Synopsis: Lauhala weaving is going strong, thanks to groups like Ka Ulu Lauhala O Kona and its founder, a master lauhala weaver, Aunty Elizabeth Maluihi Lee.

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Welina e nā makamaka heluhelu. I kēia mau lā, he nui ka makemake o kākou, e ho’omau i nā hana a nā kūpuna. A e hopohopo ana paha kākou o nalo loa kekahi o ia mau hana. Eia ko ‘oukou mea kākau ke ha’i aku nei iā ‘oukou, aia nō ke mau nei ka ulana lauhala ‘ana.

I kēlā pule aku nei a i ia pule aku, ua mālama ‘ia iho nei ka ‘Aha Lauhala o Ka Ulu Lau Hala O Kona. A ‘o ka 18 ia o ka makahiki i mālama ‘ia aku ai ua ‘aha lauhala nei. A he keu aku ia a ka maika’i. He 25 kumu e a’o ana i ka ulana ‘ana, a he nui nā mea i ulana ‘ia ma laila, ‘o ka uluna ‘oe, ‘o ke ‘eke ‘oe, ‘o ka pāpale ‘oe, ‘o ka moena a pēlā aku.

Ua ho’omaka ka ‘aha i ka Pō’akolu, ka lā 15 o Mei. ‘O ia ka lā o nā haumāna i launa pū ai me nā kumu a i ho’omaka ai ho’i i ke a’o ‘ana mai i ka ulana ‘ana. A i ke ahiahi o ia lā, he ‘aha ‘aina kahi i pā’ina pū ai nā kānaka a pau i komo i loko o ka hana. I ka Pō’ahā, ka Pō’alima, a me ka Pō’aono, he ulana ka hana me ka lana o ka mana’o e pau pono ana ka mea e ulana ‘ia ana i hō’ike’ike aku ai ka haumāna i kāna hana ma ka ‘aha ‘aina o ke ahiahi Pō’aono, he hō’ike’ike paikini ke ‘ano. A ‘o ka mea nui, hō’ike’ike ka haumāna i kāna hana, ua pau pono paha, ‘a’ole paha. A i ia ahiahi nō ho’i ka hopena o ke kūkālā leo ‘ole, he ho’oulu kālā ia no ka mālama ‘ana i ka ‘aha a me ka hā’awi ‘ana i ka pu’u kālā i ke kanaka i lawa ‘ole ke kālā. A he nui nā mea nani like ‘ole e kūkālā ‘ia ana. Akā, ‘o kekahi o nā mea hoihoi loa a i lilo i mea kama’ilio nui ‘ia, ‘o ia kahi pāpale lauhala li’ili’i loa i ulana ‘ia e Pohaku Kahoohanohano.

‘O kahi pōmaika’i o ko ‘oukou mea kākau, ‘o ia kona komo ‘ana i ka papa a ‘Anakē Maluihi. He loea ‘o ‘Anakē Maluihi ma ka ulana ‘ana. Nui kāna mau ‘ōlelo waiwai i ha’i mai ai no ka ulana ‘ana a no nā mea like ‘ole nō ho’i. A ke puapua’i mai ka ‘ōlelo makuahine mai ka waha mai o ‘Anakē Maluihi, he nani ho’i kau! A nui nā hua ‘ōlelo Hawai’i a ko ‘oukou mea kākau i a’o mai ai maiā ‘Anakē mai, he mau hua ‘ōlelo e pili ana i ka ulana lauhala, a he mau hua ‘ōlelo nō ho’i e pili ana i nā hana like ‘ole.

He keu aku ia o ka ‘aha lauhala maika’i. ‘A’ole wale nō no ke a’o ‘ana i ka ulana ‘ana, akā, no ka launa pū ‘ana me nā kānaka like ‘ole. A no laila, mahalo nui e ‘Anakē Maluihi Lee a me ka Papa Ho’okō o Ka Ulu Lauhala O Kona no ka mālama ‘ana i ka ‘aha lauhala a me ka ho’omau ‘ana i ia hana a ko kākou mau kūpuna. Mahalo ho’i iā ‘oukou, e nā kumu a’o ulana lauhala, i ke a’o ‘ana mai i ka ‘ike i pa’a iā ‘oukou. A mahalo nō ho’i i nā kānaka i komo aku i loko o ia ‘aha.

A ‘a’ole i kana mai ka mahalo o ko ‘oukou mea kākau iā ‘Anakē Pualani Muraki, ‘Anakē Barbara Kossow, a me ‘Anakē Noho Kahananui i ke kōkua ‘ana mai iā māua ‘o ka’u wahine ma ke kākau inoa ‘ana a me nā mea a pau e komo ai māua i loko o ka ‘aha. Nani wale ko māua pōmaika’i iā ‘oukou. Aloha nō a hui hou aku kākou 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.