The Ka‘ie‘ie Foundation will offer its 9th presentation of its 2009 Ho‘oulu Hawaiian Lecture Series this month at the Parish Hall in Kïlauea. Since November last year, the public has had the incredible benefit of learning about ancient Hawaiian cultural
The Ka‘ie‘ie Foundation will offer its 9th presentation of its 2009 Ho‘oulu Hawaiian Lecture Series this month at the Parish Hall in Kïlauea.
Since November last year, the public has had the incredible benefit of learning about ancient Hawaiian cultural values, practices and traditions, and ways in which to nourish and sustain island families and communities.
Offered free to residents and visitors, the Ho‘oulu Hawaiian Lecture Series is one of several ways in which the Ka‘ie‘ie Foundation fulfills its mission of perpetuating Hawaiian knowledge and culture through educational experiences and opportunities.
“Ho‘oulu” means to enter in and inspire; to grow, sprout and propagate. It also means to cause to increase and to protect.
According to ‘Aikäne Alapa‘i, one of Ka‘ie‘ie’s principle organizers, the series was purposely launched in accordance with the ancient season of Makahiki last year. They introduced Ho‘oulu to the community on a Hilo moon — the new moon of the ancient Hawaiian lunar calendar to empower the idea of growth and inspiration for health and rejuvenation. Alapa‘i also maintains that the philosophies and processes of Hawai‘i’s ancient ancestors are incredibly valuable to Kaua‘i’s island-wide community today. He explained that responsible cycles of harvest from the land and sea is pertinent to our continued existence and success on Kaua‘i.
Ka‘ie‘ie’s primary goal of the Ho‘oulu Hawaiian Lecture Series is to extend positive opportunities of learning to residents and visitors who are interested in in-depth perspectives of Hawaiian culture. The program offerings are also intended to nourish and strengthen a sense of community, as well as respect and pride to perpetuate Hawaiian core values that promote balance, harmony, and sustainability.
This month’s program and workshop is scheduled for July 24 and 25. The topic is entitled, “Ho‘okupu: Purpose and Processes of Hawaiian Offerings.” The keynote speaker will be Këhaulani Kekua who is kumu hula of Halau Palaihiwa O Kaipuwai — a traditional hula school founded on Kaua‘i in 1945.
Kekua described ho‘okupu as gift offerings and tributes that were part of every native Hawaiian’s daily routine
Kekua considers herself to be very fortunate to have been raised in the traditions of hänai by her grandparents, Helen and Miki Waiau. Her grandmother was a kumu hula descended from a family lineage of hula masters and spiritual healers. Her grandfather came from a family of Hawaiian music and chant composers. Thus, the household was regularly abuzz with stories, songs, music, hula and more. She experienced an enriching childhood that had a strong foundation in formal hula training. Life in her grandmother’s hula school nurtured Kekua’s keen abilities to easily learn and memorize intricate choreography and multiple lines and stanzas of Hawaiian songs and chants. Continued studies in traditional hula as a teen, then as an adult exposed her to deeper lessons and experiences in hula and Hawaiian culture, including training in formal protocols and ceremonies. A key component in this phase of her learning was the importance of ancestral knowledge and spiritual guidance.
“Honoring the land and a person’s ties to family and ancestors of the land is a centuries-old custom,” Kekua says. “Not only in Hawaiian culture, but in many cultures throughout the world.”
For further information on the Ho‘oulu Hawaiian Lecture Series and other cultural programs of the Ka‘ie‘ie Foundation, visit www.kaieie.org
• Ka‘ie‘ie Foundation is a native Hawaiian non-profit organization whose purpose is to perpetuate Hawaiian knowledge, customary practices and art forms through specialized cultural education experiences. The series is also made possible through the support of Malama Kaua‘i and Limahuli Garden and Preserve.
