On the last day of the 2012 Celebration of the Arts, Clifford Naeole stood quietly watching the activity at the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua’s front desk. Checking in were new arrivals who had no idea they had just missed one of Hawaii’s premier cultural events.
"I thought, ‘What now?’" recalled Naeole, the hotel’s Hawaiian cultural adviser and chairman of Celebration of the Arts. "‘Does the education of Hawaiians and visitors by Hawaiians just come to a halt, or should we all work harder to continue its growth?’ I decided the process should be ongoing."
Thus came the theme for this year’s 21st annual festival: "E ulu … e ulu mau: To grow … to grow forever." It will again bring together respected artisans, educators, entertainers and cultural practitioners for three days of music, hula, films, lectures, panel discussions and hands-on art activities and demonstrations that spotlight Hawaiian history and culture.
CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS
» Place: Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, 1 Ritz-Carlton Drive, Kapalua Resort, Maui
» Dates: March 29-31
» Admission: Most offerings are free.
» Phone: 669-6200
» Website: www.celebrationofthearts.org
» Notes: Valid from March 29-31, the Celebration of the Arts Kamaaina Package includes accommodations, daily breakfast for two, resort fees and parking or shuttle service between the airport and the hotel. Cost is $259 per night, single or double occupancy. Call to book.
HIGHLIGHTS
March 29
10-10:45 a.m.: Opening ceremony
11 a.m.-4 p.m.: Demonstrations and exhibits of contemporary and traditional Hawaiian arts and crafts. Also on March 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: "Hoalike ko kahiko hou laau lapaau (the contrast of ancient and new medicines)." Learn about nutraceuticals (plant-based medicines) and pharmaceuticals (chemical-based medicines).
12:45-1:30 p.m.: "Haahaa ka ha … haaheo ka ha (Humble is the breath, proud is the breath)." A tribute to Anthony Natividad, the late Hawaiian nose flute musician and craftsman.
2-3 p.m.: "My Kapa, My Soul." Hawaiian quilting requires patience, skill and love.
3:15-4 p.m.: Maui a ka malo … Maui of the malo (loincloth). Legends tell of the amazing feats of the Hawaiian demigod Maui.
7-8:45 p.m.: "Na Kupu Manaolana (Seeds of Hope)." This film chronicles Hawaii’s return to traditional methods of growing food.
9 p.m.-midnight: "Celebration After Hours" featuring Ahumanu.
March 30
10 a.m.-noon: "Remembering a Princess." Princess Sarah Kale Kaniaulono Davis is buried a half-mile above Kapalua Resort. Join her direct descendants for a discussion about her and a cleanup of her grave.
11 a.m.-noon: "Food Sovereignty: Protecting the Old Seeds." What does the future hold for agriculture in Hawaii?
12:15-1 p.m.: "Under a Jarvis Moon." Before World War II the U.S. government sent Hawaiian men to colonize remote South Sea islands.
1:15-2:15 p.m.: "Ono ka awa (delicious is the awa)." Pairing awa (kava) from Fiji, Tonga and Hawaii with banana, guava, young coconut and kulolo (pudding made of coconut cream and baked or steamed grated taro).
3-4 p.m.: "E kala mai (excuse me): A Two-Way Street." Forgiveness is a process that involves both parties — the forgiver and the person being forgiven.
6-8:30 p.m.: "The Celebration Luau and Show." A bountiful Hawaiian feast and entertainment by Pono Murray and Halau na Wai Punalei, Kahulanui and others.
9 p.m.-midnight: "Celebration After Hours" featuring Ikaika Blackburn and Leo Honi.
March 31
10:15 a.m.: Easter egg hunt
11 a.m.-3 p.m.: Easter Sunday brunch
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Among the highlights will be "Hoalike ko kahiko hou laau lapaau: The contrast of ancient and new medicine," presented by Bula Logan and his wife, Dr. Miho Fukuda. They own and operate Malama na Pua, a health and wellness center in Wailuku that offers hoolomilomi (massage), hooponopono (conflict resolution), laau lapaau (herbal medicine), pohaku (hot rocks) therapy and other traditional Hawaiian healing arts.
Logan was trained since childhood in Hawaiian plant-based medicine. Fukuda is a physician with an impressive background in psychology, qigong, channeling, meditation and other spiritual teachings.
"Bula and Miho understand the seriousness of our health problems today," Naeole said. "Diabetes, asthma, heart disease and high blood pressure are measured by modern instruments, but they can be controlled by ancient treatments. They will compare the theories, techniques, prescriptions and results of Western and traditional Hawaiian medicine for the mind and body."
During "Food Sovereignty: Protecting the Old Seeds," taro farmer Hokuao Pellegrino, environmental activist Matt Kalani Souza and Pomaikai Crozier, manager of the Puu Kukui watershed, will discuss the future of agriculture in Hawaii. Climatic changes, limited farming land, and seeds and crops derived from GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are affecting what, when, where and how food is being grown in the islands.
"So many questions have been raised," Naeole said. "Will there be enough ‘old seeds’ — seeds that haven’t been genetically engineered — to keep pace with the rapid increase in Hawaii’s population? Will climate changes prevent us from producing enough food? If so, should we rely on food that has been engineered for faster growth and resistance to insects and disease? Do we go for quantity versus health? Can we afford the cost of organic foods? What do we sacrifice in order to survive?"
The final resting place of Sarah Kale Kaniaulono Davis is a short drive from the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, in the middle of what was once a pineapple field. "Remembering a Princess" will honor this long-forgotten alii who was the daughter of Isaac Davis, a trusted adviser of King Kamehameha, and Nakai Nalimaalualu, a descendant of King Kihapii-lani of Maui.
Kale had five husbands, the first of whom was James Kanehoa Young, her hanai (adopted) stepbrother who was governor of Maui from 1842 to 1851. Performed by a ship’s master, their marriage was supposedly the first Christian union in Hawaii.
The tribute to Kale, who died in 1867 at the age of 70, will include clearing her burial site of weeds, rocks and debris. Everyone is welcome to help.
"At Celebration of the Arts, visitors can grow from rich experiences like that, which they will never find listed in guidebooks," Naeole said. "Celebration is an event of spirituality, dialogue, tradition and camaraderie between Native Hawaiians and visitors, all linked by the common denominators of good food, music, dance and art."
This year’s event encourages attendees to ponder issues they are facing, so they can make informed decisions about the paths they want to pursue.
"We need to keep progressing, keep moving forward in every aspect of our lives," Naeole said. "We shouldn’t remain stagnant. If that happens, we would have no goals to aspire to, no dreams for the future. What we accomplished yesterday affects today and drives our mission for tomorrow. In that way we create our own enduring legacies. E ulu … e ulu mau."
Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Star-Advertiser have won several Society of American Travel Writers awards.
