Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 20, Number 6, 1 June 2003 — HANANA KŪIKAWĀ [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HANANA KŪIKAWĀ

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Halau Ku Mana performs Kumulipo creation epie for fundraiser

By Sterling Kini Wong The students at Hālau Kū Māna have undertaken the monumental task of memorizing the first eight periods of the Kumulipo, an epie 3,000line cosmological genealogy, for recital as a part of the school's second annual benefit concert on June 14 at Hawai'i Theatre. The Kumulipo was composed as the genealogy for the 17th century ali'i Kalaninui'īamamao, and was first chanted at his birth. The creation chant connects native Hawaiians with the world around them, including the 'āina, the gods and other living things. By learning the Kumulipo the students obtain a better understanding of who they are and where they eome from said Layne Richards, the administrative director at Hālau Kū Māna. "The Kumulipo gives the students a sense of belonging," Richards said.

Hālau Kū Māna, whieh is currently in its second year of instruction, is a Native Hawaiian Charter school located at Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. The school provides middle and high school students with a curriculum that is based on Hawaiian culture and tradition. The benefit concert, entitled "Kumulipo, A Hawaiian Concerf " will also include performances by Kilinahe, Kauha'a and Kainani Kahaunaele, a presentation by a kūpuna group and a film about the school. The students, who have been working on this performance since the beginning of the year, will also present a kahiko, an 'auana and a contemporary dance to accompany the recital of the Kumulipo. The students said they realize the pressure of and responsibility in reciting the Kumulipo, a chant that is See KUMULIPO on page 21

Young men of Hōlau Kū Mōna rehearse a hula at Kamakakūokalani that will accompany their recital of the Kumulipo epie.

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KUMULIPO from page 12 usually reserved for situations in whieh a person has to establish their genealogy as a right to enter. "As kids, being able to chant the Kumulipo is eool because it's something adults usually do," Noelani Duffey, a sophomore said. "But is a big responsibility and hopefully we do it justice." The students were separated into eight groups, eaeh consisting of between four and six members, and given the responsibility of memorizing a different wā, or period, of the Kumulipo. The wā range in lines from as little as 26 to over 120. Duffey said that at first learning all 122 lines of her wā was difficult because she was not accustomed using the language. "But after a while it starts flowing," she said. Richards said the students will recite the last eight wā of the Kumulipo in next year' s benefit concert. The Kumulipo was last recited in August of 1999 at the World Indigenous People's Conference in Hilo, Hawai'i, Richards said. He expects this year's event to build on the overwhelming success of last year's fundraiser. "We received lots of support from our first ben-

efit concert, we expect this year's to be even bigger," he said. Monies raised from the concert will pay for student' s field trips, sports equipment and all the other "extras" that cannot be financially covered through the state's limited funding said Richards. The concert will start at 6:30 p.m. and will end at 9:30 p.m. Tickets, whieh range from $20-30, ean be purchased at the Hawai'i Theatre Box Office. For more information, eall Keali'i'olu'olu Gora at 945-1401. ■

MANA IN AOĪION — Hōlau Kū Mōna students perform dance to accompany their recitation of the Creation epie chant. Photo: Sterling Kini Wong