A special Mahalo and tribute to the wonderful ladies of "Ka Waikahe Lani Mālie"
What do you think of when you picture Hawaii in your head? The beach? The mountains? The people? The food? Let's pause, reel it in a bit and touch down to some roots and culture. Long before the beaches and shores of Hawaii became famous there were people. Real people, with traditions, with culture, with religion, with everything they could need to sustain life on an island. So I ask again, what do you picture when you think of HAWAII?
For me, Hawaii is Home. Born and Raised, no matter where in the world I am, this is always home, and I know I am not the only one that feels Home is always Hawaii. Part of finding myself in these recent years, I acknowledged my spirituality lacked. Not one to turn to religion, I thought where does my heart live? Where did it come from? Where will it go after me? My answer, my past, my present, my future, its all in the culture I come from. Where do you find yourself?
As I thought more on this, I was saddened, realized I do nothing to thank my past for today or tomorrow. I do not fish, I do not tend kalo, I do not dance Hula, so what do I do for Hawaii, this place I call home? Yes of course I pick up trash, I clean yard, I show respect in my community and to the elders, but what do I do for Hawaii? Now I can say, I preserve it. They say a photo is worth a thousand words, well, when they tell the story of your past to the future, it becomes priceless. All the words become meaningless. If even one child see's these and sparks an idea to dance the Hula, to ask her tutu what it was like to dance in the past, and to share with her kids one day the art of Hula, I will be fulfilled.
How do you fill your cup? Let me know.
Do you have a cultural practice that you would like to have preserved through images? Lets start a dialog, I wanna hear about it!
If you are interested in seeing this entire album or perhaps using it for cultural education, please email me as these are private images and any printing needs to be cleared with the Hula Halau.
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