Hawaiian Culture and History

Kupuna let the good times roll in an event dedicated to them.

By Sean Aronson

Rain was falling outside, but it was hot on the dance floor. Molokai seniors took to the second annual Senior Christmas Gala with vim and vigor, savoring the chance to show off their moves this past Saturday.

Volunteers transformed Mitchell Pauole auditorium into an elegant ballroom complete with disco ball and strobe lights. The dinner-and-dancing event was a resounding success, according to all involved.

Some of those that had missed last year’s event were looking forward to the night for weeks. While Home Pumehana retirement center is home to many of those who attended, others who live far from town do not have many chances to get together with friends. The gala is one of the few nights a year where kupuna can relax and have a good time with each other.

Visionary leader of Kalaupapa passes away.

By Valerie Monson

KALAUPAPA – Outspoken rebel. Independent entrepreneur. Loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Controversial critic. Bookworm. Disciple of Father Damien de Veuster.

Richard Marks, who had more of an impact on modern-day Kalaupapa than any other individual, fit all of those descriptions. The 79-year-old Marks died Dec. 9 at the Kalaupapa Care Home with most of his family close by.

Second in an ongoing series

By Catherine Aki

This view of central Molokai is what Paka`a saw after fleeing from his enemies on the Big Island.

What led up to Paka`a leaving the Big Island and living on Molokai?  In a word, jealousy.

Landmark USGS study culminates in colorful report

By Sean Aronson

Molokai’s coral reef is famous for its clear waters and abundant marine life. Visitors travel from all over the world to snorkel and take in its beauty. It is full of colorful fish and brilliant coral.

But the reef is also famous for the amount of degradation it has endured because of sentiment washing from the land.

Now a landmark report by the United States Geological Survey documents this degradation in an attempt to save the threatened reef. The report, “The Coral Reef of South Molokai: Portrait of a sediment-threatened fringing reef,” is the first of its kind for Molokai.

Cultural and environmental healing for the DHHL

By Catherine Cluett

A place to call home may be on the horizon for many Hawaiians waiting to receive Hawaiian Homeland property. Not only would future generations be given an inheritance of land, but thanks to a new energy policy, they could be left with a legacy of renewable resources and sustainability they would be proud to call their own.

Representatives from the Department of Hawaiian Homelands (DHHL) held a “beneficiary consultation” meeting with Molokai community members last Wednesday to discuss what additional land the Department should acquire on Molokai. They also sought residents’ feedback on a new DHHL energy policy that will affirm Hawaiians’ commitment to sustainability and make renewable energy resources more accessible to the community. DHHL’s Administrator Darrell Yagodich and Planner Bob Freitas both gave presentations to a large gathering.

Paka`a had a calabash which allowed him to control all the island winds simply by lifting the lid and chanting. This amazing power is only part of his story. There are six versions of the Paka`a legend. Five were originally written in Hawaiian and one in English. Each has a certain flavor or point of view conveying different aspects of the culture existing at the time they were published. Some authors found the chants cumbersome and skipped them all together. Others portrayed brief summaries as historical accounts. My favorites tell in meticulous details the nuances and kaona that only a skilled story teller could use and still hold your interest. In blending all the stories together into one, along with pictures where they took place, you the reader may catch a glimpse of Molokai that you never realized is still there.

Uncovering Maunaloa’s rich Hawaiian history.

By Catherine Aki 

When pineapple began to phase out, the roads on the West End were opened up and the gates unlocked through the efforts of Hui Ala Loa.

As a result, the coastline from Kaunakakai to Halena became open to vehicular travel.  At the time, we were building a wall around our house requiring rocks.  So on a weekly basis, we would drive the Pala`au road to a ridge located just before the old Kolo wharf to pick up a truck-load of stones.

By Steve Morgan / Hui Ho’opakele ‘Aina    

As demonstrated in two consecutive elections, the residents of Molokai have clearly stated that they do not support the leadership abilities of Collette Machado.

The recent general election demonstrated widespread community support for OHA Trustee Candidate- Waipa Purdy. Running against Collette Machado, Purdy received  917 Molokai votes while Machado received  441 local votes. Despite these numbers it was Collette Machado who claimed the victory.

Documentary on Micronesian navigator Mau visits Molokai.

From left to right: Penny Martin, Hokule`a crew member, Chadd Paishon, Hokule`a captain, crew members Kekama Helm, Mel Paoa, Kanani Kahalehoe, and filmmaker Alan Rosen.

By Catherine Cluett

Last Wednesday evening, Molokai was introduced to a documentary on Mau Piailug, modern day master in the ancient art of navigation without the aid of instruments. He came to Hawaii because he felt people weren’t ready for the cultural knowledge he had to offer in his homeland of Micronesia.

Piailug and the crew he trained, members of the Hawaii-based Polynesian Voyaging Society, successfully navigated the double-hulled wa`a Hokule`a from Hawaii to Tahiti in 1976. Mau is credited with the rebirth of ancient wayfinding in Hawaii and he was also the trainer and mentor of Hawaiian navigator Nainoa Thompson, who went on to become a master navigator in his own right.

The film, entitled “Mau Voyager” is a three-hour documentary of Mau’s later life. Filmmaker Alan Rosen says he’s taking his film on a Hawaiian tour before it’s released to PBS. “I wanted to take it to the communities first,” he explains. He also emphasized that Mau himself actually okayed the film before it was completed. Chadd Paishon, captain of the Hokule`a, also shared his mana`o on the film and voyage.

Katherine Smith tells history as a story.

By Marie Nowell

Several community members gathered at the Molokai Public Library last Wednesday to hear a talk story by Katherine Kama’ema’e Smith, author of “The Love Remains.”

The author wrote her first novel on leadership in old Hawaii. It is a book of history with a twist, as Smith fictionalizes the characters in terms of appearance and dialogue.

“The Love Remains” is about twenty-year-old Ali'i Kale Davis, torn between her Hawaiian and Caucasian roots, who lacks the confidence of her abilities and leadership. With determination and help from her five husbands, Davis leads her people through the transformation of Hawai‘i from Kamehameha's kingdom into the industrial age.