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.
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.
Beauty in the Bark
Among Polynesians, the Hawaiians of old excelled in the making of kapa. Their distant daughters have begun to reclaim this once-lost ancient art.
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.
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.
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.
Defining Identity
When your name includes twelve syllables and nearly as many letters as the alphabet, you often have some explaining to do.
Instructions: How to Make a Lei
Celebrate May Day in Hawaii with a fresh flower lei. Here are step by step instructions on how to sew your lei.
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.
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.
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.
Li Hing Mui: Hawaii’s Favorite Snack
Li hing mui is a favorite Hawaii snack. Lehia shares her top 10 ways to eat this salty sweet treat.
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.
Wayfinders
Polynesians navigate Earth's largest ocean by celestial bodies and seabirds, winds and ocean swells.
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.
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.
Island Royalty
Kumu hula and lei maker, Gordean Bailey has spent a lifetime sharing the culture of aloha.
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.
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.”
Breadfruit
As it turns out, one breadfruit can feed a family, and one variety a people. Packed in coconut-husk fiber and dry leaves, ‘ulu accompanied the Polynesian voyagers in their canoes bound for Hawai‘i.
The Weave of History
In the plaited leaves of the pandanus tree, a lauhala master passes along an ancient tradition.
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.
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