Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 8, 1 August 1989 — Spirit of Hawaii enlivens Folklife Festival [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Spirit of Hawaii enlivens Folklife Festival

by Keone Nunes OHA Culture Officer Washington, D.C. was host to the State of Hawai'i through the Smithsonian Institute's Festival of Amehean Folklife, June 23 through July 4. Approximately 140 individuals represented the various ethnic groups and life styles of Hawai'i. Native Hawaiians were the largest ethnic group with 75 people sharing their expertise on Hawaiian culture. The talents of these individuals were eagerly sought by more than a million people who eame to share the festival experience. It opened with a traditional Hawaiian piko-cutting ceremony and Chinese Taoist ceremony. The piko ceremony was performed -by Kalena Silva, Henry Auwae, Kana'e Keawe, William Char and the Waimea Church Choir. Reverend Duane Pangofficiatedat the Taoist ceremony. Soon after the opening, Washington was blessed with two days of intermittent downpours whieh keptfairgoersand participants eool and a bit wet. Within the Hawai'i exhibit were traditional Hawaiian arts such as: wood carving by Alapa'i Hanapi and Miehael Ilipuakea Dunne; kapa kuiki (quilts) by Meali'i Kalama, Deborah Kakalia, and June Goo; flower lei-making by William Char, Marie McDonald, and Irmalee Pomroy; Ni'ihau shell lei-making by Kanani Beniamina; feather lei making by Tsugi Kaiama; hula instrument-making by Calvin Hoe and Kana'e Keawe; eanoe making by Wright Bowman Jr. Traditional Hawaiian occupations were also represented such as rock wall building by Kamaka Emmsley; la'au lapa'au medicine herbs by Henry Auwae; kalo farming by James Hu'eu; imu eooking by Ah Wan Goo and his wife Jane; net throwing by Chauncey Pa. More modern traditions that have become uniquely Hawaiian were also represented. They included Hawaiian saddle-making and rawhide work by Robert Ruiz and Henry Silva; and the pa'u riding tradition with Carol Grace, Novelene Asing, Doveline Borges, Shirly Brenner, Tracy Keali'iho'omalu, and Corina Mata.

The performing arts were represented by: Halau 'o Kekuhi with kumu hula Nalani Kanaka'ole and Pualani Kanaka'ole Kanahele from Hilo, Hawai'i; Halau 'o La'i Kealoha with kumu hula Elaine Kaopuiki from the island of Lana'i; four generations of hula with the Zuttermeister family, with Noenoe Zuttermeister Lewis, Hau'oli Lewis and her daughter Kahula, and the source of their hula, Kau'i Zuttermeister; the Waimea Hawaiian Church Choir, whose members all originate from the island of Ni'ihau — Malaki Kanahele and his wife Alina, Isaac Kanahele and his wife Elma, Kau'i Kanahele, Rama Ka'ohelauli'i and his wife Lama, Wiliama Ka'ohelauli'i, and Kaleipua Kapahulehua; Ku'ulei's Own band consisting of Ku'ulei Kekiwi, Merton Kekiwi, Francis Po'ouahi and Melva Po'ouahi; and "The Band," made up of singers and musicians Haunani Apoliona, Richard and Sol Ho'opi'i, Barney Isaacs, Ledward Ka'apana, Elodia Kane, Violet Pahu Liliko'i, and Clyde "Kindy" Sproat. The Hawai'i group is the !argest that the Smithsonian ever brought to Washington in the 22-year history of this festival. It may be some time before our state will be asked to participate in this event as the festival rotates states eaeh year until all 50 are represented. Through rain and hot, humid weather thousands of interested people flocked to the site on the mall. Artisans and performers were busy throughout the day doing demonstrations and participating in "talk story" discussions on the lanai of K. Awa store. Topics ranged from native access to materials and status of the Hawaiian language to discussions of the history and status of immigrant groups in Hawai'i and the present state

of tourism in Hawai'i. These discussions were popular and were conducted in a factual, informative, and true to life manner. Not all the people who heard the discussions were pleased with the fact that there are still inequities concerning the Hawaiian culture and people. Lively exchanges

were sometimes heard between the participants and the curious public. Governor John Waihe'e was included in the festivities and presided over the pa'u parade, June 24. The spirit of Hawai'i was very evident during the parade whieh had the nation's Capitol at one

Kumu hula Miliani Allen (center) strings leis with enthusiastic volunteers.

