OUR MENTOR
Raymond Nakama
Raymond Nakama was an accomplished craftsman of Hawaiian material culture; weaving came natural to him. His many years of crafting hula implements and his sharp mind and intuitiveness enabled him to unravel many secrets of ʻieʻie weaving. Raymond spent many years working and traveling alongside Patrick Horimoto; sharing ʻike and space in many venues and public demonstrations.
Lloyd Harold Sing Jr. (Kumulāʻau) met Raymond Nakama in 1998 through a pahu drum and ipu heke workshop. Unknown to Raymond, he would learn of Kumulāʻau’s interest in ulana ʻie and became his mentor for 14 years until his passing in May 2014. It was Raymond’s words of encouragement that inspired May Haunani Balino- Sing to take up weaving and join Kumulāʻau on this journey of ulana ʻie.
ABOUT ʻIEʻIE AND THE GATHERING PROCESS
Photo courtesy of Patrick Ching
The ʻIeʻie (Freycinetia arborea) vine is an indigenous plant found in our native forests in higher elevations between the altitudes of 1,000 to 4,500 feet. The vine grows upward to the tops of koa and ʻōhiʻa trees, and can have stems about an inch in diameter.
The vine has thin and pointed leaves that can grow up to two and a half feet long and, at the center of the leaf cluster are rotund and elongated flowers that resemble spikes. The fruits of the vine are orange with seeded berries. Long and thin ʻie, or rootlets, extend from the stem of the vine downwards, sometimes reaching lengths of twenty feet long before settling into the ground.
The rootlets can take about six months to a year to mature before they can be harvested; collected during the summer in ideal dry conditions. We were taught that it is a good practice to gather with a partner and to never go ma uka by yourself, always respect the forest. Over the years, we implemented our own protocol for harvesting ʻie: inspired from hula gathering practices. It was and is pono to ask permission to enter the forest.
We offer and engage in the following:
Offering oli kāhea
Pule for acceptance and protection
Selective harvesting
Hoʻokupu (offering) or clearing/cleaning the area Mahalo – offering thanks for the gifts of knowledge and ʻieʻie collected