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Information as
released by the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Official website:
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Dietrich
Varez |
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Artist's
rendering of
Pele amidst
volcanoes
and lehua
blossoms |
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E
ho`omau i ka
po`ohala, carry on
the virtues, arts,
and skills of the
family at Hawai`i
Volcanoes' 29th
Annual Cultural
Festival.
Set for Saturday,
July 11, 2009, from
10:00 am to 3:00 pm,
the event will be
held on the lawn
fronting Kilauea
Military Camp on
Crater Rim Drive.
The festival and
park entrance are
free.
This year's theme is
E Ola ka Wahine o
Halema`uma`u, Pele
lives. For many
Native Hawaiians,
Halema`uma`u crater
is the sacred home
of Pele, deity of
volcanoes.
Located at the
summit of Kilauea
volcano, just two
miles from the
festival grounds,
Halema`uma`u has
been in eruption
since March 2008. An
eruption on the
volcano’s east rift
has been ongoing
since January 1983.
At 10:00 am, the
echo of the pu
(shell trumpet) and
a heartfelt pule
(Hawaiian prayer)
will remind us that
the culture of
Hawai`i is very much
alive.
Throughout the day,
the sweet sounds of
Hawaiian music fill
the air and hula
dancers, bedecked in
flower lei and
colorful mu`umu`u,
bring meaning to the
songs through the
movement of their
eyes, hands, and
hips. |
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Enjoy
hula by Haunani’s Aloha
Expression and music by
The Kuahiwi’s, Diana
Aki, Kenneth Makuakane,
and David Ka`io.
KAPA
radio’s Jaz Yglesias
will emcee the day’s
happenings.
Join
in and make a lei,
feather kahili, Hawaiian
quilt, wood fishhook,
gourd for hula, and
kukui nut top. You can
weave a coconut basket
and lauhala bracelet,
play the ukulele and
Hawaiian games, learn
basic Hawaiian language,
and trace your family
genealogy.
Watch
skilled practitioners
demonstrate how to fish,
throw net, build canoe,
craft drums, do lomilomi
massage, beat kapa,
carve wood, use plants
as medicine, stamp with
bamboo, make a lauhala
hat and feather lei,
create a native plant
garden, and plant
dryland taro.
Participants will be
able to taste
traditional foods such
as kalua pig, taro,
sweet potato, poi, sugar
cane, and breadfruit.
Locally made Hawaiian
crafts, Hawaiian plate
lunch, and special
edition festival
t-shirts will be
available for purchase.
Festivalgoers should
wear sunscreen and a
hat, and bring water, a
rainjacket, and beach
chair or ground mat to
sit on. Weather at
Kilauea’s summit can be
hot and sunny or cool
and misty. Pets are not
allowed. |
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Hawai`i Volcanoes
National Park was
established on August 1,
1916, as a public park
for the enjoyment of the
people. An important
purpose of the 333,086
acre park is to
perpetuate Hawaiian
culture and promote
appreciation of
traditional values.
Since
1980, the festival has
epitomized the true
spirit of `ohana
(family), providing the
ideal occasion for
kupuna (elder) and keiki
(child), and kama`aina
(native born) and
malihini (newcomer) to
come together for a day
of fun and sharing.
The
festival was originally
held beneath the swaying
palm fronds of the
park’s coastal
campground, but when
Pele's lava overran the
area in 1992, the
festival moved to
Kilauea’s summit. The
celebration continues on
July 11th beneath
red-blossomed `ohi`a on
the rim of one of
earth’s most active
volcanoes.
The
event is cosponsored by
the County of Hawai`i
Department of Research
and Development, Hawai`i
Tourism Authority,
Hawai`i Natural History
Association, Friends of
Hawai`i Volcanoes
National Park, Kilauea
Military Camp, and Ukes
for Kids. |
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Did You Know?
`Ohelo (Vaccinium reticulatum) is a relative of
blueberries and a favorite food of nene, the
Hawaiian Goose. Its berries range from dark red
to pale yellow when ripe and are sacred to Pele,
the Volcano Goddess. |
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