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.

       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. 
 

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. 

     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.

     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

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. This engaging pair is from Leilehua Yuen's line of "Historic Hawai`i" hand silkscreened greeting cards. For more information contact Yuen Media Services: yuen@ilhawaii.net.