 4 Nāhi‘ena‘ena By Cultural Practitioner Kaui Kanakaole
Departments 18 Featured Cover Artist: Sarai Lokahia Stricklin
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Nahi‘ena‘ena
KeOlaMagazine.com | Maui County, December 2013/January 2014
Traditional Chant
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| By Cultural Practitioner Kaui Kanakaole
‘O kuku ‘oloa, o lau ‘oloa ‘ōhalahala mai i ākea
The kapa beater of the bark grown thrifty and wide,
He kua lā no Kahiki
A kapa block from Kahiki.
He ulu i heia
The breadfruit bark torn into shreds.
He māpele i heia, ia e penei
The māpele bark broken up in like manner,
Ka ‘oloa, a he kā ‘oloa
The kapa bark and the kapa water-bowl.
He ‘oloa Nāhi‘ena‘ena ma ka ‘ōlelo wale ana
Nāh‘ena‘ena is kapa bark, symbolically.
E ‘oloa aku ana iā Kalani-nui-kua-liholiho
Transforming Kalani-nui-kua-liholiho
I kāne ‘aimoku iluna ka i‘a ‘ea lā
Into an overseer of the fish, tortoise.
‘O ka ‘oloa ia e kuku nei
That is the bark which is being beaten
‘O ke kuku pō‘ai, Kalani, kuku keli‘i
Kalani beats kapa in a circular manner; the chief beats.
‘O ka lani, kua‘i ka lani, mau ka honua
The chiefs joined together, the earth will be eternal.
Kuka‘i Kalani, mau ka honua iā Lani
The chiefs being allied, the earth is established for Lani.
Lani pipili ha‘amomoe le‘a
The chiefs stick together; sleep together for pleasure,
Pipili Kalani, mau ka honua ia lā
While the chiefs join the earth abides firm.
He lā koli‘i nono ka iluna
‘Tis a day of tremulous heat, hot overhead.
O ke ka mauna wawā, ke kai wawā
The mountain noises clash together, the sea also is noisy. . .
Nana ku‘i, e ku‘i nanau
She shall stitch (the kapa), she shall bite (the thread)
E ku‘i nanau, e nanau, e nanau
She shall stitch, bite and bite
Naunau, holoholo, a holo, o hoholo
Bite, run quickly, run, run
Ou holo Kalani
Let Kalani run.
He kukukeke, kuku, ke ko‘i keke
A sounding axe is the mallet.
Holo i ke kupa keke, kupeke,
Flee Kalani to the resident whose is the land of beating kapa,
‘ili kapa keke e Kalani
In beating kapa there’s a noise,
Kuku kapa, ua keke, he lani kuku kapa keke
‘tis a chief’s kapa-beating sound
Ke kahele, ke oe, ke moe, ke ka‘ika‘i
Go carefully, whistle, lie down; lift up.
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side from the strong storyline of Nāhi‘ena‘ena’s life and kuleana, the beautiful references and
metaphoric allusions to kapa making give a wealth of information about this functional art form. Words such as kuku, oloa, kuku pō‘ai, kuka‘i, ku‘i, keke, and ko‘i are all terms that describe a particular part of the kapa making process. Many of our older oli are an access point to a conscious awakening of ancestral wisdom that lies within us. It is all there for us to unfold and dream and practice, as many of the kapa makers of today have done. This is not the chant in its entirety; the whole chant can be found in the following resource, in addition the translation given above is from this same resource: Fornander, Abraham. Fornander Collection of Hawaiian Antiquities and Folk-lore. Memoirs of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum 6. Honolulu: Bishop Museum Press, 1916-1920. Vol. 6, Part 3, pg 444.
Magic Made Possible
Improving Lives at the J. Walter Cameron Center
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| By Marina Galvan
Contact writer Marina Galvan: bigcatmaui@yahoo.com
KeOlaMagazine.com | Maui County, December 2013/January 2014
aui is ahead of its time, and most of us don’t even know it. At the J. Walter Cameron Center in Wailuku there is a little miracle called the therapy pool at Imua Family Services, and for people with debilitating arthritis, spinal cord injuries and other disabilities, it has literally been a lifesaver. “I don’t think people realize what we have here with the warm therapy pool,” says Peter Ferrer, a physical therapist. “People go in limping and go out walking normal—and this happens all the time!” Take Heather for example. When she was a young girl, Heather was in a diving accident that left her a paraplegic. “She has some use of her arms, and on land she can propel her wheelchair about ten feet… she’s very dependent on other people. But once she’s in the water, everything changes.” Peter explains, “she becomes free, almost like another person. She can move in three-dimensional space in ways she can’t move on land because she doesn’t have the strength.” Peter recounts, “the first time she got in the pool she went down and held her breath for a minute and a half! I almost went in, I got so scared she was going to drown! But then she turns around and sighs, and she swims in different directions, and twirls around. It’s amazing to watch someone with limited mobility go in there and open up.” Heather arrived in a wheelchair. She was highly debilitated and in lot of pain. Peter remembers, “Immediately I knew (pool) therapy would help her. She has a condition that can’t be improved—but the pain in her arms and shoulders can Peter with Heather, one of his be helped a lot.” patients at Imua Family Services The pool allows Heather to strengthen, exercise and relieve her body in a whole new way. On land, anything puts compressive loads, or pressure, on the body—just taking a step, or someone’s arm on your shoulder, creates compression. What happens in the pool is the opposite action of compression, and it’s called traction. Traction opens up the spine, elongates soft tissue, and frees up nerve impulses that may be getting compressed. Heather was having a lot of trouble transferring herself in and out of her wheelchair. By decreasing the pain and building muscle in her arms, she’s gaining independence, and that is huge. Mario Bonofiglio suffered a major work accident. He had failed disks, and with the metal rods that were inserted into his back, Mario couldn’t even bend down to pick something up. He took steps in agony. Mario had tried physical therapy but it was just too much for his body. When he was brought in specifically for pool therapy, he did fantastic. He was suddenly 50 to 75% weightless, and all those stressors were off his body. Eventually he was able to walk without a cane or a walker. He was weaned off his back brace, and his pain has gone down. And, Peter says smiling, “there are endless cases of people like him.” “There’s another aspect (of pool therapy) that is not physical,” says Peter. Debilitating injuries can make people unhappy or even depressed. “But when they see themselves moving freely, they see themselves in a whole new way. The mind and body are connected, and there’s a
