kapa kulture

This blog is dedicated to Hawaiian kapa and matters related to Hawai'i nei…kuku kapa e!

Archive for the tag “education”

23 Aug 2013
2 Comments

Recent Journey

I have been away from home, my computer, and this blog for the past 2 months. Been traveling around a bit. Headed first to O’ahu where I attended the 12th Annual Hawai’i International Conference on Social Sciences. That was an intellectual teaser of sorts. It opened my eyes to what educators are currently studying as research topics. I presented my research about kapa and some applications that can be made to mainstream education. Education reforms are desperately needed and a complete overhaul to public school education seems in order. I propose embracing cultural domains where diverse worldviews are explored as paradigms. I was excited to share my research and it was well received. My presentation was short and to the point. At that time, I had not written out my full findings or outcomes. I will share some of these outcomes here in due time.

Next, I ventured to Florida where I studied at the University of Florida in Gainesville. I went there to complete the tail end of my graduate program and my Masters of Arts degree in Art Education (received August 13… whoopee! I did it in two and a half years). I attended two studio art courses this summer: Printmaking with Bob Meuller, and Sketchbook with Patrick Grigsby. The most important take-away? Make studio practice a priority!! An artist has to do as a singer has to sing as a dancer has to dance… I am looking forward to getting deeper into making more art, including more kapa! ~aloha~

self portrait, 2013

self portrait, 2013

Posted in Research Project and tagged , , ,
12 Jul 2013

Samoan Tapa is Siapo

Siapo is the common name used for bark cloth in Samoa. The siapo is the paper mulberry tree bark for the material called uʻa. The bark is prepared in the common way of removing and preparing the bast. The tools used to beat out the uʻa is the anvil called a tutua, which is about 3 feet long for a single person to work, or six feet long for two or three people to work together. The beater used is called an is called an iʻe. The iʻe has two smooth sides and two grooved sides. After the uʻa is beaten into a sheet, it is dried in the sun and made ready for design applications.

Samoan Siapo

Samoan Siapo

Would you like to learn more about this topic? Check out this amazing website full of great info: siapo.com

Posted in Mo'olelo (stories), Research Project, Wauke (Broussonetia papyrifera) and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
27 Jun 2013

Hawaiian Word of the Day: loko iʻa

loko iʻa: Fish pond.

Loko Iʻa ʻAlekoko also known as "Menehune Fishpond" on Kauaʻi

Loko Iʻa ʻAlekoko also known as “Menehune Fishpond” on Kauaʻi

Loko iʻa are ecosystems created by Hawaiians for subsistence fishing. One of the most noteworthy Hawaiian innovations in this system of aquaculture is the pani wai, or dam, sluice, levee, dike. Of these, the sluice gate to ponds was a masterful invention. It allows for the minnows or baby fish to swim in, grow large within the pond, reaching a size that is too large to swim out.

The Hawaiians’ irrigation system rotated water from streams and sometimes through hand built ʻauwai (canals), to irrigate crops in the lo’i (taro patches), then returned it to the stream of origin. This system relies on a steady natural flow of nutrients to course through the stream to the sea, helping limu (algae) to grow, and fish and lobster to feed. Hawaiians took advantage of these stream-nourished coastal areas and streams to build fishponds for bountiful harvests of food. Fishponds on some islands were as large as 48 acres in coastal areas.

Classification of fish ponds at coastal areas:
loko kuapa: fish pond made by building a wall on a reef
loko wai: freshwater pond or lake
loko iʻa kalo: combination fish pond and taro patch
loko ʻume iki: fishpond with lanes leading in and / or out, used for trapping fish

Classification of fish ponds at upland areas:
akuli: to dam a stream with leaves making a forest pool
mano: dam, stream or water source, headwaters, place where water is obstructed for distribution in channels. Mud dams were made for fish and crustaceans; fish shelters were built in mud shoals.

http://sheri-majewski-art-edu.webstarts.com/community_heritage_2.html

Posted in Hawaiian Word of the Day, Mo'olelo (stories), Research Project, Website Resources and tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
26 Jun 2013

Long Live Kapa! E Ola Mau Ke Kapa!

On Kapa the World
by Anuhea Yagi
June 09, 2011 | 12:15 PM

Two years ago, the following press release was written to announce an event commemorating the annual holiday for King Kamehameha I. The event was held at the Bailey House Museum on Maui…

“Hawaiian historian Samuel Kamakau wrote in 1870, that “all are dead who knew how to make the coverings… that made the wearers look dignified and proud and distinguished.” But the art of Hawaiian kapa-making (i.e. a painstakingly rendered traditional fabric made from the bast fibers of, often, paper mulberry called wauke) was revived some 100 years later—and in 1987, cultural practitioners Wesley Sen, Hokulani Holt and Pua Van Dorpe held kapa-making workshops at the Bailey House Museum.

