It’s a milestone that only happens once and the Kauai Historical Society is kicking off its centennial anniversary by hosting a series of monthly events to highlight some the different cultures that helped shaped the Garden Isle over the years.
It’s a milestone that only happens once and the Kauai Historical Society is kicking off its centennial anniversary by hosting a series of monthly events to highlight some the different cultures that helped shaped the Garden Isle over the years.
“We have huge collections of things and we want younger people to find out about their own previous generations, learn about different times on Kauai and then bring that into their lives,” Donna Stewart of the Kauai Historical Society said. “We don’t want to be dead, dry history. We want people to learn what we have and learn what life is like.”
The first event, scheduled to take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Aston Aloha Beach Hotel in Wailua, is a festival celebrating the Okinawan culture through traditional music, dancing, cultural displays and food.
It’s an ethnic group that, Stewart said, has roots on Kauai dating back to the turn of the 20th century, when groups of Okinawan immigrants arrived as field workers and laborers for the island’s plantations.
Bernie Sakoda, who is helping to coordinate the event with Hui Alu Warabi Ashibi, said entertainment lineup is scheduled to include a variety of traditional musical performances of the koto, an Japanese string instrument; kucho, an Okinawan string instrument; fue, an Okinawan transverse flute; sanshin, an Okinawan string instrument; and, of course, taiko drums.
Musical performers, Sakoda said, will also be flying in from Maui and Oahu to assist the local groups at the event.
“It’s going to be an exciting afternoon featuring Okinawan culture through dance, oral history, and sanshin music, taiko drumming and exhibits,” Sakoda said.
The Aston Aloha Beach Hotel will also serve a plate lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring a few Okinawan dishes, that can be purchased for $8.
For more information, contact the Kauai Historical Society at 245-3373 or info@kauaihistoricalsociety.org.