huge component of psychology to healing—and now they’re smiling.” Peter has worked on patients as young as three months to over 100 years old, and the range of benefits for people is equally impressive in range. For starters, people who can’t bear weight on land get the benefit of osmotic pressure in the pool. ‘Best Buddies’ Tasia and Isabelle This is an outward pressure that increases lymphatic flow, so patients with swollen knees and feet get out of the pool and find that their swelling has gone down. The warm water in the pool also helps reduce spasms that are a byproduct of spinal cord injuries. People with balance disorders do very well in the pool. Peter explains, “Strength is another major factor that patients are able to work on, since the water allows for weight bearing exercises that would be too compressive to the joints on land. Squats are powerful strengtheners for the gluteus muscles, the quads, and all the leg muscles. When these exercises are done in the pool it will make it much easier for a person to go up stairs or improve another functional activity.” For heavier patients, it’s much easier to work on them in the water. They can be easily turned, rotated, or moved without any strain. For example, Peter explains that in the water, “when I’m holding the head, it’s weightless, and I can do subtle movements of the cranium that allow a release of compression, which in turn allows the cerebral spinal fluid to move.” Peter knows intimately how powerful warm pool therapy can be. Years ago he developed a tumor on his spine, and has a long scar to prove it. People expected him to be down for months while he recovered from surgery. Instead, Peter spent much of his days treating himself in the therapy pool and was back at work in less than a four weeks. “It taught me about my patients,” Peter says, “you may suffer but you’ll learn and you’ll be stronger in the end.” Also housed at the J. Walter Cameron Center is the office of Best Buddies. In the words of Isabelle Mosbarger, President of King Kekaulike High School’s (KKHS) Best Buddies chapter, “[The] whole mission is to run themselves out of business—I love that—they want everyone to be best buddies, so there’s nothing different about hanging out with people with disabilities.” Best Buddies is working to foster inclusion among youth. Kids with ID and DD, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, are already segregated. Isabelle explains that at KKHS, ID and DD students spend their time isolated in Building K. Now that people are walking with their buddies, talking with them, and engaging in activities together, it’s showing people that it’s okay to hang out with ID and DD kids. Isabelle, a 15-year-old student, was paired up with Tasia Ho‘opaiAcang because they both love to sing. Tasia is legally blind and has other developmental disabilities. “I teach her songs and she memorizes them so quickly,” says Isabelle grinning, “and the next day her E.A. (Educational Assistant) tells me she’s been singing them!” Tasia and Isabelle have been buddies for two years now. When they were first getting to know each other, Tasia’s answer to Isabelle’s questions was always no. Now, says Isabelle, “she doesn’t like saying no, she feels like she’ll hurt your feelings…now she mostly says yes.” “In fact,” Isabelle lights up, “I get to go to graduation (with Tasia) this year even though I’m a sophomore. I get to go to practice and then walk with her, it’s pretty exciting.” Isabelle and Tasia, along with other buddies, take part in activities like decorating cookies, going on walks or going to dances. They connect with each other almost daily. For Tasia, there’s no one else she spends time with at school aside from her E.A., so the relationship she has with Isabelle is particularly special. At home, Tasia’s mom has a new baby and her dad works full time. She’s not very independent, and she isn’t as high functioning as some other students with disabilities that can work on homework. “There’s not a lot I can imagine her doing [on her own],” says Isabelle. The best part of what she does, according to Isabelle, is occupying Tasia’s time— as a friend. ❖
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J. Walter Cameron Center
A Brief History | By Tom Blackburn-Rodriguez Imagine a Maui family in need of help, with nowhere to go. Despite the community’s best efforts, that was the situation on Maui before the opening of the J. Walter Cameron Center on April 23, 1973. On that day in April, 40 years ago, those attending were told, “The Cameron Center complex of six buildings connected by covered lanais and sidewalks is a tangible expression of the importance that Maui citizens, as well as nonprofit charitable foundations and government, attach to providing adequate help to handicapped people. Before construction of the almost $2,000,000 comprehensive rehabilitation facility, many of the agencies were housed in dilapidated and depressing termite-infested buildings.” Since then, the Center has become home to many human service and non-profit organizations ranging from the American Cancer Society to Ka Lima O Maui (the sheltered workshop) and the Maui Easter Seal Society, among others. All these resident agencies need only pay their share of utilities and maintenance—there is no rent above and beyond those charges. The vision that led to the creation of the J. Walter Cameron Center can be traced to its beginnings with J. Walter Cameron, then the publisher of the Maui News, and Douglas Sodetani, a successful businessman, who saw the need for a better facility for the agencies serving Maui’s citizens. Celebrating the blessing of the renovated facilities for the ARC of Maui County using $358,000 in County of Maui Community Development Block Grants and $75,000 in Cameron Center funds. The work is part of an ongoing capital campaign to repair, rehabilitate and maintain the Center. Pictured, (left to right) Cesar Gaxiola, Executive Director, J. Walter Cameron Center; Audrey McGauley, CEO, ARC of Maui County; Kumu Bulla Login, ARC of Maui County board member; Mayor Alan Arakawa; Gladys Baisa, member, Maui County Council; Anthony Arakaki, Maui County CDBG Director; (back row) Gregg Chou, Past Board President, J. Walter Cameron Center.
