Artists Launch Statewide Mural Project in Celebration of Ka Papahana Kaiapuni

Courtesy photo

In celebration of Ka Papahana Kaiapuni’s 30th anniversary, The Living Legacy Series is launching Ke Kanakolu, a project that uses art as a medium to invigorate Native Hawaiian identity while perpetuating Hawaiian values, language and culture.

From Aug. 2017 through May 2018, ʻĀuna Pāheona, a collective of art-centric individuals, will travel to five islands to engage local artists and Hawaiian immersion schools to design and create ten murals inspired by the mo‘olelo of Kalapana on Hawai‘i Island.

“Ke Kanakolu was conceived to raise awareness of the 23 Hawaiian language immersion and charter schools that form Ka Papahana Kaiapuni, as well as the importance of perpetuating Hawaiian language, deepening connection to the ‘āina, and fostering the responsibility of honoring ‘ike kupuna,” said Ke Kanakolu project manager, Mahea Akau.

Ke Kanakolu will begin its second mural on Oct. 5, 2017 in Nānākuli, Hawai‘i with Ke Kula Kaiapuni o Nānākuli. The project returns to Hawaiʻi island on Oct. 19 with Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo and Ke Kula ʻO Nāwahīkalaniʻōpuʻu. Murals will be painted one-by-one for the next seven months. The mural project will culminate on May 25, 2018 in Hanapēpē, Kauaʻi.

The story of Kalapana includes his father, Kānepōiki from Kona, Hawaiʻi and his mother, Halepākī from Kauaʻi whom has the welo ʻohana of hoʻopāpā (a wordplay or battle of wits art form). Kaua‘i chief, Kalanialiʻiloa, hears of this hoʻopāpā art form and becomes obsessed with mastering it. In no time at all, he masters hoʻopāpā via Halepāiwi and Halepāniho, Halepākīʻs older brothers and desires to construct a pā niho (tooth enclosure) and pā iwi (bone enclosure) for his chiefly residence of Kauaʻi. Eventually, he starts challenging other hoʻopāpā practitioners including Kānepōiki. While on Kauaʻi, Kānepōiki loses the battle and his teeth and bones are used in Kalanialiʻiloaʻs chiefly residence. When Halepākī heard of Kānepōikiʻs death, Kalapana was left fatherless very young. When Kalapana matured, he desired to avenge his fatherʻs death and travel to Kona to learn hoʻopāpā from Kalaoa. When Kalapana reaches

Kauaʻi, Kalanialiʻiloa’s men attempt to fool and trick Kalapana into a death sentence. However, Kalapana’s wit, tenacity, and love for his land and family prevails by knowing all the winds, rains, plants, songs, and ʻai that was unknown to Kalanialiʻiloa.

“This mo‘olelo of Kalapana was selected for the tenacity and drive of the protagonist of the story. The strife that Kalapana experiences with the loss of his father, Kānepōiki, and Kalapana avenging the will of his father is comparable to Hawaiian language revitalization efforts,” added Ke Kanakolu Hawaiian Language Director, Kamalani Johnson.

“For the Living Legacy Series to be truly effective, the work must continue. Just as our oral traditions find life through constant retelling, the most effective part of our work is in the process,” said Akau. “A Living Legacy Series mural is only a glimpse of the real change happening within each community. From its inception, the ʻĀuna Pāheona, lead by John “Prime” Hina, has been raising up a new generation of storytellers, who are adept in the use of modern visual tools, and are empowered by a deep sense of responsibility and privilege.”

The goal of this project is to inspire and empower change in Hawaiʻi communities, and with support from Kamehameha Schools and the Office of Hawaiian Education, this program will create a baseline evaluation system in language proficiency and curriculum structure that is appropriate and relevant to the Native Hawaiian learner.

Me Ka Puka ʻAna Mai o Ke Kanakolu e Hoʻohanohano Nei ko ka Living Legacy Series i ka Piha Makahiki Kanakolu o Ka Papahana Kaiapuni

Me ke kaʻa ʻana mai o ko Ka Papahana Kaiapuni makahiki kanakolu, me ke ohohia nō hoʻi e hoʻopuka a hoʻolaha nei ko ka Living Legacy Series iā Ke Kanakolu, he pāhana e hoʻohana a e hoʻoulu ʻia ai ka pāheona i ala e kahukahu ʻia ai ka pikoʻu Hawaiʻi, ka loina Hawaiʻi, a me ka ʻōlelo a moʻomeheu Hawaiʻi. Mai ka mahina ʻo Kepakemapa 2017 a hiki i ka mahina ʻo Mei 2018, e huakaʻi ana ko ʻĀuna Pāheona, he hui pāheona, i nā mokupuni nui ʻelima o Hawaiʻi nei e hana pū ai me nā kānaka pāheona kūloko a kula kaiapuni pū kekahi no ka haku a pena he ʻumi kiʻi paia i hoʻoulu ʻia kona manaʻo ma luna o ka moʻolelo o Kalapana.

“Ua kumu mai ʻo Ke Kanakolu no ka hoʻomakakau aku i nā kula kaiapuni a kula hoʻāmana pū kekahi e piha ai Ka Papahana Kaiapuni, a pēlā pū ke koʻikoʻi a mea nui o ke aʻo ʻana i ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi a me ke kahukahu i ka pilina ʻāina a ʻike kupuna pū kekahi,” i ʻōlelo aku ai ka Luna Hoʻokō Pāhana o Ke Kanakolu, ʻo Mahea ʻĀkau.

