Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 39, Number 7, 1 July 2022 — Kamehameha Day Lei Draping in Honolulu [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kamehameha Day Lei Draping in Honolulu

Honolulu's annual statue lei draping ceremony in honor of Kamehameha I was held this year on lune 10. lhis year, the statue was adorned using lou (poles), as they do in Kohala and Hilo. This is not easy as the lei ean be heavy. The lei attendants pictured are young men from the Papakōlea community. Draping the Kamehameha statue in Honolulu has been the kuleana of their homestead for the past 100 years. Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu offered oli on behalf of OHA when Trustees Hulu Lindsey, Kaleihikina Akaka, Luana Alapa and Kalei'ōina Lee presented the agency's lei. - Photo: Kelli Soileau