Returning to the roots of this revitalization—and in honor of Kamehameha Day—Holt and Sen, with the Maui Historical Society and Bailey House Museum, present Hina & Maui: The Story of Hawaiian Tapa Making (Ka Mo’olelo no ke Kapa o Hawai’i Nei) this Friday. Holt has written original hula and chant that tells the legend of Hina and Maui, while Sen has fashioned one-of-a-kind costumes made of traditional kapa for the performers. In addition to the performance, antique kapa from the museum’s collection will be exhibited, plus a presentation on kapa-making by Sen.”

(Pictured: Hawaiian kapa, 18th century, Cook-Foster Collection at Georg-August University in Göttingen, Germany)

(Pictured: Hawaiian kapa, 18th century, Cook-Foster Collection at Georg-August University in Göttingen, Germany)

Posted in Mo'olelo (stories), Research Project, Wauke (Broussonetia papyrifera) and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
23 May 2013
2 Comments

Hawaiian Word of the Day: maopopo

maopopo: To understand, recognize, realize; clear; plainly, clearly; understanding. Ua maopopo iā’oe? Do you understand? Ua maopopo ia’u kou mana’o, I understand your idea. Ha’i maopopo, to tell clearly. Maopopo ka ‘ikena, clearly seen or known. Maopopo ‘ole, unintelligible, unaware, unaccountable. Maopopo loa, to understand clearly, definite, certain. Maopopo maika’i, maopopo le’a, obvious, evident, clearly understood.
ho’omaopopo. To understand, make plain or clear, tell clearly, cause to understand, pay attention in order to understand; to certify, inform, remember, recollect, recall, think about, remind, believe in, realize, ascertain, take care of, recognize, discover. (Depending on context, many translations are possible; for substitution of maopopo for ho’omaopopo) Ho’omaopopo ‘ē, to understand ahead, to anticipate; inkling. Ho’omaopopo ‘ole ‘ia, misunderstood, unintelligible, uncared for, unclear. E ho’omaopopo aku ‘oe, i ka hola ‘ehia kākou e hele ai, find out what hour we are going. E ho’omaopopo aku ‘oe e hele mai i kēla ‘apōpō, remind [him] to come tomorrow. E ho’omapopo mai ‘oe i kēia mea e a’o ‘ia aku nei, pay attention and comprehend these things being taught you. (From Hawaiian Dictionary, Pukui & Elbert, p 241, 1971).

e ala e

e ala e

Posted in Hawaiian Word of the Day, Research Project and tagged , , , , ,
09 Apr 2013

Hawaiian Word of the Day: pono’ī

pono’ī: Self, own; private, personal; directly, exactly. ‘O wau pono’ī, his own. Hawai’i pono’ī, Hawaii’s own [own people]. No’u pono’ī kēia, this is my own. I mua pono’ī, directly in front. ‘I’o pono’ī, own flesh and blood. Kona mana’o pono’ī, his personal opinion. Nā hana loio nona pono’ī iho, attorney’s private practice (Pukui & Elbert, 1971).

Hawai’i Pono’ī (The National Anthem of the Hawaiian Kingdom, words by King David Kalākaua, 1874)

Hawai`i pono`ī
Nānā i kou mō`ī
Ka lani ali`i,
Ke ali`i

Hui:
Makua lani ē,
Kamehameha ē,
Na kaua e pale,
Me ka ihe

Hawai`i pono`ī
Nānā i nā ali`i
Nā pua muli kou
Nā pōki`i

Hawai`i pono`ī
E ka lāhui e
`O kāu hana nui
E u`iē

Hawai’i’s own
Look to your King
The Royal Chief
The Chief

Royal Father
Kamehameha
We shall defend
With spears

Hawai’i’s own
Look to your Chiefs
The children after you
The young

Hawai’i’s own
O Nation
Your great duty
Strive

Hawaii_Ponoi1

Posted in Hawaiian Word of the Day, Mo'olelo (stories), Research Project and tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment
09 Apr 2013
2 Comments

“Beware of the half-truth. You may have gotten hold of the wrong half.” ~Author Unknown

As I was doing research for a timeline on Hawaiian history I came across a fellow by the name of Ken Conklin. At first, I thought I had stumbled upon a well-researched document of unbiased truth. As I continued to read through Mr. Conklin’s references, http://www.angelfire.com/hi2/hawaiiansovereignty/references.html … I was impressed by the wide variety of sources and annotations he listed. But the further down I got in his list, I realized that this man was voicing bigoted sentiment about Hawaiians who believe in a Hawaiian Nation, or Hawaiian Sovereignty in any form. In fact he doesn’t hide his brazen disdain. He ignores the facts of dispossessed Hawaiians… losses in land, culture, and language resulting from historical events.

I bring this up because others might share the views of Mr. Conklin. To these people, I would say, there are two sides to every story. Rationalizing what Conklin calls “the concept that there is no historical, legal, or moral justification for race-based political sovereignty for ethnic Hawaiians” is a clear case of more of the same from hypocrites and thieves… As history has shown, Hawaiians have been of generous spirit and inclusive to the point of our own detriment. Sorry if some people don’t agree with me on this.

e ala e

e ala e

Posted in Mo'olelo (stories) and tagged , , ,
05 Feb 2013

Mele i Ka Pi’apa O Hawai’i

Posted in Hawaiian Word of the Day and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

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