LIHU‘E — “The schools were ecstatic when they found out that it’s
free,” said Carol Lovell, director of the Kaua‘i Museum.
About 250 students from schools around the island converged on the
museum grounds for the first day of the Kaua‘i Museum Cultural Fare
yesterday. The fare continues today, Friday, Oct. 7, and concludes
tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 8.
Lovell explained that more students will be visiting today, and for the
duration of the fare, and there is no admission charge.
The fare is part of a celebration of the Hawaiian Archeology Conference
that opens today, Friday, Oct. 7, at the Radisson Kauai Beach Resort off
Kuhio Highway near Hanama‘ulu, Lovell explained.
That conference was supposed to have been held on Maui this year, but
after conference leaders found out about the special Archeology on
Kaua‘i exhibit currently on display at the Kaua‘i Museum, they relocated
the conference to Kaua‘i so participants could get the benefit of the
exhibit, which extended its run for the benefit of the conference,
Lovell said.
The saga doesn’t end there, though. Sheri Majewski, the museum’s
educational outreach coordinator, said that this Saturday is a special
‘Ohana Day, with no admission being charged from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Normally, just the first Saturday of each month is ‘Ohana Day, with free
admission and cultural demonstrations.
Majewski said the museum board members wanted to do more, and, after
consulting with practitioners of Hawaiian culture, coordinated the
three-day event in honor of the archeology conference.
Majewski said, “This is just a small beginning. There are a lot of
younger students out there who need direction, and, hopefully, this fare
will bring them back to their roots, and serve as an anchor for them.
Hopefully, it will spark the desire to learn in them.”
“Archeology is more than just sites,” Lovell added.
“By having the practitioners on hand, the students learning, it serves
to show that archeology can be alive and the culture being practiced.”
Lovell explained that, yesterday, her day began at 5 a.m. when she met a
group at the Cafe ‘Aina in Hanama‘ulu, to escort them to Nawiliwili
Harbor, where a waiting boat left at 6 a.m. for an archeological tour
along the
Northshore.
From there, it was down to Po‘ipu, where one of the sites for visitation
was changed, so she had to redirect a group to the alternate site.
Upon returning to the museum that serves as a hub for the conference,
more people were waiting for a tour to yet another site, an aspect that
caused Lovell to admit, “We love being the hub.”
She was accomplishing all of this while juggling about 150 social-
studies students from Waimea High School, whose arrival to the museum
was delayed due to a four-car accident along Kaumuali‘i Highway near
Halfway Bridge earlier in the morning.
Thursday’s agenda saw Nelson Ka‘ai demonstrate and talk about hula
implements, while kumu E. Kawai Aona-Ueoka had students working handson
with wauke to create paper, the students had the benefit of taking not
only their created paper, but the host branch as well as the knowledge
of the process so they could write reports on this aspect of Hawaiiana.
Outside, in the museum courtyard, lauhala weavers were joined by Bobo
Ham Young, who worked creating feather lei while anxious patrons studied
the group’s practice.
Lovell said that members of today’s group will also include
stonecarvers, as well as an expert on Hawaiian place names.
At the opening of the archeology conference Friday night, Lovell said
the keynote speaker will be Kalani Flores, who will be talking about
treasures, and on Saturday, the special speaker will be Tim De La Vega,
the president of the museum’s board of trustees.
De La Vega will be presenting a slide show as well as a talk about the
history of surfing.
For more information, people may call the Kaua‘i Museum at 245-6931.
- Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, may be reached
at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com
