Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 12, Number 4, 1 April 1995 — NHCAP schedules three conferences [ARTICLE]

NHCAP schedules three conferences

The Native Hawaiian Culture and Arts Program, funded by the federal government and based at Bishop Museum, is presenting three "traditions conferences" over the next few weeks. Kapa, Hawaiian poetry, and weaving will be covered. The kapa conference was scheduled for April 1 (the registration deadline was in March) in the museum's Atherton Hālau, with sharing by Moana Kalikookalani M. Eisele, Kawai Aona-Ueoka, and Benton Keali'ikiamoku Pang. Traditional Hawaiian poetic expressions will be covered in the second conference, set for April 29 at the Atherton Hālau. Pat Bacon, Malia Craver, Edith McKinzie, Keone Nunes and OHA culture specialist Manu Boyd will be the presenters. The sessions — including lectures and workshops - will cover the use of kaona, the current state of Hawaiian poetry, and some of the "dos and don'ts" of the art. Attendees must bring a Hawaiian dictionary to the conference. The conference will last from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Participation is limited to the first 80 people registered. Weaving will be the focus of the third conference, scheduled for 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. on May 27 at the Atherton Hālau. While weaving lau hala and makaloa was an integral part of the lifestyle in old Hawai'i, the creation and use of items made ffom these materials has fallen off considerably. But as the NHCAP Hawai'iloa project proceeded, it became apparent that lau hala sails were needed, so the amount of weaving undertaken in Hawai'i nei dramatically increased. The conference will feature the mana'o of weavers and experts Elizabeth Lee, Peter Van Dyke, Gladys Grace, Jennifer Shaw, and Josephine Barney. Participants must bring their own lau hala stripper and softener; rolls of lau hala will be available for purchase by participants at the conference. For more information on these conferences, eall the NHCAP office at 532-5630 and ask for Ben Aema.