Kaahele_Hawaii

Hawaiʻ i is renowned for its many wahi pana, storied places. Moʻ olelo and kaʻ ao, traditional stories, preserve the history and heritage of our island home. I'd like to share with you art that evokes the aloha my ʻohana and I feel for our wahi pana. Are you going to visit our islands? These special places often awaken in us feelings of wanting to be a part of the place. We want to engage with it, and leave our mark. How can we do so respectfully? In the words of the late Edward Kanahele, professor of history and esteemed Hawaiian cultural expert, “If the visitor feels spiritually compelled to connect. . . then one should offer a hoʻ okupu. One of the hoʻ okupu of highest value in the native Hawaiian culture is not an offering of vegetables or foliage; neither is it an offering of a fish or a whale’s tooth or a family heirloom; rather it is one’s word!. . . One’s word is the hoʻ okupu of choice!” Please leave an offering of your word, your promise, to cherish and protect the wahi pana so that those who come after you may experience the same precious sense of connection you did.