Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 7, Number 7, 1 July 1990 — The "boy from Kona" shares Hawaiian ways [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The "boy from Kona" shares Hawaiian ways

"Stew" Kalama, 70, is proud of his Hawaiian lifestyle and has through the years has taught many Hawai'i children the skills he knows — taro growing, paddle-making, canoe-building, fishing and farming. Afluent native speaker of Hawaiian whose 'ohana is from Miloli'i and Napo'opo'o, he has plans to build a eanoe halau in Kona for the children and is seeking funding from various sources.

Kalama is also interested in hearing from others who want to share their knowledge of the Hawaiian lifestyle. Anyone who wants to contact Kalama to share their kokua or mana'o may reach him at (808) 261-8244. Kalama shared with the children of Keolu school this fishing net developed by his great-great-grandfather Lumahai Kaikaina

of Kona. Netting about four feet square is attached to the four tips of two flexible branches of the milo tree lashed together in a curving "X." The net is lowered into the water. Using a glass-bottomed box, the

fisherman in his eanoe looks down into the net and lowers into the net a live fish pierced with a line and weighted with a small sinker. The bait fish attracts the attention of the fish whieh live at the fishing spot, and their territorial instinct makes them want to drive off the "intruder," thus the name of the net, 'upena haehae (teasing net).

The fisherman slowly hauls up both the net, the bait fish and the other fish, and as the net comes to the surface, it forms a scoop to trap the fish.

"Stew" Kalama demonstrates 'upena haehae net.