The Island of Hawai`i
Click for More Information

     A trip around the Island of Hawai`i will take you to many interesting places. Each of the six districts has its own unique character. Learn a little about each of the districts by clicking the above link for more information.
     Here, Leilehua "Auntie Lele" Yuen dances hula for world-renowned Hawaiian slack key artist George Kahumoku.

Take the
Six Districts Quiz
and see how well you know the island of Hawai`i!

`Anaeho`omalu
Petroglyphs and History
Click for More Information

     At the north end of the district of Kona, the village, bay, and development area of `Anaeho`omalu (ah-NAH-eh-hoh-oh-MAH-loo) are famed for their petroglyphs, which cover huge portions of the rolling lava fields. Many more petroglyphs are likely hidden under the sands and waves of the shoreline. You can find the petroglyphs by following the well-marked trails near the hotels. It can be very hot here. Go early, before the sun heats the lava. Wear good hiking shoes. Take sunscreen and plenty of water.
     Please stay on the trails, and "malama," protect, our petroglyphs. Even walking barefoot on them, or taking rubbings, gradually wears them away. Go in the morning or evening to photograph them, so that the slanting light gives you the best pictures.
     But this is more than a scenic place. Decisive battles were fought here, which shaped the history of our islands. Click above for more history.

       King David Kalakaua said, "Hula is the language of the heart, and therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people." To learn more, click
        Visitors to Pu`uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park may watch or participate in a hula demonstration by Halau Hula Na Mohala Hala`i. 
 

Hula Ki`i - Hawaiian Puppetry
Click for More Information

     The term Hula Ki`i appears to cover a wide variety of dramatic techniques, ranging from dancers portraying images (ki`i) of gods, to puppets being manipulated as if they were dancing. The style of hula ki`i preserved in the Beamer family uses small hand puppets which are manipulated by a dancer. 
     At the coronation of King David Kalakaua, Kumu Hula Ehu Keohohina presented four hula ki`i. Nathaniel Emerson recieved four ki`i from a kumu hula who had inherited them from his brother. The kumu hula stated that his brother "gave them to me with these words, 'take care of these things, and when the time comes, after my death, that the king wants you to perform before him, be ready to fulfill his desire.'

Na Ipu o Hawai`i - The Gourds of Hawai`i
Click for More Information

                                                                                          The ipu heke is a gourd drum used by the chanter to accompany hula. Here, members of a halau hula based in Tokyo, Japan, show off ipu heke they made under the instruction of Leilehua Yuen (center) at a week-long  workshop. The class included an introduction to Hawaiian culture and lifestyle. 

Na Hulu Manu o Hawai`i - Featherwork
Click for More information

     As one gazes on the pageantry of Hawaiian cultural festivals, their awesomeness is enhanced by the grace of flowing `ahu`ula (feather cloaks), elegance of tall kahili (feather royal standards), and the festive decorative effect of lei hulu manu (feather garlands). These items and more were an important part of Hawaiian court and diplomatic life from ancient times.
     The canoes of Hawaiian chiefs also wore lei hulu manu, giant feather lei. They streamed in the wind telling its direction, providing both function and beauty. With the Hawaiian love of metaphor, they possibly also were felt to add to the mana, spiritual power, of the craft by imbuing it with the spirit and protection of the bird from whose feathers the lei hulu manu was crafted.
     Religious articles were decorated with feathers. The best known is the image of Kuka`ilimoku, Kamehameha's war god. But many other images as well as at least one small shrine were enhanced with plumage. . . .

     Lei are an instantly recognizable symbol of Hawai`i. The wreaths of flowers and foliage worn by both men and women add fragrance and beauty to island life. Not all lei are made from flowers. A special song composed for a loved one can be a lei. But all of them are a tangible expression of aloha, and as such are given to show love, joy, or sympathy, and as greetings and farewells.
     Instructor Leilehua Yuen learned lei making from her grandmother, Thelma Yuen, during summers and weekends spent at Kehena in Puna on ka Moku Hawai`i. See the Classes page for information about instruction in lei making and other Hawaiian crafts.

Na Mea `Ai - Food of Hawai`i
Click for More Information

     In Hawai`i, food is so much a part of the culture that we don't eat until we are full, we eat until we are TIRED!!! E komo mai! Join us at the Kau kau Kitchen Website and Cooking Forum! E ho`i mai `ai!

     In one story of the fiery volcano goddess, Pele challenges a young chief to a holua race - and loses! Leilehua Yuen depicts Pele racing her holua sled to the sea in this drawing from her currently-in-progress coloring book on the adventures of Pele. The image also is available on greeting cards in the artist's "Hawaiian Deities" series. Yuen@ilHawaiinet

Konane, Hawaiian Checkers
Click for More Information

            Konane is a traditional Hawaiian board game similar to draughts and requiring the strategic skills of chess or go. It was played by men and women of all stations in life, and especially enjoyed by older men. Huge bets might be laid on a Konane game, with the stakes ranging from goods, such as kapa blankets and clothing, lau hala mats, jewelry, land, sexual favors, or even one’s own life.

Poliahu, Goddess of Mauna Kea
Click for More Information

Na Mahi `Ai - The Farmers
Click for More Information

Coffee farming is a long-standing tradition on the slopes of Kona's Mt. Hualalai. Before Jeeps became the pack animal of choice, most farm families kept "Kona Nightingales," named for their "sweet" singing at dusk.

Makahiki - The Hawaiian New Year
Click for More Information

      Makahiki can be a confusing word. It means "year," "new year," and also refers to the four month long season which heralds the new year in the Hawaiian calendar.
      In ancient times, as the old year drew to a close, the priests associated with certain temples on the western side of each inhabited Hawaiian island would watch for the appearance of Makali`i - the Pleiades - a star cluster which appears in the evening sky in our October. When the priests could finally distinguish Makali`i in the eastern sky shortly after sunset, they announced the next new moon would begin the Makahiki season. This was a time when warfare and most work were prohibited and the people celebrated with games and sports.

Na Paniola Pipi - The Hawaiian Cowboy
Click for More Information

The Ranching heritage of Hawai`i began with a gift from England and the assistance of Spain. In 1793, British sea captain George Vancouver gifted the Hawaiian King, Pai`ea Kamehameha, with long horned cattle. Kamehameha place a kapu (royal sacred protection) on the cattle, allowing them to roam and breed freely.

Na Ali`i - The Chiefs
Click for More Information

     Hawai`i is the only state in the USA to have been an independant monarchy. Whatever one's political feelings, the monarchy was a time of explosive artistic growth, achievement, and change, as well as high romance.

     Keep checking back as more information on our royalty is added to this site.

Lomi Lomi - Hawaiian Massage
Click for More Information

         Lomi Lomi is a form of massage practiced from ancient times by the Hawaiian people. Each family had, and many continue to have, their own unique style, passed down from generation to generation by the kupuna, the elders. When I was a girl, at the end of a long work day, the children had the privilageof giving lomi lomi to their parents. . . .

Marriage in Ancient Hawai`i
Click for More Information

     In ancient times, there was no ceremony comparable to the modern wedding. Marriage, as it is known in the Western World today, did not exist. There was no government licensing, no legal requirements, and no divorce - if a couple decided that their relationship was no longer productive, they simply parted ways. As children were reared by the entire extended family, there was little disruption in the life of the youngsters.

Hanai

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/2000/Sep/24/924islandlife30.html