Hilo – Lei Day . Org

The above image may look like a lush tropical landscape, but there are ZERO native Hawaiian species in this image. Except for the avocado tree (a 20th century introduced food crop) buried under an aggressive philodendron, all of the visible species at this site are highly invasive. Philodendron, running bamboo, and thunbergia have created an almost sterile biome lacking in diversity. Left alone, they will kill the avocado tree. There are virtually no understory plants, resulting in significant erosion of topsoil. The only fungi are molds.
A healthy biome comprises diverse species which fill many niches. The Urban Kīpuka Project will explore ways to re-create ecosystems with healthy diversity for small urban/suburban environments.

UPDATE: The Urban Kīpuka Project is no longer active as a separate entity. Its work is being carried on within the Hilo Lei Day Festival workshops and classes.

As so many of us know, Hawaiʻi has the unfortunate distinction of being “the extinction capitol of the world.” Many of our native birds are gone due to habitat loss and introduced diseases and predators. Many of our plants have been bulldozed away by development.

LeiManu Designs has started the Urban Kīpuka Project, which is developing small-scale low-cost techniques with which homeowners can easily add Native Hawaiian plants to their gardens, creating small ecosystems which can support our native fauna.

They are working with Liliʻuokalani Gardens and He Moʻolelo Kō ka Lei to spread the word about the benefits of using native plants in landscaping for erosion control, beauty, sustainability, and as a backyard economic driver in small agriculture and floriculture.

To learn more about this project, contact Leilehua Yuen [Leilehua (at) LeiManu.com] and visit the Urban Kīpuka Patreon page.

Photos by Rita French

Mahalo nui loa to everyone who came out for Lei Day 2018! And mahalo nui loa to our sponsors, without whose kōkua, the festival could not have happened. Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, through the Kūkulu Ola program, was our major funder, and also is providing major funding for our classes and workshops. The Carousel of Aloha is our fiscal sponsor for 2018. Kapoho Kine Adventures and Basically Books were there in our dire need, and Ke Ola Magazine provided major promotional support, and Dinnie of Destination Hilo got the word out in Hilo and to our island visitors.

Story and pix here, and for even more photos, visit us on FaceBook!

Ke Ola Magazine at the Hilo Lei Day Festival — Ke Ola Magazine is a long-time supporter of the Hilo Lei Day Festival, and each year hosts our information booth. Read about Lei Day and more!

At the lei making tent — Ola Jenkins, of Destination Hilo, taught many different kinds of lei, from kui to wili to hilo to hili at the lei making tent. The pile of branches and leaves in the foreground is hau. Hau bark is a primary cordage fiber. *Photo by Marcia Timboy*.

Petronila Blank teaching lei ka wili. Aunty Joan Wheeler seated in back, teaching eyelash yarn lei.

K.T Cannon-Egar of the Friends of Liliʻuokalani Gardens and many others contributed in so many ways, Mikell Gleason, Mary Adachi, Kevan Kendrik, Laura Williams-May, and Petronila Blank, LeiManu Designs, Kau Kau Kitchen, Hawaiian Heart Woods.

Our demonstrators, Lōkahi Lomilomi, Ola Jenkins of Destination Hilo, Chris Benders and friends of Open Arms Ministry, the Hilo Orchid Society, Hilo UrbFarm, and those sharing knowledge of our environment also shared aloha for the interconnection of body, mind, and spirit all day long.

Meanwhile the Palace Theater ran vintage movies and documentaries on local lei makers all day.

Maureen's Island Gems — Maureen brought her Island Gems and lei momi.

Our vendors provided tasty treats and fun gifts, Anykine Won Tons and Kula Shave Ice – Yum! Not Poi Designs, Orchid Isle Traders, Lahilahi Sun-Protection Powder, Lava Paws, Nadina’s Cremes, Pakele Creations, Indigogo Designs, and Maureen’s Island Gems.

Please continue to keep them in mind when you are looking for goodies and gifts. These all are local businesses. Money spent with them circulates through the local economy, and their vendor fees help to support our festivals.

After four months of almost non-stop rain, April 30 blessed us with overcast skies and a few gently sprinkles – just enough to keep the lei from wilting. Earthquakes through the night kept us on our toes!

MC Manu Josiah introducing Kahu Leifi Hao.

Lei Day dawned overcast, but the rain stayed away, giving us perfect weather. Not too hot, not too cold, a gently breeze kept it from getting muggy.

The festival opened at 9:00 am with pule (prayer) by Kahu Leifi Hao. Always gracious, she shares so generously, and it is a delight to the ear to hear her ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi!

Last year, Kahu Leifi also shared pule at Liliʻuokalani Gardens for the Centennial of the Queen’s death. As this year a project begins to mālama Kalākaua Park, in honor of the Queen’s brother, it was felt most appropriate to ask Kahu Leifi to also pule for the Hilo Lei Day Festival.

Meleana na Hālau with Lei Day Queens — Meleana Manuel and Hula Hālau Ke ‘Olu Makani O Mauna Loa honoring our 2017 and 2018 queens.
To us, the beauty of this presentation, before the festival got “rolling,” is that it is NOT the big dramatic presentation in front of everyone for show. It was a small, personal ceremony – a kumu who carries her lineage from Uncle George Naope with grace and beauty honoring two women who embody the aloha of the lei.
Sometimes, we confuse the pageantry with the origin. The pageantry builds on the origin, but without the foundation it is hollow.
Mahalo to Kumu Meleana and her hālau for always staying true to her foundations, and providing a pā on which we stood to celebrate!

