NĀ AKUA ĀKEA MOKU O KEAWE HILO-PĀʻIEʻIE

Pomai Brown, a native of Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, is a multi-talented musician and cultural  ambassador. He grew up in the working-class neighborhood of Kalihi before moving to  Hilo with his family at the age of 10. It was here that he first discovered his love for music, and he took up the ʻukulele at the urging of his aunt. His musical talents  blossomed, and he soon joined the Waiakea Intermediate School Ukulele Band. 

Attending Kamehameha Schools at Kāpalama, he fully embraced all of the musical  opportunities that were available to him. He participated in the Marching Band,  Orchestra, and Concert Glee Club, and spent the summer of his junior and senior years  in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, performing in the Polynesian Show at Porpoise Island  theme park.  

At Hawaiʻi Pacific College, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Entrepreneurial  Studies, then embarked on a successful musical career, joining various revues and  shows in Waikiki and Tokyo Disneyland. His musical talents also extend beyond playing  the guitar, ukulele, and 5-string banjo; he is also a skilled Hawaiian steel guitar player  and builds ʻukulele when time permits. In addition to his music career, he has also  launched an acting career, which has included guest roles in major motion pictures,  independent films, commercials, and several Hawai’i TV projects. 

Pomai is a founding member of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I, Moku O Kohala and  serves as the CEO of Hale Mua Cultural Group, a 501(c)3 nonprofit based in Kona,  Hawaiʻi, whose mission is to preserve and perpetuate the Hawaiian cultural teachings  and practices, while at the same time, support the restoration of Hawaiian sacred sites.  

“The love I have for my Hawaiian culture and the passion to preserve it through music and other  cultural practices continues on with this Ulana ‘Ie Hilo-cohort. I want to take a moment to express my deep gratitude to Kumulā'au Sing and his wife Haunani for their unwavering commitment to preserving and sharing the art of Hawaiian weaving. Their teachings have been invaluable to me and the rest of the class. Through their guidance and teachings, I have learned not just the technical aspects of weaving, but also the cultural significance and spiritual connections woven into each piece. The skills and knowledge I have gained from them have enriched my life and helped me better understand and appreciate the beauty and importance of Hawaiian weaving. Mahalo nui loa, Kumulā'au and Haunani, for your generosity in sharing your knowledge and expertise with me and the class. Your legacy will continue to live on through the countless weavers and cultural practitioners whose lives you have touched”.

I have always been drawn to the way my Kūpuna lived their lives.  Growing up here on Moku o Keawe and then leaving to chase a career brought home the importance of my belonging to this ‘Āina.  I continue to appreciate the genius of our traditional ʻŌiwi ways of feeling and thinking and strive to improve how I ground myself within.

As such, I am so thankful to my teachers and those who came before who had the passion and took the challenge to re-learn and pass on the work of Ulana ʻIe.   I appreciate deeply those who contributed materials and effort to make all of this possible and Aloha Nui to my hoa papa with whom I have shared this sacred learning.  

I plan to continue this hana noʻeau and in doing so, hope to further open the path of knowledge from my Kūpuna.  Many voices call to us on life's journey.  Sometimes, the most profound answers whisper in from the distant spaces of our past.  

If we listen, we can learn... 

Paʻa ka waha, hoʻolohe ka pepeiau...

Eō e ka Pāʻieʻie!

I have lived in many places over the course of my lifetime, but there is only one place that speaks to my heart. I first visited Hawai’i when my family was being transferred to the Philippines.  Since then, I came  here as often as I could.  My dream came true when we bought our home and moved to Hilo in 2006.  I opened the Hilo Honu Inn, a bed and breakfast on Haili Street that same year.

My exposure to Hawaiian culture started with the music of the islands.  Music led me to hula and other cultural interests.  In 2010, I met Aunty Doreen Henderson, a true lei hulu master.  Her love for this art inspired me to follow the same path.  She made me a Kumu in 2017, and I helped instruct her hālau, Lei Hulu ‘o Hilo after that. Under her leadership, I was honored to participate in the recreation of Queen Kapiʻolani's feathered black velvet gown and peacock gown, both of which were worn at Queen Victoria's Jubilee where they created quite a sensation.  They are currently on display at ʻIolani Palace.

On several occasions, I have taught lei hulu at Kamehameha Schools Keaʻau campus as a volunteer and at the Kanakaʻole Foundation in Keaukaha.  It was a wonderful experience to work with students as young as nine or 10, in their study of the ʻalalā.  They were remarkable in their attentiveness and effort.

I have been a participant in the Merrie Monarch Craft Fair since 2015, and formed my own hālau, Nā Hulu Noʻeau ʻo Kanilehua, in 2019.  My goal is to reach young people who are interested in passing on this beautiful tradition to future generations.  Currently, the only feather lei classes offered in the area are through Parks & Recreation facilities and are limited to senior programs, leaving a need for classes available to young people and working parents.  

