Correction: This column was written by Kekeha Solis. A previous version credited David Lee Rogers.

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Synopsis: The Lauhala Weaving workshop, Ka Ulu Lauhala O Kona, and its teachers and students inspire one to weave.

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Aloha mai e nā makamaka heluhelu o Kauakūkalahale. Ua pōmaika’i ko ‘oukou mea kākau i ka hele ‘ana aku nei i Kona i kēlā pule aku nei. Ma laila, ma Keauhou, i mālama ‘ia ai ka ‘Aha Ulana Lauhala e ka hui ‘o Ka Ulu Lauhala O Kona. ‘O ka makahiki ‘umikumamāhiku kēia o ka mālama ‘ia ‘ana. A ho’okahi wale nō mea minamina, ‘o ia ho’i, ‘akahi nō a lohe ko ‘oukou mea kākau no ia ‘aha i kekahi mau mahina i hala iho nei. A no laila, ‘o ka makamua kēia o kona komo ‘ana aku i loko o ia papahana.

Eia nō na’e ke lana nei ka mana’o o ko ‘oukou mea kākau, e ho’omau i ke a’o ‘ana mai i nei hana a nā kūpuna, ‘o ka ulana lauhala, a mākaukau nā lima e ulana ai i pāpale, e like ho’i me ka hana a kekahi mau haumāna o ia ‘aha ulana lauhala o Keauhou. I ka lā 16 o Mei i ho’omaka ai, a i ka lā 19, ka lā hope loa ho’i, ua pau ka pāpale i ka ulana ‘ia e kekahi mau haumāna lima palanehe. A he keu aku nō ia mau pāpale a ka nani. ‘O nā haumāna ia i mākaukau. A no nā haumāna ‘akahi ‘akahi, he papa nō kahi e launa mua ai lākou me ia mea he ulana lauhala.

He nui nā mea like ‘ole i ulana ‘ia ma ia ‘aha, ‘o ka pāpale ‘oe, ‘o ke ‘eke ‘oe, ‘o ka pē’ahi ‘oe, ‘o ke apo lima, me ia mau mea. A ‘o kahi mea maika’i, ma ke ahiahi hope loa o ia ‘aha, he ‘aha ‘aina. ‘A’ahu ‘ia ihola ka lole nani, e kīkaha ana ka ‘iwa i nā pali, a hele ihola i ka ‘aha, pā’ina, kama’ilio, a ho’onanea ihola. A pau ka pā’ina, hō’ike’ike nā haumāna a pau i kā lākou mau mea i ulana ai. He keu aku a ka maika’i.

‘O kekahi pōmaika’i, i kekahi lā, ua ninaninau aku ‘o Ipo Wong iā ‘Anakē Maluihi Lee ma ka ‘ōlelo makuahine a lāua, a eia mai kahi paukū pa’a na’au maiā ‘Anakē Maluihi mai, “A’a nā maka o nā a’a; ulu nā kumu; ha’i nā lālā; mai ka lālā, mohala nā lau; mai ka lau, pua ka hīnano; mai ka hīnano, kau ka hala; pala ka hala, ala ka hala, ulu ke kī hala.”

Ua nui loa ka mahalo o ‘Anakē Maluihi i nā kānaka a pau i kāko’o a kōkua mai iā ia nei a me ka hui ‘o Ka Ulu Lauhala O Kona e hiki ai ke mālama ‘ia nei ‘aha ‘o Ka Ulu Lauhala O Kona a ho’omau ‘ia aku kēia hana mai nā kūpuna mai, ‘o ia ho’i, ka ulana lauhala a me nā ‘ike a pau e pili ana.

A ‘o ‘Anakē Maluihi, he 83 ona makahiki, a kohu ‘ōpiopio ka ‘oni o ke kino, a ikaika nō ho’i kona mau lima i ka hana ‘ana i ka lau o ka hala ma ke kīhae ‘ana a me ka pākī ‘ana.

Mahalo iā ‘oe, e ‘Anakē, a mahalo ho’i i ka Papa Ho’okō o Ka Ulu Lauhala O Kona, a me nā kumu a pau o ka ‘aha, ‘o Hulali Jewell, ‘o Donna Brown, ‘o Ku’uipo Morales, ‘o Alice, ‘o Karen, a ‘o Paula Kawamoto, ‘o Pualani Muraki, ‘o Dee Shimabukuro, ‘o Katie Lowrey, ‘o Michael Nahoopii, ‘o Pam Lipscomb, ‘o Debbie Toko, ‘o Gwen Kamisugi, ‘o Caroline Affonso, ‘o Kathy Walsh, ‘o Lola Spencer, ‘o Margaret Lovett, ‘o Marcia Omura, ‘o Ed Kaneko, ‘o Josephine Fergerstrom, ‘o Lynda Tu’a, a ‘o Herb Kaneko, ke kanaka hana i nā mea pa’ahana no ka ulana lauhala. A mahalo i nā haumāna i hele no ka ‘i’ini e a’o mai i nei hana. A ‘o ke kumu e kau nei ia po’o mana’o ma luna, “Ulana me ke aloha,” he ‘oia’i’o nō ia, ua nui ke aloha o nā kānaka a pau ma laila.

‘Eā, e nā makamaka heluhelu, inā ua komo ka ‘i’ini, e hele aku i ka ‘aha ulana lauhala i kēia makahiki a’e.

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This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.