K. Awa Store was the backdrop for the "talkstory" time. Elama Kanahele, Hokulani Kaikaina, Puakea Nogelmeirer and

Nanikauai Keamoai tell stories of Hawaii and its people. (Keone Nunes)

end and the Washington monument at the other because exactly as the parade started it was honored by a sudden cloud burst whieh ended as the parade did. Even through the rain, the sight of the parade, with pa'u riders, floats with musicians and dancers aboard, Chinese lion dancers (many of whom had never performed the dance before.) lei makers, kumu hula and invited dignitaries would make any citizen of Hawai'i very proud. Although the parade participants realized that the Chinese lion, the dress of the pa'u riders, decorations, and convertible cars would be ruined by the rain, they smiled and showed great dignity and aloha throughout the course of the parade. This opportunity to bring Hawai'i together was greatly appreciated by both Hawaiians and nonHawaiians alike. The sight of lei makers, hula dancers, a Taoist priest and a Indian buffalodancer all dancing in a Japanese Bon dance with Mr. Kato of Kaua'i singing a very contemporary Obon number "O Susanna" was enough to warm anyone's heart. The cultural exchanges between Hawaiians and lndians, Haitians, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Jamacians, French Americans, French, and with all the ethnic groups that live here that were represented, Puerto Rican, Portugese, Japanese, Okinawan, Filipinos, Koreans, Chinese and Samoans were eagerly sought out. The evening socials were times when the participants could sit down and talk about cultural similarities and differences without worrying about dancing or demonstrating. The socials provided a ehanee of eaeh group to entertain eaeh other with music and dance from their culture, this became quite interesting when the Hawaiian musicians performed with French guitarist and violinist, Black-Creole zydeco band members, and Hawaiian hula dancers.

Participants and organizers and many of the other groups made a point to leam as mueh as possible about Hawai'i and its people. The Puerto Ricans, who utilize taro extensively, saw the way Hawaiians cultivate taro by seeing a lo'i (taro pond) built out of mainland lava rock, Washington soil, and Hawaiian kalo by Kamaka Emmsley, James Hu'eu and Nathan Napoka. Henry Auwae exchanged medicinal practices with Indian medicine men, Caribbean practitioners, Samoan and Chinese herbalists. Auwae also made la'au (medicine) for the Hawai'i participants and participants from all over the world long after the festival closed down for the night. Special cross-cultural session were held at the festival that included a taro cooking exchange with the Puerto Rican participants, boat building technologies with American Indians and the French-Cajuns from Louisiana, and religious altar construction between the Taoist religion and the Haitian Santeria religion. By the end of the festival (along with sharing the cultures ānd lifestyles of Hawai'i with an endless flow of people) many of the Hawai'i participants had a ehanee to marvel at the Smithsonian Museums and visit the sites in our nations capitol. Some went to the Vietnam memorial and left ho'okupu and tears for loved ones who never had the ehanee to see home again and took home rubbings of names that may not be often spoken but are never forgotten. The participants were also hosted by our representatives in Washington and given a reception in their honor. Hawai'i should be proud of the participants who went to Washington. Future efforts should be made to ensure the continuation of, and participation in, events such as these. For, without sharing with other people the cultures of Hawai'i, especially the unique Hawaiian culture, we may remain nothing more than a plastic tourist destination to the rest of the world. l

Pa'u rider at the Folklife Festival with the Washington Monument in the background.

Wright Bowman Jr. demonstrates his talent to interested bystanders

Alapa'i Hanapi discusses the art of carving (Keone Nunes)