E hoʻomaka kā Ke Kanakolu kiʻi paia ʻelua ma ʻOkakopa 5, 2017 ma Nānākuli, Hawaiʻi me Ke Kula Kaiapuni o Nānākuli. E hoʻi nō ka pāhana i Hawaiʻi Mokupuni ma ʻOkakopa 19, 2017 me Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo a me Ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu. E pena moekahi ʻia nā kiʻipaia no nā mahina ʻehiku e hiki mai ana. E pau ka pāhana kiʻi paia ma Mei 25, 2018 ma Hanapēpē, Kauaʻi.

Hoʻomaka ka moʻolelo o Kalapana me Kānepōiki, ka makua kāne no Kona, Hawaiʻi a me Halepākī, ka makuahine no Kauaʻi nona ka welo ʻohana ʻo ka hoʻopāpā. Paʻē akula kēia lono i o Kalanialiʻiloa ala, ke aliʻi o Kauaʻi, a lilo loa akula ʻo ia i ka makemake e aʻo. ʻAʻole i ʻemo ko Kalanialiʻiloa aʻo ʻana i ka hoʻopāpā maiā Halepāiwi lāua ʻo Halepāniho mai, nā kaikunāne o Halepākī, a kuko ihola ʻo ia e paʻa he pā niho a pā iwi. Ua noho akula ʻo ia a hoʻopāpā aku i nā keiki hoʻopāpā o Kauaʻi, a pēlā pū ʻo Kānepōiki. Iā ia i Kauaʻi, eo akula ka lanakila iā Kalanialiʻiloa a lilo kona niho a iwi pū kekahi i mea hoʻohana ʻia ma ka pā o Kalanialiʻiloa. Ma ke kuʻi ʻana mai o ka lono no Kānepōiki i o Halepākī lā, waiho makua ʻole ʻia ʻo Kalapana i kona wā heu ʻole. I kona oʻo iki ʻana aʻe, komo ihola ka makemake i loko o ke keiki e kiʻi i nā iwi o Kānepōiki, kona makua kāne. Iā Kalapana i hōʻea aku ai i Kauaʻi, hoʻāʻo

ko Kalanialiʻiloa poʻe e hoʻowalewale aku a hana maʻalea i ke keiki hoʻopāpā. Eia nō naʻe, ma ke akamai, kūpaʻa, aloha i kona ʻāina a ʻike pū i ke au nui a au iki o ka hoʻopāpā ʻo ia i lanakila ai ma luna o Kalanialiʻiloa.

“Ua koho ʻia ka moʻolelo o Kalapana no ke kūpaʻa o ka hāmeʻe nui o ka moʻolelo. ʻO ka make ʻana o Kānepōiki, ko Kalapana makua kāne, ka mea nāna i hoʻoikaika iā Kalapana a ua like kā Kalapana huakaʻi kiʻi iwi me nā hana hoʻoikaika e hana ʻia nei ma ka hoʻōla ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi,” i ʻōlelo ai ka Luna Hoʻokele ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi o Ke Kanakolu, ʻo Kamalani Johnson.

“I kō ka pahuhopu a ka Living Legacy Series, e hoʻomau ʻia aku nō ka hana. E like nō hoʻi me ke ola ʻana o ka moʻolelo ma kona haʻi waha ʻia, ʻo nā keʻehina hana ka mea nui loa,” i ʻōlelo ai ʻo ʻĀkau. “He ʻike lihi wale nō kahi kiʻi paia Living Legacy Series i ke ʻano o ka hana maikaʻi e hana ʻia nei ma loko o kēlā a me kēia kaiāulu. Mai kinohi, e hoʻoulu ana ko ka ʻĀuna Pāheona i alakaʻi ʻia na John “Prime” Hina, i hanauna haʻi moʻolelo hou, i mākaukau ma ka hoʻohana i nā pono pāheona o kēia au, a i kuleana hoʻi ma ka mālama i kona kuleana ponoʻī iho nō.”

ʻO ka hoʻoulu a hoʻāmana i ka loli maikaʻi i loko o nā kaiāulu o Hawaiʻi ka pahuhopu o kēia pāhana, a me ke kākoʻo kālā mai Nā Kula ʻO Kamehameha lāua me ke Keʻena Hoʻonaʻauao Hawaiʻi, e hiki i kēia papahana ke hoʻokumu aku i kahua e hoʻoikaika ʻia aʻe ai ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi ma ka loaʻa o kahi kahua ʻike i kūpono no ka haumāna aʻo o kēia au.

No Ka Living Legacy Series

He hui ʻo ʻĀuna Pāheona o nā limahana kaiāulu: kanaka pāheona, kanaka hoʻolaukaʻi, a kanaka hana manawaleʻa kūpaʻa i ka hoʻokāʻoi i ka nohona o ko kākou mau kaiāulu ma o nā papahana pāheona. Kūlia ko ʻĀuna Pāheona i ka loli maka launa holomua i loko o nā kaiāulu ma ka ʻāwili i ka ʻike pāheona hou me ka hoʻolaukaʻi kaiāulu.

No Ka Papahana Kaiapuni

Kaʻa ma lalo o Ka Papahana Kaiapuni he 23 kula kaiapuni a kula hoʻāmana e kia nei ma luna o ka hoʻōla ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi—ke kahua hoʻi o ka pikoʻu Hawaiʻi. Mālama piha ʻia ke aʻo kaiapuni ʻana ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi wale nō a hiki i ka papa ʻelima, ka pae hoʻi e hoʻolauna kūhelu ʻia ai ka ʻōlelo Pelekānia.