Hawaiian Culture

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...

Using ancient navigation techniques as a guide, master woodworker Keola Sequeira breathes new life into the ancient art of canoe building right here on Maui.

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

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.

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.

Bit by bit, archeologists are uncovering a forgotten island where kings once ruled and a sacred lizard kept watch.

Li hing mui is a favorite Hawaii snack. Lehia shares her top 10 ways to eat this salty sweet treat.

Teya Penniman explores the cultural significance and modern practices of Makahiki season in Hawaii. Learn about this sacred celebration in honor of Lono.

Dedicated volunteers are restoring the remains of a once-thriving Native Hawaiian village in Honokowai Valley—from the sticks to the stones.

Through their portraits, handprints and signatures, Jordan Murph is helping native Hawaiians create an indelible legacy.

Get the translation of Hawai'i Pono'i.

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.

From tiny shells that wash ashore on this forbidden island come priceless treasures.

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

Explore the sacred space of a Hawaiian sweat lodge.

Ancient Hawaiian mythology tells of the sacred shapeshifting dragons, or moo, which holds supernatural powers. Their presence is still felt by many.

Hawaiian culture evolved over millennia, then almost disappeared after Western contact. Maui's cultural advisors are committed to bringing it back.

When Elizabeth Lindsey was a child, Hawaiian elders foretold that she would embark on a journey to gather ancient wisdom that could guide future generations.

Kumu hula and lei maker, Gordean Bailey has spent a lifetime sharing the culture of aloha.

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

Like the rest of us, Hawaiian mature, age and die. And there the similarity ends.

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.

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.

Polynesians navigate Earth's largest ocean by celestial bodies and seabirds, winds and ocean swells.

Hawai'i's creation chant weaves together threads of ancient Hawaiian thought--heady science, deep spiritualism, and tantalizing innuendo.

How two homegrown farmers are working to save the future by looking to the past.

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