kapa kulture
This blog is dedicated to Hawaiian kapa and matters related to Hawai'i nei…kuku kapa e!
Archive for the tag “kapa”
Hawaiian Word of the Day: ‘oia’i’o
‘oia’i’o: True; truth, fact; truly, firmly, certainly, genuine, real, sure, verily, authentic; faithfulness. Nā mea ‘oia’i’o, facts, true items. ‘Oia’i’o, he ‘oia’i’o, verily, verily. ‘Oia’i’o kā ho’i, is that so, so [as in surprise or anger]. hō’oia’i’o. To verify, certify, check, convince, make sure, prove; to acknowledge, as a title; deed, proof, verification. Hō’oia’i’o ‘ana, acknowledgements (Pukui & Elbert, 1971).
Hawaiian Word of the Day: kahiki
kahiki:1. Tahiti. holokahiki. Holo i Kahiki, sail to Tahiti. The sky was divided into five areas beginning with the term Kahiki: Kahiki-moe, horizon; lit., prostrate Kahiki. Kahiki-kū, sky just above the horizon; lit., upright Kahiki. Kahiki-ka-papa-nu’u, the next layer; lit., Kahiki the elevated stratum. Kahiki-kapapa-lani, high in the sky, almost directly overhead; lit., Kahiki the sky (or god) stratum. Kahiki-kapu-i-Hōlani-ke-ku’ina, the sky directly overhead; lit., sacred Kahiki at Hōlani the meeting place. 2. Any foreign country, abroad, foreign. 3. A variety of banana, common wild on Maui. Kinds are kahiki hae, kahiki mauki, and kahiki puhi.
Hōkūle’a me ke Kahiki
Hawaiian Word of the Day: wehi
wehi: 1. Decoration, adornment, ornament; to decorate. ho’owehi. to beautify, decorate, adorn. 2. A song composed as an adornment, a song honoring someone. Ha’ina kou wehi, sing the adornment, your song. 3. Dark (Pukui & Elbert, 1971).
Pā wehi ma kapa
Hawaiian Word of the Day: pōhaku
pōhaku: 1. Rock, stone, mineral, tablet; sinker; thunder; rocky, stony. Mauna Pōhaku, Rocky Mountains. Ke ka’a maila ka pōhaku, the thunder peals. ho’opōhaku. To harden, as lava; to petrify; hard. Fig., stubborn. (Proto Polynesian: fatu, Central Polynesian: poofatu.) 2. Weighted with rocks, hence stationary, not moving. Pōhaku kaomi moena, a stone weighing down a mat, said of a homebody. Pōhaku ‘au wa’a lā le’ale’a i kai nei (chant), fleet of canoes at anchor, happy here at sea. ho’opōhaku. To remain long in one place; to stay at home. E ho’opōhaku, e hoho mālie (chant), stay, rest quietly. 3. Type of crab (Pukui & Elbert, 1971).
Hawaiian Word of the Day: hali’a
hali’a: Sudden remembrance, memory, especially of a loved one; fond recollection, premonition; to recall, recollect fondly. Hali’a aloha, cherished or loving memory; to remember fondly. ho’ohali’a. To evoke reminiscence or recollection; remembrance; to remind (Pukui & Elbert, 1971)..
Hawaiian Word of the Day: pō’ulu
pō’ulu: Bark of tender breadfruit shoots, as used for less fine tapa (Pukui & Elbert, 1971).
Hawaiian Word of the Day: ho’oki
ho’ōki: To put an end to, terminate, conclude, annul, to finish, stop; end.
Proto-Polynesian: oti.
Stages of kapa-beating includes the final stage of ho’ōki, which requires using an i’e kuku ho’ōki with a watermark such as an ‘upena hālua niho mano, shark tooth with fishnet design.
Kapa Art Education Project
I have been busy making kapa over the past couple of weeks. Tending the māla wauke, the garden with wauke (paper mulberry plants); stripping, soaking, pounding poho (bundles of mo’omo’o, prepared wauke); carving some of my tools; collecting dye plants; etc…
This work has been done pretty much by myself at home unless I go somewhere on location…
I have been thinking a lot about going out into the public with the project. I will be working with my daughter next week and possibly with a couple other teen girls, making kapa during their Spring Break. We will be working outdoors in a public venue. This could be the start of what I feel will bring recognition to Hawaiians and an opportunity to talk about whatever issues that relate… hope to be a symbol of sovereignty…kanaka unite!
kapa kulture 