AWAKENING in PARADISE
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KeOlaMagazine.com | Maui County, December 2013/January 2014
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Since it’s beginning 40 years ago a volunteer board of directors has guided the J .Walter Cameron Center. Here, current officers and the center’s executive director gather after their installation ceremony. In the first row, left to right are Karlynn Fukuda, Board Vice-President, Gladys C. Baisa, Installation Officer and Personnel Committee Chair and César E. Gaxiola, Executive Director. Second row (standing left to right) are Alan Kaufman, Board President and Robert Kawahara, Board Treasurer. Not shown is Frances Cameron Ort, Board Secretary.
Cameron donated the first $10,000 for a feasibility study to see if the idea could work and when the answer was yes, Cameron and Sodetani worked with federal and state elected officials to raise the $2.2 million needed to build the Center. Maui County donated the land for $1 on a 55-year lease. Today, the J. Walter Cameron Center accommodates 16 non-profit organizations that provide a diverse range of health and social services including day care for persons with developmental disabilities, vocational rehabilitation, infant and toddler care for low income families, mediation services, credit counseling and health education. The number of Maui residents served through these organizations averages over 30,000 per year. The J. Walter Cameron Center facility consists of over 48,000 square feet of accessible space, which also includes large public meeting rooms that are available to a variety of community organizations and public agencies. As many as 40,000 persons attend meetings, workshops, training sessions and other community events at the Cameron Center facilities each year. The mission of the Cameron Center is “to assist people with special needs by providing a home for Maui’s social service agencies”. After two generations of service, the J. Walter Cameron Center remains, what Board President Alan Kaufman has called, “a place where miracles happen”. Contact writer Tom Blackburn-Rodriguez: tominmaui@icloud.com Photos courtesy: J. Walter Cameron Center
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Ocean Conservation the Modern Way Through a deep connection with nature, mana, and the use of the kapu system, it was everyone’s responsibility to mālama ka ‘āina, to care for the land. If the people cared for the land and the sea, the land and sea would care for the people. They would then ensure that future generations would be sustained. The Fossil Museum, a virtual museum found online, states “Life began in the sea, and most extant life yet exists in the sea. The land-based animals each carry with them a miniature ocean, pulsing in their cells and circulatory systems. All life, including human, could be viewed as bags of seawater containing the same mineral constituency as the ocean together with a dynamic dispersion of molecules that Flame Angel perform the biological processes that constitute life. In all living cells, proteins answer for both shape and function. For proteins to work, they must be immersed in a miniature sea within the cell that does not greatly differ from the sea from whence it came.” There are many modern day advocates for ocean conservation continuing the legacy of our ancestors, who have a common passion and love for the ocean, the reefs, and all sea life. A different set of pressures threatens the oceans now than during the time of the ancient Hawaiians.
KeOlaMagazine.com | Maui County, December 2013/January 2014
ll life came from the sea,” states the Kumulipo, the Hawaiian creation chant. This implies that we are all one. Indeed all creation was considered part of their ‘ohana, which required respect, honor, and care. Before taking anything from the natural world, for example when cutting a koa tree for a canoe, the kāhuna would offer prayers, sacrifices, and other rituals. The stories and chants of the Hawaiians reflect the core values of their society: respect for the land, sea, waters and one another, care and stewardship of plants and animals, and striving for balance, structure, and unity. The ahupua‘a is a traditional Hawaiian land division that typically extends from the mountains to the edge of the coral reef. Hawaiians were able to live a largely self-sustaining lifestyle by responsibly utilizing and conserving natural resources. An elaborate set of rules and prohibitions known as the kapu system were strictly enforced. Examples of kapu actions were fishing of specific fish during different seasons and planting certain types of plants at particular times of the year. The kapu system was an effective structure, comparable to what we now call conservation. It ensured that the community would be sustained by carefully and respectfully managing resources. They took only what they needed and no more. The Hawaiians were keen observers of the natural world; they worked with nature and as a result obtained prolific yields from their efforts. Hawaiians believed that everything around them was alive with mana, a divine or supernatural power that connected nature with humans. From the sun, moon and stars, the rains and winds, the plants and animals, the land and sea; everything was alive with mana. When this connection was maintained, everything would be pono (balanced), and life would be bountiful and flourish.