Most recently, I have completed a year-long class in ʻie ʻie weaving techniques, completing a Kiʻi Akua (Hawaiian war god), used in battle and other ceremonial practices.  The challenge now is to complete this work by covering it in feathers.  

Look me up in a few years to check on my progress!

Eo, e nā hoa aloha ʻāina a me nā poʻe aloha lāhui.  ʻO Makaʻala Rawlins koʻu ʻinoa. No Panaʻewa mai au, kahi kaulana i ka  ʻawa ʻili lena. Noho pū au ma Panaʻewa ma ka ʻāina hoʻopulapula.  Eia mai au kekahi lālā o kaʻu mau kumu ʻo Haunani lāua ʻo Kumulāʻau.

My name is Makaʻala Rawlins, I'm born and raised in the Hawaiian homesteads of Keaukaha and Panaʻewa on the island of Hawaiʻi.  I continue to reside on homestead lands in Panaʻewa with my wife and two sons.  We are a farming ʻohana with a desire to continue on the farming efforts set forth by our kūpuna of the area.

In my professional career, I work as a cultural specialist for Kamehameha Schools, helping to create culturally-based professional and educational development opportunities for faculty, staff, and students. 

When this opportunity to learn about ulana ʻie presented itself, it was a way to connect both my appreciation for mahiʻai and my professional cultural development work. Now that it has been a year I realize that my ulana ʻie journey has just begun and I look forward to see where it will take me into the future and how I can share what I have learned with my ʻohana and keep it going.

Mahalo to Ke Kumu Hawaiʻi's, Kumu Haunani and Kumu Kumulā'au for imparting their years of knowledge and expertise upon us. 

Your mentoring, coaching, and encouragement helped keep things moving and classes challenging. 

Aloha nui!

Born and raised in Koʻolaupoko, Oʻahu. He moved to Hilo at age 11 to the present. With his wife Kekuhi, their children and grandchildren reside in Panaʻewa, Waiākea, Hilo Hanakahi. 

He holds academic degrees in Hawaiian Studies, Education, and Interdisciplinary Studies. A professor of Hawaiian Studies, Dr. Tangarō serves as Director of Hawaiian Culture & Protocols Engagement at Hawaiʻi Community College and the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. He has received several awards and recognition for his stellar achievements in bridging deep Hawaiian culture and higher education.

Tangarō is an ʻuniki hula graduate of Hālau o Kekuhi and positions hula as a medium to explore, define, exercise, and assess indigenous leadership, rituals, and protocols. 

Tangarō was always, since childhood, enamored by woven work- baskets, sculptures, textiles, and netting. He never saw himself, however, as a weaver, primarily due to the absence of weavers in his domestic world. "Yes, we had fishnet makers in the family and lauhala weavers in the neighborhood, but I wanted to weave the things I saw at the Bishop Museum and in our Hawaiiana history books, and there was no one I knew that did this. Until that is, Kumulāʻau and Haunani Sing appeared upon my horizon - I know them, they are kind, humble, and patient, and their creations were mind boggling and inspiring. Their vision to have every family with a weaver was also inspiring. So I signed up, and here I am." 

When asked, what are your takeaways from this experience? 

Tangarō responds: 

"Firstly, weaving in a community has a way of creating intriguing and healthy conversations  - "why do the kiʻi grimace?", "What are todayʻs functions for kiʻi?", "how far can we push innovations of kiʻi without compromising the culture?" etc. 

"Secondly, this experience will be imprinted in my children and their children. When they need kiʻi, they donʻt have to stare at the horizon for their teachers to arrive. Their teacher is their father/grandfather. I am a weaver." 

Krisha Mitsue Kananiokapuʻuwai Zane is the hiapo of Davelyn Leilani Makua and Eric Mitsuo Zane of Hilo. She was born and raised in Waipiʻo (Mililani), Oʻahu graduating from Mililani High School in 2011. Krisha then moved to her current home in Hilo to continue her education at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, studying Business Administration with a Finance concentration and Hawaiian Studies. She has since supported Hawaiian culture-based organizations in data analysis, fund development and program design. Krisha is currently pursuing a master's degree at the National University of Natural Medicine to study wellness and indigenous diet to improve native Hawaiian health in her community.

Beyond weaving, Krisha is devoted to her hula ʻaihaʻa training entrusted from Unukupukupu under Taupōuri Tangarō, and her zen training from Chozen-ji. Both disciplines, although culturally different, provide her with a strong sense of grounding and growth. Her ʻulana journey began at a young age when she would spend many days watching her father weave baskets and hats, which sparked her interest in weaving with different fibers including lauhala, niu, and now ʻieʻie. Over 20 years later, with a new fiber in hand, the most exciting thing about learning with Nā Akua Akea has been sharing it with her family and friends while creating space to share and relearn these special practices so that they can be woven into our modern lifestyles.  She looks forward to continuing this ʻulana journey and wishes for a healthy and fruitful lāhui. 

Ola!