Kumu Meleana Manuel and her hālau, Ke ʻOlu Makani o Mauna Loa made a lovely lei presentation to our 2017 Floral Queen Kahōkūkauahiahionālani “Sammi” Fo, and our 2018 Floral Queen Thaliana Denise Leionaona Aipolani.

Kumu Meleana was the last alakaʻi to study under Uncle George Naʻope, and she carries on his traditional hula with grace and aloha, which can be seen in the loving faces of her haumāna.

As this year the festival fell on a Tuesday, most of the Ke ʻOlu Makani o Mauna Loa hālau members had to go to their “day jobs” after performing. Their taking time out to participate was a true gift of aloha.

Kumu Meleana also teaches and performs in Japan.

Meleana Manuel and Ke 'Olu Makani O Mauna Loa — Meleana Manuel and Ke ‘Olu Makani O Mauna Loa

Providing musical accompaniment for Meleana and her hālau was Mr. Ben Kaili and Kapulanakēhau Tamuré.

Uncle Johnny Lum Ho was well represented by his haumana Kananiokalani Neizmen, and “Ka Uas,” a small group of women who are members of his “Gracious Ladies” pā.

Kanani was one of those who made time to come share his aloha for Hawaiʻi before heading off to work his “day job,” which meant bringing along everything he needed for hula, as well as his work attire!

Hilo Lei Day Festival coordinator Leilehua Yuen said, “We so appreciate those who honor Hawaiʻi by carrying on our cultural traditions amid the necessities of modern life!”

Kiriko Redondo and Ka Uas. *Selfi by Kiriko Redondo.*

Ka Uas, who only use the full “Hālau Hula ka Ua Kani Lehua” inoa (name) when they are performing with Uncle Johnny, had an earlier performance at the Veteransʻ Home, so Barbara, Patty, and Melia danced later in the day.

Their beauty and aloha shone through their hula, and they were able to stay after and enjoy the festival and, with their beautiful lole hula, add to the color and festivity of the event!

Serena Massery representing the Kingdom of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau — Serena Massery represents the kingdom of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau with two hula, Hoʻi ke Aloha i Niʻihau, and ʻUla Nōweo.

Serena Massery, haumana to Kumu Leilehua Yuen, represented the Kingdom of Kauaʻi with nā hula E Hoʻi ke Aloha i Niʻihau and ʻUla Nōweo. Her kaʻi was Hoʻopuka e ka Lā ma Kahikina, and her hoʻi was Hoʻi e, Hoʻi no. Serena is working on her master’s degree in food sustainability through studying the kalo farming of Kauaʻi.

Serena also was part of the “Midnight Decorators,” helping to provide security for the displays, stage, and sound system while making lei through the night. She crafted her lei poʻo and lei ʻāʻī of tī in the hilo style to represent the maile-lau-liʻi, the small-leafed-maile of Kauaʻi. Her lei kīkepa was made by lei hili workshop students, two from Belgium who just happened to be walking by as class began. They stopped and asked what was going on, and found themselves making lei for the festival! Rather than take the lei and have to dispose of them, the travelers donated the lei back to the festival.

Tille Ronsmans, of Belgium, and Manuleʻa Ramirez craft a lei hili. — Tille Ronsmans, of Belgium, and Manuleʻa Ramirez, a Midnight Decorator and haumana to Kumu Leilehua, craft a lei hili. *Photo by Leilehua Yuen*.

Kiriko Redondo dances "E Kuʻu Lei Lehua" — Kiriko Redondo dances *E Kuʻu Lei Lehua.*

Another of the “Midnight Decorators” was Kiriko Redondo, also haumana to Kumu Leilehua. Kiriko represented Hawaiʻi Island with the kaʻi and hoʻi E Kuʻu Lei Lehua, and the hula Nani Haili Pō i ka Lehua.

Kiriko is an alakaʻi to Kumu Leilehua, and teaches Hawaiian culture and arts, as well as hula, in Korea.

Kiriko originally studied with Yoshiko Sensei of Yokohama. When Kiriko expressed a desire to challenge herself with further study in Hawaiʻi, Yoshiko Sensei gave her permission to move to Kumu Leilehua’s hālau in Hilo. Kiriko now travels between Korea and Hilo to pursue her studies.

Historical figures came in for a visit. Pualani Johnson reprised her role as Liliʻuokalani, The last monarch of the Hawaiian Islands. Pualani has portrayed the queen numerous times, and has steeped herself in the history and heritage of the queen.

Before and after her presentation, she strolled the park, in character, interacting with festival attendees, educating people in the most gracious manner regarding the history of the Hawaiian Islands.

Last year, during events at Liliʻuokalani Gardens, and at the Church of the Holy Apolstles, Pualani portrayed the Queen for the commemoration of the centennial of the monarch’s passing.

Spencer’s Invincibles joined us, as part of the story of an often-neglected lei – the lei manō. Spencer’s Invincibles were a Hilo militia privately funded and mustered by Thomas Spencer (portrayed by Joel Kelly) to fight in the American Civil War.

Kumu Leilehua Yuen presented the hula He Motu ta Ura, which had been used as a victory chant by Kalaniʻōpuʻu. Her Kaʻi was Hoʻopuka e ka Lā i Kai o ʻUnulau. Her hoʻi was Hoʻi e, Hoʻi no.