Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 23, Number 5, 1 May 2007 — Pat Bacon documentary [ARTICLE]

Pat Bacon documentary

PBS Hawai'i will air a documentary titled Through Namaka 's Eyes: The Life of Patience Bacon on Thurs., May 24, at 8 p.m. The hour-long documentary focuses on the life experiences of one of Hawai'i's most beloved kūpuna and a respected keeper of Hawaiian traditions - Aunty Pat Namaka Bacon. Rare archival footage, photos and provocative interviews make this a historically significant fihn. Orphaned at birth during the 1920 flu epidemic, the ethnically Iapanese Bacon was hānai - raised and cared for - by preeminent Hawaiian scholar Mary Kawena Pūku'i and her mother Pa'ahana Wiggin of Ka'ū, Hawai'i Island. For purposes of cultural preservation, Bacon and her mother Kawena learned traditional Hawaiian dance from some of the greatest hula masters of the early 20th century. For over 50 years, Bacon has worked at the Bishop Museum carrying on Kawena's work. She is currently the museum's senior cultural advisor and spends mueh

of her time translating interviews conducted in Hawaiian by her mo ther a half-century ago. The documentary was produced by Ka'iwaklloumoku, the Hawaiian cultural center at Kamehameha Schools. For more information about the film, contact Ka'iwaklloumoku Coordinator lamie Fong at 842-8655, or email jafong@ksbe.edu.