Every year since 1984, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources has come out with a calendar and every year it’s a thing of beauty and scholarship.
Just having a state project survive for 29 years is amazing enough, as the calendars have continued through changes in administration, economics, taste and technology. But even more than surviving, the project continues to surprise and inspire. This year, the theme is well-suited for the uncertainty of 2012: looking at traditional Hawaiian sustenance that still exists in the modern world. Underlying the stunning photos by Ric Noyle and text by Hallett Hammatt is a message of hope, the idea that we can learn, or relearn, to take care of ourselves.
"Many examples of the achievements of the past remain with us today, with a number being revitalized and placed back into production," the calendar’s introduction reads. The photos show intricate agricultural and aquacultural systems that are still in use after hundreds of years.
"These means of food production were accomplished through the transmitting and absorbing of kupuna (elders’) knowledge and experimentation. The Hawaiian food production systems were innovative and solution driven, developed within the context of a community instilled with a spirit of cooperation to accomplish large scale projects."
The calendars were the idea of retired state Historic Preservation Division Director Don Hibbard. He wanted a way to remind people every day of Hawaii historic places that still exist in our modern world. The result is an interpretive guide to things you may have never seen before in the islands, or perhaps a key to new appreciation of something you might have passed every day for years.
The theme changes each year to focus on one of the branches of historic preservation; history and culture, archaeology, or architecture. One year it was petroglyphs, another it was plantation-era housing, and a very popular edition featured native flora. Past calendars are considered collectors’ items because of the beautiful photography and carefully researched text. People have been known to order out-of-date calendars, and the collection is filed in the state library system as reference material.
The genius of the DLNR calendars is that they never come off as heavy-handed history lessons or nostalgic cliches. The tone is thoughtful and accessible, and though it is a monthly wall calendar, it feels like a coffee table book, something you can sit with and admire slowly.
Calendars can be purchased at the Hawaii Heritage Center Gallery, 1040 Smith St. in Chinatown between King and Hotel streets. The center is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The number for phone orders is 521-2749. Calendars are $10 each for the first 10 purchased, with a discount for larger orders. Proceeds go to support future calendars.
Lee Cataluna can be reached at lcataluna@staradvertiser.com.
