One attendee to the Na Mamo Kaiaulu event on Saturday at the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall said the food was delicious, but the lines to the food tent were long.
How about some ulu poke?
Sharon de la Pena, the registered Dietitian at Ho‘ola Lahui Hawaii, had samples for people to try, as well as recipes people could take so they could create their own poke at home, or away from the festival of Hawaiian culture.
Organizers said Na Mamo Kaiaulu was created by a small hui, Pihana Ka ‘ikenaka, a halau dedicated to the perpetuation of Native Hawaiian traditional healing and culture. The name of the festival pays reverence to the grove of mamo lehua that once grew in Wailua, the home of the halau.
”We work with our many wonderful partners and kumu, many of whom are here today, to ground our communities in our beautiful culture,” organizers said.
The festival spread out throughout the convention hall, utilizing the theater for films and panel discussions on Ike Kupuna and Ho‘oponopono. In contrast, other workshops like Lua and La‘au Lapa‘au spread outside the building to the Hardy Street lawn and walkways to the entrance.
Others, like Lomilomi, were on the inside, where a bounty of silent auction, country store and other vendors and exhibitors filled the area, creating a Matsuri flavor for people to soak in the culture.
“This is an opportunity for people to access Hawaiian culture,” said Kamalani Brun, one of the organizing committee members. “It was a lot of work getting everyone together and being able to present the Hawaiian culture.”
Topics ranged from food — there was a film, “Ai: Responsibilities and Privileges of Eating” — to “Kapu: Sacred Relationships to Land and People” to contemporary politics. Demonstrations included ku‘i ‘ai, Hawaiian games, including konane, lei hulu, or feather lei, Ulana, Kapa, and more.
Some of the resource exhibits included Hale ‘Opio/Suicide Task Force that also participated Monday when Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami proclaims September as Suicide Prevention Month; Kukule Kumuhana O Anahola, that started after suicide claimed youth in the community; and the host Pihana Ka ‘ikena, that is working to restore Hihikalahau, Wailua, to transform it into a place of healing and learning.
Others inlucded the Kauai Historical Society, Aloha Kuamo‘o ‘Aina, Waipa Foundation, Kipua Kuleana, Na Maka Onaona, Kamehameha Schools, the National Tropical Botanical Gardens, Ho‘ola Lahui Hawaii, and more.
The first event for Pihana Ka ‘ikena was sponsored by Kaiaulu, Bishop Museum, which had artifacts available for viewing in a special trailer, the County of Kauai, and Hoola Lahui Hawaii.
For more information, visit the Pihana Ka ‘ikena website at www.pihanakaikena.org.
Source: The Garden Island