Hawaiian Soul

The life of Kālaipōhaku Hoaka Delos Reyes has been shaped by the medium he shapes.

More than skin deep, traditional tattoos link modern Hawaiians to their ancestors.

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.

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 ancient art, as delicate as it is beautiful, has outlived the kings who once claimed it as their own.

Discover how the restoration of Koieie Fishpond in North Kihei is helping to connect volunteers with ancient Hawaiian culture, legends and practices of old.

When your name includes twelve syllables and nearly as many letters as the alphabet, you often have some explaining to do.

Animal, plant, elemental force, even the substance of dreams-in their different forms, ancestral guides helped to shape the Islands' first culture.

 George Kahumoku Jr. Maui’s Renaissance man for the Hawaiian Renaissance.    By Peter von Buol with Chris Amundson  It is a beautiful Wednesday evening at Napili Kai Beach...

Now that federal funds to restore "the Target Island" have dried up, Kaho‘olawe's caretakers are scrambling to maintain the work of healing this sacred place.

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...

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.

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.

How did Hawaiians use the stars?

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

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.

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

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.

Place names in Hawai‘i often carry rich cultural or historical meaning, but rarely is the origin story clear.

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

On Maui's remote eastern shore, a long-hidden archeological treasure recalls the majesty of an ancient kingdom.

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

Following the ancient practices of our ancestors has restored a missing piece—healing across generations.

As the sun sinks behind Mala Wharf, hula dancers sway and whirl rhythmically before an enchanted audience. A live band croons in Hawaiian, torches...

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.

How Maui farmers are cultivating ancient wisdom to feed a population—and a hunger for culture.