For 70 years, from 1922 to 1992, pineapple was the economic backbone of Lanai. At the peak of production, from the 1950s to the 1970s, the island gained renown as the largest pineapple plantation in the world. When Dole shut down its operations there in 1992, it concluded a major chapter in Lanai’s history.

"The plantation permeated every aspect of life," said Kepa Maly, executive director of the nonprofit Lanai Culture & Heritage Center (Lanai CHC). "A whistle blew in the morning, and the adults would get up to prepare for work. A whistle blew when it was time to start work and for the kids to be making their way to school. When it was pau hana (end of the workday), another whistle blew. And at 8 p.m. a whistle blew to announce curfew. If you were under 18 and away from home, you had to be with an adult. Life was structured, but there was a feeling of purpose and well-being."

Established 41⁄2 years ago, the Lanai CHC (see story at right) strives to research, preserve and share Lanai’s special history, sense of place and cultural resources. In these challenging economic times, it’s a mission that Maly believes can be accomplished only with the generosity of many supporters.

"We would like to engage more people in our efforts," he said. "We realized many kamaaina (longtime Hawaii residents) on Oahu have Lanai ties. Perhaps they grew up or have family there, picked pineapple there during the summers or have hunted or vacationed there. We would also like to make new friends by creating greater awareness about Lanai and the Lanai CHC. By doing so, we hope they will see the importance of our work and be moved to kokua (help)."

On March 25, Oahu residents and visitors will enjoy a delectable taste of Lanai at the Aloha Lanai Benefit & Concert, which Maly sees as the kickoff for a grass-roots endowment drive for the Lanai CHC. Planned are a preview of the "Voices of Lanai" oral history presentation featuring beloved kupuna (elders); a silent auction (bid on jewelry, original art, hotel stays, handmade ukulele and quilts, and much more); food booths selling local favorites, including a Hawaiian plate; and sales of Lanai CHC publications and T-shirts.

The event will culminate with a concert of mele (songs) and hula, with appearances by, among many others, Kupaoa, Wai­puna, Na Palapalai and Noelani Mahoe, a noted Hawaiian musician, composer and musicologist who is credited with documenting several old songs of Lanai that would otherwise be lost.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, when she was a young woman, Mahoe often visited friends on Lanai. Each time she went, she learned more songs whose origins were so hazy, no one could say for sure when or by whom they were written.

At the Aloha Lanai concert, Mahoe will perform the first two songs she learned on Lanai half a century ago: "Aloha Oe Kuulei Pisake," which describes a woman’s love for her delicate, fragrant pikake lei; and "O Kaaiokamanu," a lighthearted song about enjoying camaraderie, a bite to eat and a drink or two.

During the evening, Maly and a few friends will debut a new song he composed, "Aloha Kaa o Lanai" — a tribute to storied and sacred places of Lanai. The lyrics were inspired by stories he heard from kupuna when he was growing up on the island.

"Those stories form the foundation of our hopes and dreams for the Lanai CHC," Maly said. "We envision it as the heart of Lanai — where people come to discover their roots and embrace their heritage. Like the rest of the main Hawaiian Islands, big changes have come to Lanai over the years, but it is still a puu­ho­nua, a sanctuary, of peace and healing. We welcome everyone on Oahu to experience that at the Aloha Lanai Benefit & Concert."

Island’s cultural stewards are charged with "honoring the past and enriching the future"

Pineapple put Lanai on the map, but there is so much more to the island’s story. The Lanai Culture & Heritage Center (Lanai CHC) is the result of the community’s efforts to preserve, interpret, celebrate and share a trove of cultural, historical and natural treasures.

"Our mission is to inspire people to be informed, thoughtful and active stewards of their heritage," said Kepa Maly, the Lanai CHC’s executive director. "This mission has become even more important as time goes on. Our elders pass away, memories fade, heirlooms are lost or forgotten, and new generations lose touch with the past."

After 30 years of discussions and planning, the Lanai CHC formally opened on Oct. 1, 2007, in a 600-square-foot room in the Old Dole Administration Building in Lanai City. There it remained through December 2009.

Thanks to contributions from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and numerous other organizations and individual donors, the museum opened the doors to a beautifully renovated space in the administration building on Jan. 16, 2010. Twice its original size, the museum covers nearly a millennium — from A.D. 1000, when the first Hawaiians settled on Lanai, to the end of the plantation era.

Exhibit highlights include artifacts collected on Lanai in the early 1900s (on long-term loan from Bishop Museum). Programs on resource stewardship, student outreach, stabilization of archaeological features and development of interpretive trails are being implemented. Historical records are being transcribed and saved in digital format to facilitate access to information.

"We’re continuing to progress toward our goal of honoring the past and enriching the future," Maly said. "Elder kamaaina love to come to the museum to talk story and reflect on days gone by. It’s also rewarding to see our youth come in on their own to look at the displays. It’s heartening to know we have established a model heritage program that other communities in Hawaii have expressed interest in creating."

The Lanai CHC is at 730 Lanai Ave. in Lanai City. It’s open from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free but donations are appreciated. For more information, call 565-7177 or check out www.lanaichc.org. Tax-deductible donations are gratefully accepted via a link on the website.

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.