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.”
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.
The Weave of History
In the plaited leaves of the pandanus tree, a lauhala master passes along an ancient tradition.
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.
Hawaii’s Spirit Guardians
Animal, plant, elemental force, even the substance of dreams-in their different forms, ancestral guides helped to shape the Islands' first culture.
VIDEO: Papa Kuʻiʻai (Poi Board) Making
Watch as we transform a piece of monkey pod into a papa kuʻiʻai (poi board) during this workshop on Maui, hosted by the Hawaiʻi Farmers Union United.
The Meaning of Kamaʻaina
The Hawaiian work kamaʻaina isn’t so much about bloodlines and birthplace, as about a fully intentional way to live.
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.
The Feather Lei
An ancient art, as delicate as it is beautiful, has outlived the kings who once claimed it as their own.
The Lure of Limu
The study of seaweed has enabled Hawaiian women—past and present—to sharpen their scientific eye, flavor bland meals, and exercise the art of metaphor.
Games Hawaiians Play
Children of Hawaii play traditional island games in the spirit of Makahiki. Ancient cultural competitions in connection with the festival and its meaning.
Shades of the Past
More than any other Polynesian people, Hawaiians excelled in the use of color, coaxing incredible hues from the natural world around them.
Pohaku
You and I are older than the stones along the Puna shoreline. These stones started just a few years ago as gobs of lava from Pele’s current eruption, gobs that dripped into the sea only to be tumbled and polished then lobbed back onto the shore.
The Weapon Maker’s Art
Wood and cordage, tooth and bone are used to recreate the ancient Hawaiian instruments of war. A modern weapons maker finds connection to a culture.
The Heartbeat of Hula
In contrast to modern hula (which is typically accompanied by Western-derived stringed instruments, such as the slack-key guitar or ‘ukulele), ancient hula is purely percussive.
An Ancient Fishpond Resurfaces
Lānaʻi Waiaʻōpae fishpond once helped feed the island's people. Today it's feeding a hunger for culture.
What Does a Hawaiian Look Like?
Through their portraits, handprints and signatures, Jordan Murph is helping native Hawaiians create an indelible legacy.
The Fisherman’s Net
From ancient times, Hawaiians have used this handwoven tool to gather an ocean harvest. For one Maui fisherman, it still holds a way of life and a sense of identity.
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.
An Appetite for Culture + VIDEO
How Maui farmers are cultivating ancient wisdom to feed a population—and a hunger for culture.
Wayfinders
Polynesians navigate Earth's largest ocean by celestial bodies and seabirds, winds and ocean swells.
Home, Thatched Home
Virtually extinct for over a century, hale—traditional Hawaiian houses—are making a comeback with the new millennium.
Wrapped in Tradition
This story straddles centuries to look at authentic Hawaiian clothing prior to Western contact, and how three young Hawaiian entrepreneurs are incorporating ancient meanings, patterns, and knowledge into their contemporary apparel.