| By Ruby V. Ayers
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KeOlaMagazine.com | Maui County, December 2013/January 2014
“My main passion is to stop the desolation and destruction to our reefs and its inhabitants that is being done by the aquarium trade in Hawai‘i,” Robert Wintner shares. “The aquarium trade uses the Hawai‘i The Guest Speaker reefs and wildlife to supply 80 percent of the world’s aquariums, of which 99 percent die within a year of harvest. They can live 40 years in the reef.” As Executive Director of The Snorkel Bob Foundation, he has worked many years to protect the sea. Robert states, “The reefs are being destroyed, as well as the reef balance and wildlife. Poachers are ruthless and plunder the reef by taking everything they can. They are cruel to the fish; they puncture their air sacs (known as fizzing), cut their fins (known as fanning) and starve them, to make transporting the fish more efficient. Their motivation is money. This is the last vestige of corruption in wildlife trafficking for the pet trade.” The Snorkel Bob Foundation underwrote litigation through Earthjustice against the State of Hawai‘i, to require the state to follow proper procedures according to law, to protect our reefs. Maui County has passed laws to stop the aquarium trade. The rest of the islands have not followed suit and are being plundered. The Hawaiian aquarium catcher pays a $50 fee and has no limit on catch, no limit on the number of catchers and no constraints on rare, endemic or vanishing species.
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Robert shared, “In January, I traveled to the Caribbean Sea to Jardines de la Reina, an archipelago in the southern part of Cuba. It is a National Park and one of Cuba’s largest protected areas. It has a full biodiversity and is a shark-protected area. There is a completely balanced and healthy reef system because the apex predators are fully protected. It was exciting to see what a completely healthy reef system looks like. I hold the vision that one day Hawai‘i’s reefs will be restored to this same state. Hawai‘i’s waters have three times the fish taken from them as from the Great Barrier Reef.” Robert is also Vice President of Tangessence Sea Shepherd, an international nonprofit on the frontlines in the battle to save ocean wildlife worldwide. “There are some big corporate stores in the aquarium trade who we have talked to. One is a nationwide pet supplier company that has shown callous disregard for the reef issues. We plan to begin a campaign to make these issues known,” he says. By raising awareness of the aquarium trade and what it does to the reef and wildlife, his hopes are that many will join in and stop them worldwide. The sea wildlife should be viewed only in their home—the sea. ❖ Contact Robert Wintner: SnorkelBob.com/sb_foundation.htm Contact writer Ruby V. Ayers: odem333@gmail.com Photos courtesy: Robert Wintner
Hui Holomua
Ancient Hawaiian Values and Mentoring
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| By Kama’ema’e Smith
Kahu Kimokeo Kapahulehua, Keali‘i Tau‘a and Kumu Kapono Kamauna at a beach ceremony
“We strongly believe that our cultural values work for everyone, and anyone who believes in our mission is welcome to join us in our work and success,” says Mercer “Chubby” Vicens, MNHCoC board member and past President. “We are a very friendly group.” Normally, Chambers of Commerce are meeting places for competitors and rivals seeking a common good, and the atmosphere is often political. MNHCoC general meetings and “Talk Story” events each month are different from that. Members collaborate and focus on mutual success and benefits. “We are not a political organization; we don’t endorse issues or candidates,” says Kai Pelayo, MNHCoC President. “Our founders designed an organization where Hawaiian businesspeople would be comfortable to speak freely, mentor one another and encourage younger Hawaiians to enter business as a career. We prefer to work like one big family.“ Hawaiian cultural values sometimes run counter to the Western model of market competition. Island peoples, and Hawaiians in particular, view their community in ever-widening concentric circles of ‘ohana. Deep long-term relationships tie families together, and discourage knee-jerk reactions in favor of considerate decisions that “keep the peace” and maintain relationships. These same values nurture and preserve long-term business relationships that are both collaborative and supportive. In 2005, MNHCoC founding members Boyd Mossman, Jimmy Haynes, Joe Kealoha, Rose Marie Duey, Clay Sutherland, Lokelani Houpo and Al Pelayo identified what they deemed a community need. Very few Hawaiians were entering the business world, and youth were not considering business as a career option. Earlier research by Blanchflower and Oswald (Journal of Labor Economics, 1998, 16(1), pp. 26-60) showed that, above intelligence and economic advantage, willingness to assume risk was the most important trait of successful entrepreneurs. Their study concluded that business owners were passing down to their children, by example, good risk management skills and a positive attitude toward risk assumption. Alternatively, children from families not involved in business tended to be averse to taking financial risks. For MNHCoC, the question became, ‘how can we help young people whose parents are not in business? How do we teach them how to assume and manage risk?’ The obvious answer for the founding members of MNHCoC was to mentor these young people into business.
