The Beloved Hawaiian Child

Illustration by Dietrich Varez

He hi'i alo, ua milimili 'ia i ke alo, ua ha'awe 'ia ma ke kua, ua lei 'ia ma ka 'ā'ī.

A beloved, fondled in the arms, borne on the back, whose arms circle the neck as a lei.

The new issue of Ka Wai Ola is out for July. There is a wonderful article on the 'olelo no'eau from above. The article is written by Claire Ku'uleilani Hughes, Dr. PH., R.D. In it she talks about how the keiki of old were cherished by the whole family and not just the parents. Grandparents, sisters, and brothers were all responsible for the upbringing of a younger keiki. Everyone was responsible for protecting, developing and instilling customs, traditions and wisdoms into the growing keiki.

While reading this article I thought about how times have changed and the emphasis on family and the roles within the family have changed. It's not unusual to see a family where siblings don't interact with one another let alone care for one another. It is sad, but it is true. In a world where keiki grow up feeling that they are supposed to have something given or done for them, it is hard to instill the sense of responsibility in them. In a world where "I deserve this" takes the place of "I have earned this" I find myself reflecting back to how I was raised. My parents always instilled a sense of responsibility for myself and my family from as way back as I can remember. Other than love and help from my parents, I had to earn the things that I wanted. I can not thank my parents enough for those lessons that they taught as I see why they did now in my adult life.

Take the time to read the article in the July issue of Ka Wai Ola. It is a good reminder that we are responsible for shaping the future by shaping our keiki.

At the end of the article, Hughes states that it is "still our kuleana to assure the health and development of our keiki". I could not agree with her more with that statement and hope that everyone (at least those reading this) also agrees. She also asks a great question at the end that I will ask everyone of you.....

How well do you think we are doing?

Lyrical Inspirations

Music is such an important part of the Hawaiian culture as it is in so many other cultures as well. We learn a lot through musical lyrics such as geneaology, myths/legends, hardships, triumphs, celebrations, and much more. In the Hawaiian culture, music is filled with kaona. Kaona is the hidden meaning which artists use to add power to the song. It is used in chant, poetry and song and is usually infused with romantic innuenedos.

I love Hawaiian music and though I can't picture all of the many artists whose music has inspired me to dance and learn the language, I have pictured four artists above who I absolutely love dancing hula to. Kenneth Makuakane is a friend who has played many times for me as part of Halau Na Lei Kaumaka O Uka. He is an awesome songwriter, musician and producer and a complete blast to work with! Napua Greig...not much more I can say about this awesome Na Hoku Hanohano award winner! I love her to death and owe much of this blog in it's entirety to her...she is my inspiration! Israel Kamakawiwo'ole is truly the gentle giant that has carved a path for Hawaiian music into the modern world of today. His voice is so serene and powerful that it is my honor to be able to dance to his smooth words. Keali'i Reichel is another artist with a powerful voice, intense lyrical ability and an unending knowledge of this beautiful culture. He is awesome to dance for and I am so happy that I have been able to dance to the sound of his voice live on numerous occasions with my halau back home on Maui.

There are so many artists out there who are showcasing their abilities and love for our language. Thank you! Your truly are pioneers and the Hawaiian culture lives on because of you! Mahalo!

Happy Boys Day!

Today is boys day and if I had a son, I would definitely be flying a kaibonori outside of our house for him! The kaibonori represents masculinity and are famous for being a strong fish that can even swim up waterfalls! They also live very long lives.

Ever since I was little I remember seeing these fish flying in front of peoples homes and thinking that it was so neat and nice to see the men in our lives being celebrated. Even to this day, I can drive around our neighborhoods and see the kaibonori floating through the sky. Each fish represents a male in that family. Usually the biggest fish represents the oldest male and the smallest fish the youngest.

It's great to live in a state that gladly displays cultural pride of all races! Happy Boys Day to all the great men in my life!

Lei Day

May 1st is Lei Day here in Hawaii. I can vividly remember these days in elementary school and all of the preparation that led up to it. I loved May Day! It was a fun day of Hawaiian culture and a celebration shared with family and friends. We would practice Hawaiian songs and hula in our classes and perform for our parents and members of the community what we had learned on May Day. It was awesome to see the crowds of people who showed up to watch the keiki perform.

I can remember loving the fact that we got out of classes to do these practices as well as the big performance, but I also remember loving to see all of the keiki, no matter what race or ethnicity, come together and celebrate the place which we live. It was an amazing experience for me personally and it is one of the many reasons why I feel that I am so lucky to have grown up in Hawaii!

I can't wait until I can attend Ilihia's May Day performances!

What are some of your May Day memories?

Hau'oli La Honua

Happy Earth Day everyone! Go out and enjoy Mother Nature and remember that it is everyone's kuleana to keep the earth healthy!

17th Annual East Maui Taro Festival

If you are looking for something fun to do with the 'ohana this weekend and are on the island of Maui, head out to Hana for the 17th Annual East Maui Taro Festival. This event is awesome! The little town of Hana hosts this wonderful celebration of Taro and the Hawaiian Culture. There will be a Farmers' Market, poi-pounding demonstrations, an arts and crafts tent and food booths. There will also be music and hula! The best part...it's all FREE!! I know that if I were there on Maui, I would definitely be heading out with my hubby and baby girl to Hana! Great way to learn more about our culture and have fun while doing it!

Congratulations Halau Na Lei Kaumaka O Uka!

Congratulations to all my hula sisters and kumu hulas on Maui! You guys did an awesome job at this years Merrie Monarch! Watching you both nights have made me soooo proud to be from this halau! I love you all and hope to join you all again someday on stage! :)

Favorite Kahiko (Kane)

Kahiko Night

Tonight is hula kahiko night. This is by far my favorite night of the competition. Kahiko style dance is more of the ancient style of dance. There are 'oli or chants that each halau will perform that help to preceed their kahiko numbers for the night. The halau are judged on their 'oli as well as their dance.

I love this style of dance because it seems to come the most naturally of the two (kahiko and 'auana) to me. Sometimes the dances can be quite intense and I love that! So, make sure you watch the Merrie Monarch tonight on KITV4 or you can catch it live on the web at www.kitv.com/merriemonarch/index.html. These are some of the best dancers in the world all gathered in one place...take advantage of it and WATCH!



P.S. - My halau, Halau Na Lei Kaumaka o Uka, is the 20th halau to perform! Cheer them on! MAUI NO KA 'OI!

Chicken Skin

Merrie Monarch Festival

It all happens this week starting Thursday!


My halau will be representing Maui once again...

I love these girls! Halau na Lei Kaumaka O Uka

My lovely kumu hulas Kahulu and Napua

Aloha Kakou!

Aloha! My name is Luana and I wanted to start this blog as a way to share what I love most with the world. I am half Hawaiian and have lived in Hawaii all of my life. I have a beautiful daughter, Ilihia, and a wonderful husband, Bryant. The Hawaiian culture has always been a big part of my life whether it was the music, the language, the dance or the food. I've always had a passion for the people of Hawaii and all that we have to offer.

Now that I have a daughter of my own, I realize just how important it is to share the things that I have learned over the years with her. I am a firm believer that if we do not teach our posterity of their past, they will lose their identities and we will lose as a race.

This blog is going to be filled with everything that is Hawaii and the Hawaiian culture. Feel free to comment and let me know if there is something that you would like to hear or learn more about! A hui hou!