Maui Ocean Center
Hawaiian Culture and Plant Tour
By Serene Gunnison
At the Maui Ocean Center, visitors might hardly notice the plants that line the aquarium’s outdoor walkways. After...
Waihou Spring Trail
Upcountry hike traces history of reforestation, preservation efforts.
By Kyle Ellison
There’s a saying that inventors and entrepreneurs are mildly hallucinogenic because they often see things...
Pa‘u Riders
Hawaiian pa'u riders carry on an exuberant tradition, bedecking both horse and rider with flowers and fine fabrics.
Editor’s Letter
E mālama i nāholoholona lōhiu (Care for wildlife)
WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY is a business of long hours and patience. As legendary Maui-based whale photographer and co-founder...
Bringing Hawaiian Culture To Light
The Four Seasons in Wailea has a brilliant new art collection—“the first of its kind anywhere,”--courtesy of modern Hawaiian artists.
To Know Lāna‘i Once Again
Kepā Maly is restoring authenticity to the stories of the island he loves.
An Ancient Fishpond Resurfaces
Lānaʻi Waiaʻōpae fishpond once helped feed the island's people. Today it's feeding a hunger for culture.
Cultivating an Ancient Wisdom
How food is grown, prepared, and used is arguably as important in defining a culture as lineage, language and lore.
Olowalu’s Gift
This West Maui valley witnessed some of the island's most turbulent history. Now it's helping to redeem the past.
Ripple Effect
In its twenty-five years, Po‘okela has influenced the community beyond Kaanapali Beach Hotel.
Into the Source
Hawai'i's creation chant weaves together threads of ancient Hawaiian thought--heady science, deep spiritualism, and tantalizing innuendo.
Defining Identity
When your name includes twelve syllables and nearly as many letters as the alphabet, you often have some explaining to do.
Hawaiian Moon Calendar
In its wax and wane, Hawaiians of old found the secrets to sustainable living.
The Call of the ‘Alala
Ancient Hawaiian Chanters used the unique sounds of the Alala, Hawaiian crow, to broadcast messages in battle. Currently they are extinct in the wild.
Sustaining Culture in Hāna
Hāna’s families teach acclaimed chefs about living off the land—and remind themselves what it means to be Hawaiian.
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.
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.
Lono’s Season
Teya Penniman explores the cultural significance and modern practices of Makahiki season in Hawaii. Learn about this sacred celebration in honor of Lono.
Now, Voyager
Seventeen years in the making, the Hawaiian modern day voyaging canoe Mo‘okiha O Piilani will set sail on December 21 during the winter solstice.
The Rebirth of Makahiki
Maui and her sister islands are reviving one of the most important spiritual times of ancient Hawai‘i: Makahiki.
Birth of a Canoe
After nearly two decades in dry dock, the first oceangoing traditional voyaging canoe, Mo‘okiha o Pi‘ilani, embarked on its maiden voyage from Mala Wharf in Lahaina on July 11.
Kapa: More to Learn
See all eleven kapa Pua Van Dorpe created to honor ancient Maui chiefs, and read their stories.
Old Lāhainā Lūʻau
Dance and music take audiences on a journey through time.
Story by Serene Gunnison
Photographs by Joshua Hardin & Azelan Amundson
A pair of torches scarcely illuminates...
In Their Own Words
Fred Torres
OPERATIONS MANAGER AND CULTURAL ADVISOR AT KĀ‘ANAPALI ALI‘I
“My dad passed away when I was 5. My mom took care of four boys. We...
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.