KeOlaMagazine.com | Maui County, December 2013/January 2014
n December 6, 2013, an estimated three hundred Maui businesspeople and students will convene at the Grand Wailea Resort to affirm and promote Hawaiian values in the workplace. It will be the 7th Annual Hui Holomua Business Fest of the Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce. One might expect folks like Senator Brian Schatz, Congresswoman Coleen Hanabusa, and Mayor Alan Arakawa to be shy about addressing tough topics, but year after year, leaders of industry and government are eager to be a part of this hard-hitting conference. Scheduled for the morning session are Senior Members of Federal, State and Local Government tackling the difficult question of what can be done to make Hawai‘i more “business friendly”. After a keynote luncheon address from Jan E. Hanohano Dill, an equally challenging afternoon session begins. A panel of illustrious leaders from every business sector will discuss 2014 job creation on Maui, threats to Hawai‘i agriculture, and entrepreneurship in an uncertain economy. Hawaiian or not, every speaker at Hui Holomua bases their presentation on Hawaiian cultural values—like laulima (cooperation), ho‘oulu (nurturing growth), malama ‘āina (caring for the land), ho‘opo‘okela (effecting excellence), ho‘olokahi (bringing about unity and consensus), ho‘okipa (offering hospitality to all), kōkua (offering help and assistance), and ‘ohana (devotion to family and relationships). It’s more than lip service. This is a conference put on by a group of Hawaiian business people who live by these values. Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce’s (MNHCoC) mission is “to promote and sustain Hawaiian values and culture, and enhance the socio-economic status of Native Hawaiians in business and as individuals.” In the process of meeting this mission they have hit on Hawaiian values as a practical means of building and maintaining meaningful business relationships— a business goal pushed in every online business blog, but one that rarely shows up on business conference agenda. This year’s Hui Holomua theme is ‘Onipa‘a i ka ‘Imi Na‘auao: Hawaiian Values Are Good Business. Global businesses know that meaningful client relationships maintain brand recognition and loyalty, despite Kamehameha Schools campus and the challenges outreach students attend Hui Holomua of online Business Fest to learn about business and to interact with seasoned business people. marketing. In practice, creating Photo by Shane Tegarden 2012. relationships requires effective, attitudinal strategies that resonate from the very core of a business. Hawaiian values are effective and simple to understand. “Conduct codes” and religion-based value systems can push employee and client hot buttons, but Hawaiian values don’t have that drawback. They are equally acceptable in Asia and the West. Hawaiian values are what make business and government enthusiastic about Hui Holomua.
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KeOlaMagazine.com | Maui County, December 2013/January 2014
The Hawaiians of old excelled at cooperative projects like building such wonders as heiau, gravity irrigation systems for extensive valleys, giant fishponds, large double-hulled voyaging canoes and laying the Ala Loa road around Maui. Within a framework of stable relationships, values and skills are passed on through a traditional method of apprenticeship and mastery, closely akin to what we call mentoring. Kumu (teachers), kilo (seer/observer) experts and specialized kāhuna (priests) passed on design, planning, leadership and construction skills without books, Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of written plans or Commerce conferences attract leaders texts. Students from all segments of the Hawai‘i economy. Photo by Shane Tegarden 2012 trained on the job with their elders in formal apprenticeships. Division of roles, reciprocal relationships, collaboration and cooperation set boundaries for healthy competition based on a set of deeply held values. Mentoring is an age-old Hawaiian tradition. MNHCoC members mentor youth by providing hands-on internships in their own place of business. As an organization, members provide scholarships to Hui Holomua for students selected by their teachers as candidates for business careers. Students attend workshops and fill in seats at keynote luncheon tables so they can interact with seasoned business professionals in casual business conversations and discussions. This may
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be the first time they’ll have such an opportunity. MNHCoC also mentors members through its volunteer-based organizational hierarchy. Members may learn management, organizational, Current MNHCoC Board of Directors Photo by Katherine Kama‘ema‘e Smith administrative and communications skills working on committees. Those who want leadership training may serve as committee chairs or board members. Past MNHCoC Presidents serve on the board as mentors for the newest President. Kai remarks, “As Maui businesspeople we compete in a Western economy, but as Hawaiians we apply our traditional ways to build and maintain business relationships. We like to say that Hawaiian values are good business.” Clearly, a global economy demands practical ways to build and maintain business relationships and turn buzz into leads and dollars. By focusing on their roots, businesspeople at MNHCoC have found a way to preserve and promote traditional values that work in today’s business world. ❖ Contact writer Kama‘ema‘e Smith: honumaui@gmail.com Register for Hui Holomua: http://www.mauihawaiianchamber. org/BusinessFest_OnlineRegistration.cfm
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The Resonant Beat of Kapa Story and Photos By Kaualani Pereira
