Kaua‘i – Honoring The Culture

LIHU‘E, KAUA‘I – Kaua‘i is the oldest of the Hawaiian Islands. The first visitors, voyagers from across the Pacific, may have landed around A.D.500, give or take a few thousand years. Their society was sophisticated, with systems still in place today. The amazingly designed fishponds provided a never-ending supply of fresh fish. Intricate irrigation systems allowed agriculture to flourish. In short, they had abundance.

History was foretold in an ancient chant, recited by a kahuna (Hawaiian spiritual advisor), two hundred years before Captain James Cook made his 1778 visit to Kaua‘i. Changes would come, the future was known. The people could follow or lead, but great care must be taken, the kahuna said.

Hundreds of years later these words still ring true. Culture, dance, language and tradition are cherished on Kaua‘i. Great care has been taken to develop the island’s resources with respect for the ‘aina (the land). The island has vast nature reserves, connected by two-lane roads. Life moves at a “Kaua‘i pace” with time allowed for consideration and preservation.

Each month, all things Hawaiian are celebrated, including ancient and modern hula, slack key guitar and ukulele music, historic events, ancient arts and the language. The celebrations are more than re-creating history or presenting entertainment. They are life being lived in a way that is pono (right). They are the Hawaiian way of life, being shared with any and all who come to learn and enjoy.

E KOMO MAI – WELCOME, JOIN US
All around the island, hotel lobbies, shopping centers, public buildings and parks are the stage for a vast array of culture and arts events. Most are free to the public. Hula halau (schools), practice and present performances in public venues. The kumu (teacher) will sometimes offer a short class to visitors, teaching a few basic steps and educating the crowd on the differences between hula and other dances of the Pacific.

CHANTING UP THE SUN
“Kupuna” means wise elder. And Kupuna Sylvia really fits the “wise” part. Though close to what some might call “retirement age” the “elder” part is doubtful. Her energy level and unending new project list would wear out even her youngest students. Every week she spends endless hours telling the stories of old Hawai‘i. She teaches visitors of any age how to weave the leaves of the lauhala plant, to make a paint brush from a tiny coconut and use it to paint. At her post in the Aloha Beach Hotel, Kupuna Sylvia can demonstrate almost any native craft and she knows the names of every indigenous plant in the native plant garden.

Other knowledgeable history experts drop by to explain the making and use of ancient weapons and tools, or demonstrate the carving of fishhooks. Kupuna Sylvia is one of several cultural practitioners on the island who willingly teach visitors and students. Her friends come by to tell tales of mountains that are really a sleeping giant. Or they share a story of the legendary Menehune people who accomplished great feats of architecture in one night. They are ready and willing to make memories of the days of old come alive. Like many cultural practitioners, Kupuna Sylvia begins her day before daylight, chanting up the sun and blessing the hours of sunlight that are hers to share with visitors.

HISTORIC HANAPEPE
Not all Kaua‘i culture and art is ancient, but nearly every kind of art is inspired by the beauty of the island. The tiny town of Hanapepe is now a thriving “art central” for the island. Back in the late 1800s the town wasn’t built around the sugar industry, as most Kaua‘i towns were. The shops and stores were started by former plantation workers looking to start mom-and-pop businesses. It was a “don’t blink you’ll miss it” kind of town. Movies and TV shows, like Thorn Birds, Flight of the Intruder and Lilo and Stitch were made in and around the slowly tumbling historic buildings. But, without a map visitors just missed it.

Forty-three sites meet the criteria to be listed on the state and national registers of historic places but it was a town fading away, without a reason to be. Recently, a few brave artists decided to take a chance. They bought buildings, opened galleries and made Hanapepe home. Ceramicist/watercolor artist Joanna Carolan bought and restored the Old Hanapepe Pool Hall (circa 1926). Now Friday Night is Art Night in this quiet little town. Once a week painters, sculptors and crafters open the doors of their galleries and studios and great fun is had by all. Visitors still have to watch for the “Biggest Little Town on Kaua‘i” sign, or just follow the constant flow of travelers, ready to park and take the town’s “Art Walk.”

ALWAYS A PARTY
Kaua‘i festivals celebrate plants, flower lei, Hawaiian royalty, every kind of Hawaiian hula and music, music, music. Every week the E Kanikapila Kakou (let’s party together) concert series brings top slack key guitar musicians to the Island School Main Hall. They share the music that is now being honored nationwide by the Grammy Awards.

Island celebrations include an event at the top of Waimea Canyon, the Koke‘e State Park Eo E Emalani I Alakai Festival, which pays homage to Queen Emma’s journey across the great Alakai forest and swamp. The Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort and Spa’s Prince Kuhio Festival is a gathering of some of Hawaii’s finest craftsmen, most noted cultural specialists and dancers, chanters and drummers from around the state. Polynesian festivals, a multitude of fall Aloha Festivals events celebrating Hawaii’s royalty and the Kaua‘i Community College Performing Arts Center presentation of national and international shows, fills the calendar.

Ask a kupuna and the answer will be E Komo Mai, come in and join us, they say. Learn a few Hawaiian words, listen to the storyteller recount the legend of the Spouting Horn or the Sleeping Giant, set the time aside to relax and enjoy the long, sunny hours of a Kaua‘i day.

ABOUT KAUA‘I – HAWAII’S ISLAND OF DISCOVERY
Nicknamed the Garden Island, Kaua‘i is green and flourishing with lush flora that runs from the mountains to the ocean. Kaua‘i offers more than 50 miles of white sand beaches – more beach per mile than any other island in Hawai‘i. Only three percent of the island is developed for commercial and residential use.

Other natural wonders include the 3,567-foot deep Waimea Canyon, dubbed “The Grand Canyon of the Pacific,” and the 3,000-foot towering mountain cliffs overlooking the Napali Coast along the northwest shoreline.

A wealth of outdoor activities like kayaking, snorkeling, hiking, mountain tubing, horseback riding, ATV adventures, zipline aerial tours, helicopter and boat tours, offer memorable vacation experiences for the whole family. Kaua‘i is also home to four of Hawaii’s top 15 golf courses, according to Golf Digest.

For travel information about Kaua‘i, Hawaii’s Island of Discovery, visit online at www.kauaidiscovery.com or call the Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau’s toll-free information line at 800.262.1400.

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Contact: Emele Freiberg (808) 539-3440
McNeil Wilson Communications
emele@mcneilwilson.com