Hawaiian Soul

Hawaiian Soul stories published in Maui Nō Ka ʻOi Magazine.

stone carver maui

Carved in Stone

The life of Kālaipōhaku Hoaka Delos Reyes has been shaped by the medium he shapes.
Lanai Hawaiian island

To Know Lāna‘i Once Again

Kepā Maly is restoring authenticity to the stories of the island he loves.
Hokulani Holt

What is a Hawaiian Education?

We ask three maoli (native) educators to consider what it means to be an educated Hawaiian in the twenty-first century—and why it matters.
Hawaiian hale

Social Structure: Hawaiian Hale

Indigenous architecture was shaped by—and helped to shape—life in early Hawai‘i. Descendants of the Islands’ first people are building on that foundation.
hawaiian cosmos

Hawaiian Cosmos

How did Hawaiians use the stars?
Hawaiian healing

Healing Across Generations

Following the ancient practices of our ancestors has restored a missing piece—healing across generations.
hawaiian fishing nets

Schooled by the Sea

Centuries before Darwin conceived the theory of evolution, Hawaiians knew: On the spinning earth, covered in a dark sea, life began in the oceans.

Hidden in the Names

Place names in Hawai‘i often carry rich cultural or historical meaning, but rarely is the origin story clear.

Written in Stone

A historic site yields clues to Maui’s ancient culture
lace fern

Living Lace

Synonymous with Halema‘uma‘u, the rainbow-hued ferns such as the ‘ama‘u can also be found growing trailside at Haleakalā National Park.
Hana fishermen

Sustaining Culture in Hāna

Hāna’s families teach acclaimed chefs about living off the land—and remind themselves what it means to be Hawaiian.
Hokulea

Hōkūle‘a Comes Home

After her three-year odyssey around the globe, Hōkūle‘a’s youngest crewmembers prepare to take the helm.
taro farming

An Appetite for Culture + VIDEO

How Maui farmers are cultivating ancient wisdom to feed a population—and a hunger for culture.
Waiopae Fishpond Lanai Hawaii

An Ancient Fishpond Resurfaces

Lānaʻi Waiaʻōpae fishpond once helped feed the island's people. Today it's feeding a hunger for culture.
Gordean Bailey

Island Royalty

Kumu hula and lei maker, Gordean Bailey has spent a lifetime sharing the culture of aloha.
Pele by Linda Rowell Stevens

In Praise of Wāhine

From the very beginning, Hawaiian culture has celebrated women’s power, passion and intellect. We dig into Hawaiian wāhine culture to learn more.
Kings Highway - Daniel Sullivan Photography

On the King’s Trail (VIDEOS)

A writer and a photographer explore the remains of the King's Trail on Maui, where dozens of archaeological sites spring up from the side of the trail.
Hawaiian Heirloom Bracelets

Links of Gold

“As Hawaiians, our mo‘olelo [stories] are so important,” says Maelia. “With heirloom jewelry, the mo‘olelo live on in each piece.”
hanai

All in the Family

There’s a saying in English that you can’t choose your family. But with an ancient and enduring Hawaiian tradition called hānai, sometimes you can.
Hawaiian plants

Grounded in Culture

The culture of ancient Hawaiʻi was deeply rooted in nature. It still is—thanks to places like Maui Nui Botanical Gardens.
Hawaiian Goddess Pele

Fire Goddess

How could we dedicate an issue to all things hot about Hawai‘i and not include Pele? The volcano goddess is as renowned for her fiery passions as for the molten lava with which she creates new land.
Hawaiian taro

Cultivating an Ancient Wisdom

How food is grown, prepared, and used is arguably as important in defining a culture as lineage, language and lore.
Haleakala Crater

Into the House of the Sun

A millennium before Haleakala became a national park, Hawaiians traversed its moonscape crater. On the park’s centennial, we reprise that journey.
Kahoolawe island

Kaho‘olawe’s Legacy

Now that federal funds to restore "the Target Island" have dried up, Kaho‘olawe's caretakers are scrambling to maintain the work of healing this sacred place.

Ku Mai Ka Hula

Discovering culture through dance.
Maui girls canoe club

Keeping Culture Afloat

Maui's winningest canoe club is borrowing lessons from the past to surge ahead.
checking opihi populations

Clinging to Survival

In rural East Maui, two communities are taking a stand to conserve a weird wild food — and with it, a part of their culture.
kalo

The Future of Kalo

If Hawaiian kalo (taro) is in danger, is genetic modification the answer?