Lisa and the other women gathered today have been busy experimenting with the process of making kapa into clothing, blankets and ceremonial pieces for years, because this is the way kapa was used The inner bark from the Wauke soaks in seawater, releasing tannins. in old Hawai‘i. For many of these women, kapa making has transformed, even taken over, their lives. One of them recently let go of a part-time job to focus on creating new pieces. “All I want to do is beat kapa,” Kaliko says, smiling. This twenty-something year old, who has a kapa moe (blanket) passed down in the family from her great-grandmother that hangs on the wall of her work space to inspire her, is referring to the laborious process by which the inner bark is pounded for hours to create kapa. Kapa, the soft, paper-like final product, actually begins with the careful cultivation of stems growing from the wauke plant (Broussonetia papyrifera), also known as paper mulberry. Side shoots must be plucked off the stem as it grows so that side branches won’t form and pierce holes through the valuable inner bark. Lisa tends to her wauke patch vigilantly, watching for new growth so she will have un-holy kapa (which is, in this case, a good thing). The stem is harvested at preferably 6-7 ft tall; the inner bark is removed and soaked in water (or seawater), often fermented, and then beaten. According to Hawaiian mythology, Maikoha is credited with the origin of the wauke and is the ‘aumakua of those who use it. Many legends exist about Maikoha. One describes a brave and fearless young man who broke many kapu, angering his father, Konikonia. Maikoha was sent away to go wherever he pleased, and landed in Kaupo, Maui, where he made his home. There,
KeOlaMagazine.com | Maui County, December 2013/January 2014
he Hawaiian goddess Hina once lived in Hāna Bay on Maui, where she made the finest kapa. Although she loved making kapa each day, Hina did not live a happy life. Planning her escape to be free from her abusive husband and children, Hina decided she would create a rainbow that would allow her to escape into the heavens. One day, as Hina was making kapa, she formed a rainbow over Hāna Bay and began to climb, but her jealous husband saw her and grabbed her foot. He held on, but Hina brought fierce thunder and lightning into Hāna Bay, which forced him to let go so he could cover his ears. Freed from his grasp, she climbed quickly into the sky, where she became mahina, the moon. The figure that can be seen on the surface of the moon when it is full is Hina happily making kapa, free from her worldly cares. The tradition of kapa making, once a part of everyday life in Old Hawai‘i, is still practiced today. On a cloudy morning in Upcountry Maui, a group of women meet to discuss kapa. Ipu gourds in various shapes and sizes line the porch, drying in the cool air. Native Hawaiian plants occupy every bit of exposed soil around the house that is not already inhabited by mowed grass. Inside, the home is filled with laughter, lively conversation and sheets of handmade bark cloth. Lisa Schattenburg-Raymond is the host of a gathering of Maui’s dedicated kapa artists, who are sharing discoveries and talking about their latest works. “One day, we’ll actually work on pieces together, that’s the idea, but we usually get caught up talking all day,” Lisa laughingly admits. Today, her comrades encourage one another in preparation for Hi‘iakaikano‘eau, a hula performance at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center (MACC) on January 18 with Hālau o Kekuhi. They, along with other kapa artists, are making pieces to clothe Hālau o Kekuhi’s hula dancers for Hi‘iakaikano‘eau. They are also creating kapa pieces for the Mōhala Hou Ke Kapa exhibit at the MACC’s Schaefer International Gallery, where 28 artists from Hawai‘i and California will display fine art pieces from January 21 until March 9.
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KeOlaMagazine.com | Maui County, December 2013/January 2014
he changed into the wauke plant, and because Maikoha’s body was very hairy, the leaves of the wauke are as well. Wauke is regarded as the source for the best kapa, but the outcome of the finished product will depend on many factors, like the variety of wauke used. There has been no research to date, according to Lisa, on the many different varieties of wauke grown across Asia and Polynesia, so she is conducting her own, as Research Associate for the Bishop Museum. She is growing five varieties on her property in Upcountry Maui, among them lau nui (a large leafed cultivar), manamanalima (lobed-leaf variety, possibly Asian), and po‘a‘aha (the most prized amonst these kapa A kapa maker’s “toolbox” makers). Lisa is studying these different varieties so she can propagate the best wauke for the next generation of kapa makers. Plant research is familiar territory for Lisa. As founding director of the Maui Nui Botanical Garden (MNBG), from 2000 to 2010, she is accustomed to growing and tending to native Hawaiian plants and trailblazing their cultivation and research. Her passion for plants began with her mother, who was an educator at the Bishop Museum and later the Lyon Arboretum on O‘ahu, and had a passion for dying fabric using Hawaiian plants. According to Lisa, her mother would always be experimenting, “She would be boiling wana (sea urchin) on the apartment stove where we grew up. We thought she was crazy but, hey, I guess it rubbed off!” Lisa met Marie McDonald, expert of Hawaiian crafts and author of Ka Lei: The Leis of Hawai‘i, who was teaching a lei workshop at MNBG. Much like lei making, many kapa pieces were made traditionally for the fleeting moment, especially kapa made for the ali‘i. All of the kapa maker’s intention went into the particular person who would wear it, or the purpose it would serve, while making a piece, much like a lei is strung with intention and prayer for a person or event. And often, after the purpose of that kapa had been served, it was destroyed, much like the flowers of lei naturally turning brown and decomposing after a day of festivities. Lisa was encouraged to pursue kapa making by Marie, who saw her passion and skill with plants and dyes. Later that year, Marie was commissioned to do an art show at the Bishop Museum. She told Lisa to have some pieces ready to show as well. At the time, Lisa hadn’t learned the art of kapa yet. She remembers Marie saying to her, “Well, you’ve got a year to learn.” If it hadn’t been for this invitation, “I wouldn’t be a kapa maker today,” says Lisa. The other members of this kapa hui attribute their beginnings to their teachers Moana Eisele, who came to Maui in 2006 and 2007 to teach workshops and Dalani Tanahy, of Kapa Hawai‘i on O‘ahu. Before that, these kapa makers had been piecing together information from books and stories, and Moana and Dalani’s workshops gave them the know-how that made all the pieces fit together. “It was a big ‘aha’ moment for me,” remembers Vicki, “everything just clicked.” Lisa picks up one of the small glass jars that sit on the coffee table and shows it to Kaliko, who was asking about making kukui soot as ink. She explains the process as she learned it to the five women in the room, and a discussion erupts as they laugh
