Hawaiian Culture

Hawaiian healing traditions offer a unique approach to well-being, deeply rooted in the culture and environment of the islands. These practices aren’t just about treating symptoms; they’re about restoring balance and harmony – lokahi – within the individual and their connection to nature, community, and the spiritual realm. From herbal remedies and spiritual guidance to the famous Lomi Lomi massage, Hawaiian healing provides a pathway to holistic health that is increasingly relevant in our modern world. Understanding the Hawaiian Worldview: A Foundation for Healing Before diving into the specific healing modalities, it’s crucial to understand the underlying philosophy. Traditional

Surfing isn’t just a sport in Hawaii; it’s a way of life deeply intertwined with Hawaiian culture, history, and spirituality. It’s about connecting with the ocean, respecting its power, and honoring the traditions passed down through generations. From ancient ali’i (royalty) gliding on wooden boards to modern-day surfers chasing massive swells, the spirit of surfing remains a vital part of the Hawaiian identity. The Ancient Roots of He’e Nalu: Surfing in Hawaiian History Long before Captain Cook arrived in 1778, surfing, known as he’e nalu (wave sliding), was an integral part of Hawaiian life. It wasn’t just recreation; it

Hawaii state law allows a product labeled “Kona Blend” to contain as little as 10 percent Kona coffee — the other 90 percent can be commodity beans from anywhere in the world. That single statute, codified as HRS §486-120.6, has shaped consumer confusion around the only coffee grown commercially in the United States at meaningful scale. Visitors arrive in Hawaii expecting to taste something singular, then buy a bag labeled “Kona” at a supermarket for $10 and wonder what the fuss is about. The gap between genuine Kona and what the label permits is wider than most travelers realize.

“These objects are our ancestors. When you pick up an old basket, you are learning from it. That ancestor is talking to you.” — Maile Andrade, multimedia artist and retired professor at the Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies at the University of Hawai‘i–Mānoa On a Wednesday morning at the Kaua‘i Museum in Līhu‘e, instructor Eugene Onio Punzal begins a weaving workshop by blowing a Pū, or conch shell horn, followed by a group chant titled “Mele Oli Aloha No Kaua‘i” to honor the sun and the land. Within an hour, participants are weaving strips of hala leaves into bracelets,

In 1910, men with ropes tied around their waists were lowered down East Maui’s cliffs to set off explosives that would clear a path for what would become the Hāna Highway. The road was completed in 1926 at the cost of at least one worker’s life. That image — bodies suspended over rainforest ravines, dynamite in hand — is a long way from the sunscreen-and-playlist version of the Road to Hāna most visitors come with. Today, the 64-mile stretch of Highway 360 is known for 620 curves, 59 bridges, black-sand beaches, and banana bread stands. But the road itself

Pidgin, or Hawai‘i Creole English, isn’t just slang; it’s a vibrant language with its own grammar, vocabulary, and cultural significance. It’s a testament to the unique melting pot that is Hawai‘i, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of the people who call it home. The Origins of Pidgin: A Language Born from Necessity To understand Pidgin, you have to go back to Hawai‘i’s plantation era in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Sugar plantations brought in workers from all over the world: China, Japan, Portugal, the Philippines, Korea, and more. These diverse groups needed a way to communicate, and that’s

“The kapa is still alive. That’s what life is about.” — Roen Hufford, NEA National Heritage Fellow, on a student’s concern that a dye had changed after drying. In early Hawai‘i, the rhythmic thud of women beating wauke bark on wooden anvils was the first sound a traveler heard before a village came into view. That sound — the heartbeat of the land, as some describe it — was the sound of kapa being made. Kapa is the traditional bark cloth of Hawai‘i, a textile so central to daily and ceremonial life that it wrapped newborns, covered temple altars,

Between 1000 BCE and 1200 CE, Polynesian navigators discovered and settled nearly every habitable island across the Pacific Ocean — spanning over 10,000 miles of open ocean — without a single compass, sextant, or written chart. That fact stops you cold. The Pacific is the largest geographic feature on the planet, covering more than sixty million square miles. European explorers, armed with instruments and maps, needed centuries to chart it. Polynesian wayfinders, using only what the sky and sea gave them, accomplished the same feat in something like two thousand years. Then, within a few generations of Western contact,

In Hawaiian society, ‘Ohana isn’t just a word; it’s the very foundation of life. It emphasizes that family, in all its forms, comes first, shaping values, traditions, and the overall way of life. This deep-rooted connection transcends bloodlines, encompassing chosen relationships and community bonds that offer unwavering support, guidance, and a sense of belonging. To truly understand Hawaiian culture, you have to understand ‘Ohana. The Many Layers of ‘Ohana: More Than Just Blood When we talk about ‘Ohana, we’re not just talking about parents, siblings, and grandparents. While those relationships are undeniably important, the concept stretches much further. Think

Hawaiians combined parts of three guitars into one instrument — the lower strings for bass, the middle for rhythm, the upper for melody — creating a new musical language in the process. On the surface, slack key guitar sounds simple: a fingerpicked style played on a steel-string acoustic, the strings loosened into open tunings that ring out full chords with every strum. But that plain description hides a complex history of cross-cultural encounter, family secrecy, near-loss, and deliberate revival. The style known in Hawaiian as kīhōʻalu — literally “to loosen the key” — emerged in the early 1800s when