Visit the Hālau Kū Mana website for more information.
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Ua hiki mai ka wā o ka makahiki, a e like me ko kākou mau kūpuna, no kēia kula hoʻāmana ʻo Hālau Kū Mana e noho ana i Makiki, he wā ia e hoʻoulu ai i nā alakaʻi Hawaiʻi.
“Makemake mākou e hōʻā lākou, hōʻā i kēlā ahi i loko o lākou i mea e hiki iā lākou ke hoʻomau i nā kuʻuna Hawaiʻi, i nā nohona Hawaiʻi i mea e kōkua iā lākou i ko lākou mau ola a ʻaʻole lākou poina e pili ana i ko mākou mau kūpuna, so ʻo ia ka mea nui,” wahi a Kaleilehua Maioho, he kumu ma Hālau Kū Mana.
A ma loko nō o ka hoʻolauleʻa ʻana i ka ʻike o ko kākou mau kūpuna, wahi a kumu ʻĪmaikalani Winchester, ua waiwai nō ia ma kēia ao hou no ka pono o ka holomua.
“Hoʻohui mākou i ka ʻike o ka wā kahiko i kēia ao hou i mea e pā ai ka lehulehu ākea. Akā ua pono kona hoʻomaka ʻana me mākou nei ma Hālau Kū Mana.”
Ma waho aku o kona koʻikoʻi iā kākou Hawaiʻi i ke au kahiko a hiki i kēia lā, he wā leʻaleʻa ia kekahi. “ʻO ka hoʻolauleʻa makahiki, no mākou nei, he wā ia e hoʻolauleʻa ai i ko kākou pilina Hawaiʻi ma kekahi ʻano leʻaleʻa,” wahi a ʻĪmakalani.
Ua hui nā ʻohana i kēlā Poʻakolu i hala aku nei ma Hālau Kū Mana e komo ma nā pāʻani makahiki, ka hoʻokani pila a me ka ʻai. A e like me kā kēia makua, ʻo Kahealani Keahi, ua kūpono nō kēia launa ʻana o ka ʻohana no kona ʻano kuleana ma waho o kona ʻano hoʻolauleʻa.
“He mea nui ke komo piha ʻana i ka hana ma waho aku o ka heluhelu wale ʻana e pili ana i kēia ʻano hana no ka mea pēlā nō e aʻo pono ai i nā loina a haʻawina i waiho ʻia na kākou e ko kākou mau kūpuna.”
A ʻoiai ua hoʻohuihui ʻia ke au kahiko me ko kēia au hou, wahi a ʻĪmaikalani, ʻaʻole i laha kona ʻano kuleana iā kākou a i ko kākou komo piha ʻana.
“ʻOiai ua nalowale loa kēia ʻike ma waena o kākou no mau makahiki, i koʻu manaʻo, ke ʻike ka poʻe i ko mākou komo piha ʻana i kēia mau loina kahiko, ua hiki nō iā lākou ke launa pū a kamaʻāina i ko kākou lāhui kekahi.”
A ke nui hou aku ka poʻe e hoʻomau ana i kēia hoʻolauleʻa Hawaiʻi, pēlā nō e hoʻōla hou ai ka ʻike o nā kūpuna i nalowale i waena o kākou.
“He hoʻomaka maikaʻi ka makahiki no kēlā ʻano holomua, akā ʻaʻole nō pau ma laila,” wahi a ʻĪmaikalani.
No laila, e hīmeni, e ʻai a e pāʻina pū kākou i kēia wā o ka makahiki i mea e holomua kūpono ai ka makahiki hou. Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou iā kākou a pau!
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Makahiki is here and for Hālau Kū Mana, a Charter School in Makiki, it’s time to raise Hawaiian leaders.
“We want to inspire our students with the knowledge of our ancestors so that they are reminded of who they are,” says Kaleilehua Maioho, a teacher at Hālau Kū Mana.
However, this event is more than just a celebration of our past. According to another teacher, ʻĪmaikalani Winchester, it’s a connection we make with Hawaiians today.
“What we pride ourselves here at Hālau Kū Mana is blending the two, blending both worlds, whether it’s traditional, whether it’s Western, whether it’s kahiko, whether it’s contemporary, everything is a resource and we try to gather those resources in a way that’s positive that tries to uplift I think, not just our school, but our community, our student’s families, so that sort of ripples out.”
However, regardless of the severity Makahiki is to the past and present Hawaiʻi, it is nevertheless a fun season to celebrate. “Makahhiki for us here at Hālau Kū Mana is a way to celebrate our connections, is to celebrate, definitely the traditions of our ancestors, but mostly just to have fun,” says ʻĪmaikalani.
Families gathered last week Wednesday at Hālau Kū Mana among the fun of games, music and delicious food and for Kāhealani Keahi, a proud parent of Hālau Kū Mana, she believes that it is an experience as well as a responsibility.
“It’s one thing to talk about it and to read it in a book, but to actually ma ka hana ka ʻike, by doing one learns, I think that’s the best way for our ʻohana to truly learn and to perpetuate our culture of what our kūpuna and our ancestors left for us.”
But again, as old mixes with the new, according to ʻĪmaikalani, this responsibility isn’t evident until one experiences the reality of this celebration.
“I think a lot of people, once they hear the chanting, once they see, you know, once they see the dress, when they see the blowing of the pū, I think that speaks to something in all of us, in our naʻau and it calls to us and it’s familiar. We don’t really know about it because it’s been alienated for a while, but these things are nevertheless remain with us.”
And as more people get involved with makahiki, eventually more of our ancient knowledge will be regained as well.
“I think makahiki is a good way to begin, I don’t think it’s the only way, but I think it’s a good start,” says ʻĪmaikalani.
So sing, feast, and let us all celebrate this makahiki properly for another successful year. And to all, have a Happy New Year!
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