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KeOlaMagazine.com | Maui County, December 2013/January 2014
about their trial and error experiments in making the soot. The other glass jars are filled with dried Hawaiian plants used to scent the kapa, which has a very strong odor after the fermentation Red Noni root dye created by Lisa process. She and Vicki describe their contents: ‘awapuhi ginger root that has been dried and chopped, powdered sandalwood, and maile leaf collected from the mountains. Outside Lisa’s front door, many dye plants find their home, among them ‘uki ‘uki, ‘ōlena, noni, and ma‘o. She displays a red piece of kapa that has been painted with noni root, a hue inspired by a piece she saw in the Bishop Museum long ago, which took her years to recreate. For the past several years Lisa, Denby, Kaliko, Vicki, and others, have been focusing on refining the kapa making process, and Lisa has dozens and dozens of kapa “samples” around her house. Blends of wauke with beaten māmaki, ‘ākia, and ‘ulu are reminiscent of leather and lace, far from the tough kapa seen hanging in Hawai‘i’s hotel lobbies. Denby made a kapa kihei, a traditional ceremonial piece, for her wedding. Their teacher Dalani has made wedding dresses out of kapa, and Lisa and her comrades on Maui dream of one day making other kapa garments that can be worn casually. They follow the path of Ancient Hawaiian kapa makers. According to Te Rangi Hiroa in the book “Arts and Crafts in Hawaii V: Clothing” (translated by Peter H. Buck), “The Hawaiians appear to have concentrated on making as many varieties of tapa as they could devise. Kamakau states, ‘Na ‘anokapa he nui wale’ (The kinds Tending to the Lau Nui Wauke patch of tapa were great indeed). Brigham, in a vocabulary of terms used in connection with tapa, records no fewer than 68. One variation was in the thickness of the cloth. Nowhere else were such thin varieties of cloth made as were produced in Hawai‘i.” And now, Hina has company beating the finest kapa on Maui, the women and men who are rediscovering the ways of old and carrying the tradition into the future by educating and inspiring the next generation of kapa makers of Hawai‘i. ❖ Contact Writer Kaualani Pereira: mceditor@keolamagazine.com
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KeOlaMagazine.com | Maui County, December 2013/January 2014
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Lana‘i Art Center’s light-filled gift shop gallery
Nourishing Art on Lana‘i | By Joana Varawa
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an extraordinary piece is found amid the rainbows, angels and pineapples in clay and color. A volunteer adult beading hui meets every Sunday to make gorgeous Swarovski crystal bracelets that are sold in the gift shop to help fund the children’s art program. The beading ladies have become fast friends and look forward to peaceful Sunday afternoons working amid the glitter and glow of beautiful crystals. The recent purchase of Lana‘i by billionaire Larry Ellison has left the Art Center in limbo pending his ultimate plans for the town, and in the meantime the work continues. Many parties and openings have been held, as well as concerts and workshops. Buildings have been renovated with new windows, roof, and paint with the assistance of a grant from the County of Maui. Classes in silk painting, textile art, jewelry and ceramics, oil painting are taught by off-island artists. Lana‘i locals hold woodworking, papermaking, flower arranging, basket weaving, prose, A display of childrens’ art journaling and poetry classes, as well as almost anything that a teacher can supervise. Free movies have been held in Dole Park, weather permitting, and innovative programs encourage photography, painting, and public speaking for school children. A visiting Maui artist taught a memorable children’s workshop using reproductions of great paintings by Monet and Van Gough as models. Their framed paintings are cherished by their parents, who never dreamed that their kid could produce such a lovely work of art. Recently painted and elegantly decorated, the light filled gallery/gift shop has become a community living room for Lana‘i residents and visitors. Here, amid the colorful fabrics, sleek wood sculpture, clay bowls, glistening crystal bracelets,
KeOlaMagazine.com | Maui County, December 2013/January 2014
hen the award-winning Lodge at Ko‘ele was under construction in the late ‘80’s, John Wullbrandt, an internationally recognized muralist, was hired to enhance the décor at the resort. He knew that the involvement of local artists would bring life and energy to the project. Via flyers posted around town, a group of interested artists was gathered, and under John’s direction, embellished The Lodge with varied works of art. He taught them techniques of trompe l’oeil, stenciling and faux wall texturing. Working together, they painted the walls to look like burlap, defined each room door with a native flower, ran a line of stenciled birds and deer around the floor and ceiling of the Great Hall, and created framed paintings and drawings of hula dancers, pineapple fields, native landscape and petroglyphs. In a grand effort, the artists assisted in decorating the ceilings of the entrance hall and music room with exotic flowers, a compass rose, and a poem that placed Ko‘ele, “In the center of the world.” When they finished this astonishing project, John felt that the accumulated energy should not be allowed to dissipate. He organized the Lana‘i Art Project, and secured an old Dole plantation store for the artists to continue their work. From that early beginning The Lana‘i Art Center, now incorporated as a non-profit community organization, has metamorphosed into a lively volunteer-supported program. The Center offers classes in art and ceramics via its Kid’s Art Club to Lana‘i’s young children, and a spectrum of classes and activities for adults. The old paint-spattered store is now a renovated cheerful gift shop and gallery that shows and sells the work of local artists. Some of the teachers have shared their skills at the Art Center for many years. Nat Fujimoto teaches pottery making, including use of the wheel, to children, as she has for decades. Children are her favored students because they show less resistance to new ideas and skills than do adults. Cindy Sagawa reigns over the chaos of 30 small kids daubing in paint and cutting paper with aplomb, as she has for many years, and seems to flourish in an atmosphere of maximum disorder. The work of her Kids Art Club students is sold in the gallery, and very often
