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.
Cultivating an Ancient Wisdom
How food is grown, prepared, and used is arguably as important in defining a culture as lineage, language and lore.
Hawaiian Turmeric
Turmeric is prized around the world for its yellow color, bold flavor, and medicinal properties. When Polynesian voyagers first sailed to Hawai‘i, they brought the pungent herb with them.
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.
Pa‘u Riders
Hawaiian pa'u riders carry on an exuberant tradition, bedecking both horse and rider with flowers and fine fabrics.
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.
Defining Identity
When your name includes twelve syllables and nearly as many letters as the alphabet, you often have some explaining to do.
The Sacred Spine
Ancient Hawaiian mythology tells of the sacred shapeshifting dragons, or moo, which holds supernatural powers. Their presence is still felt by many.
Pono
By reviving ancient Hawaiian practices, modern conservationists hope to save the forests and the seas of the future.
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.
Finding Their Roots
How two homegrown farmers are working to save the future by looking to the past.
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.
Giving Voice to a Culture
For more than a millennium, Hawaii relied on was an oral culture. It’s not mere chance that the spoken word has regained its importance today.
Kumu
Though he didn't set out to become an expert on Hawaiian culture, Keli'i Tau'a may be the most revered teacher of hula and chant you never heard of.
The Rebirth of Makahiki
Maui and her sister islands are reviving one of the most important spiritual times of ancient Hawai‘i: Makahiki.
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.
Celebration of the Arts
Every Easter weekend, the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, goes all out with its Celebration of the Arts: a celebration of all things Hawaiian.
Makahiki
Each year, as the rains came and the Makali‘i, or Pleiades, appeared in the night sky, Hawaiians of old set aside time to rest, feast and play.
Camp Maui
The island of Maui is known for rainbows, beaches, nature and much aloha. But during World War II, it had a very different vibe.
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The Heiau in the Garden
On Maui's remote eastern shore, a long-hidden archeological treasure recalls the majesty of an ancient kingdom.
Hawaiian Moon Calendar
In its wax and wane, Hawaiians of old found the secrets to sustainable living.
The Feather Lei
An ancient art, as delicate as it is beautiful, has outlived the kings who once claimed it as their own.
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.
Open Mind
See what happens when ancient Hawaiian culture meets modern art techniques at Maui's annual Celebration of Hawaii exhibit at Viewpoints Gallery in Makawao.
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.