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oil and watercolor landscapes, photographs, and all manner of fanciful inventions, a bevy of volunteers keeps the doors and their hearts open to anyone who walks in. Art does this. It opens the spirit to beauty, and beauty in turn touches our humanity in the deepest possible manner. Jeanne Mothersbaugh, a dedicated volunteer at the Center, devotes “blood, sweat and tears,” as she puts it, to working there. A crew of volunteers has just cleaned up the backyard office from years of neglect in preparation for fumigating it, and Jeanne is visibly tired. For her, the Art Center is a place where she feels comfortable and at home, as does board member Sherri Williams, and volunteer Billie Jean Marks. The three ladies, all next-door neighbors, find solace and mutual support tending the gallery and overseeing the work of the Art Center. Momi Sukuki wanders in and contributes her mana‘o to our conversation about what makes the Center appealing. “It’s peaceful here and we work in an atmosphere of trust and cooperation,” explains Momi, whose raku ceramic jewelry has sold in the gallery shop for years. A true kama‘aina, whose family has deep roots on Lana‘i, Momi’s dignity and taste infuse her work. Recently the four women combined efforts with a few of their elderly Japanese friends on Lana‘i. Borrowing photos, artifacts, and exquisite antique kimono, together they created a display of local Japanese culture that was shown at the gallery during the last Obon Festival. The attendant activities included instructions in some of the basic dances of Obon, and an opening party that introduced folks to each other who might never had met otherwise. Frank Walls, a professional illustrator and high school teacher, supports the Center as a member of the board, and by teaching ceramics. Describing his work, he says, “I focus on the idea
behind a project rather than the skill. Basic skills and technique are important, but using them in a creative way is what really matters. Making a pinch pot is easy, but turning it into something new is what’s hard. That’s what I try to teach my students – creativity.” Admiring a hand painted silk kimono Recently hired as Director of the Art Center, Colleen Edwards hopes that Pulama Lana‘i, the company that now owns the island, will recognize the value of the Art Center’s programs in the life of the community and provide a suitable space to continue. Colleen trusts that the Art Center’s proposal for a vitally active facility offering intriguing classes and events to everyone—residents, newly arrived hotel and construction workers, and island guests—will bear fruit. They envision a flourishing place saturated with color, music, and life, where many different people come together to make and do things for others to enjoy. “What it is really about for me—is love,” shares board president Sharie Liden, summing up the involvement and interest of so many Lanaians in the work and mission of the Art Center, All in all, John’s Wullbrandt’s initial effort has flowered into hundreds of wonderful works of art, and into the deep satisfaction that creating art gives the artist.❖ Contact writer Joana Varawa: joanavarawa@gmail.com Photos courtesy Lana‘i Art Center
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nuary 2013
December–Ja
A
nuali 2013
Kekemapa–Ia
Featured Cover Artist:
Sarai Lokahia Stricklin
s a young girl, Sarai Stricklin learned the art of kapa. “Stamping with the ‘ohe kapala, I had the feeling of being helped by the ones in the invisible realm,” she recounts. Sarai began making kapainspired batik prints in the 8th grade, “I learned at that early time how to give thanks and be open.” Today, many of her pieces are inspired by dreams and confirmed by scholarly research of Hawaiian books and chants, as well as conversations with various kūpuna. “The ‘ohe kapala still communicate their mana‘o to me,” says Sarai. “I’m off the beaten path, so to speak, but I had a really quick evolution from kapa to batik on silk.” Sarai’s fine art tells stories of Hawai‘i, through pananui and panaiki, large and small scroll art pieces, for which her son, James Kaui Freudenberg-Pu, fashions Koa hanging rods. Sarai’s Aloha ‘Aina Prayer Flags, made on Moloka‘i with Hawaiian Immersion school students for
By Kaualani Pereira
many years, brings her great joy. For Sarai, it’s all about her haumana, her students, on Moloka‘i. Sarai was recently welcomed into the Maui Crafts Guild, and will be working with the Hawaiian Village in Waihe‘e to bring the work of her haumana from Moloka‘i to a larger audience. Sarai has blazed a trail for her own expression, continues to teach others, and now spends her days creating new pieces in Central Maui, telling the stories of the ‘āina that she loves so much. Contact Sarai Stricklin: SaraiStricklin.com
Contact writer Kaualani Pereira: mceditor@keolamagazine.com
KeOlaMagazine.com | Maui County, December 2013/January 2014
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KeOlaMagazine.com | Maui County, December 2013/January 2014
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Halau O Kekuhi:
Hi‘iakaikano‘eau
A hula performance that delves into the creative center of the Hawai’i sense of practical beauty and the wisdom of the kupuna in making things both useful and beautiful. Hula and the poetry of movement celebrates Hana Kapa and the poetry of the fiber.
Premiere! Saturday, January 18 Castle Theater, 7:30 pm Tickets: mauiarts.org
242-SHOW
Möhala Hou Ke Kapa: Kapa Blossoms Anew An exhibition in Schaefer International Gallery January 21- March 9, 2014 Tues – Sun 10am - 5 pm FREE!
Kapa Artists
Maile Andrade Kawai Aona-Ueoka Solomon Apio R. A‘ia‘i Bello Ka‘iulani deSilva Kamalu du Preez Moana Eisele Denby Freeland-Cole Mililani Hanapi
Roen Hufford Sabra Kauka Gail Kuba Pualani Maielua Lincoln Marie McDonald Marques Marzan Vicki McCarty U‘ilani Naho‘olewa Terry Reveira
Lisa Schattenburg-Raymond Wesley Sen Emily Kaliko Spenser Wende Ke‘aka Stitt Verna Takashima Dalani Tanahy
H A W A I ‘I ’S M O S T H A W A I I A N H O T E L
800.262.8450 KBHMAUI.COM Kama‘aina Rates Available KBH_KeOla_7.25x4.75_Dec2013.indd 1
Subject to availability and some restrictions may apply. 10/24/13 9:41 AM