Kristen Meier, a visitor to Big Island from Oregon, said she was surprised by what she learned about the island and Hawaiian culture during Saturday’s 63rd Annual Cultural Festival at Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park.
Having visited the island multiple times with friends and family prior to the festival, she said this weekend was the first time she saw the island through a cultural lens.
From learning about coral reef conservation and restoration, to lei making, and meeting Roy Santana, also known as the ʻopihi man, Meier said she was thankful her friend told her about the annual event.
“It was very enlightening and everyone was so friendly. I learned so much. It was amazing,” she said.
The free event that celebrates Hawaiian culture at the bucolic Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, just a few miles outside of Kailua-Kona, started in 1976. Every year, during the last weekend in June, cultural practitioners from the local community gather to share their ʻike (knowledge) and skills to those that are willing to listen and learn. During the event, guests to the park are able to witness, and sometimes participate in, cultural demonstrations such as hula, canoe rides, the hukilau, lei making, lauhala weaving, ʻohe kapala, and more.
On Saturday, attendees were met with a variety of opportunities to dig into the rich culture and history of Hawai’i Island. From visiting a variety of informational stands that showcased Hawai’i’s unique environment, to attending a Kūpuna Talk Story Panel, the all-day event was educational and informative.
Lauren Tomich, who works with the Ho’ola Ka Makana’ā at Ka’ūpūlehu Dryland Forest on public outreach, said Saturday’s event was a chance to educate the public on the importance of Hawai’i’s endangered resources.
“About 95% of dry forests are gone, and Hawai’i is home to the last 5%,” she said. “There’s a lot of people here who had never heard of the dry forests until today.”
Along with the wide-range of conservationists and cultural practitioners present Saturday, guests also listened to a panel discussion from elders in the area. Facilitated by Shane Akoni Palacat-Nelsen, Linda Kaleo Paik and Clarence Medeiros Jr., as well as his wife Nellie Medeiros, talked about what it was like growing up around Hōnaunau, compared to what it’s like today.
“There were a lot of different trees here and lots and lots of shade. And I miss that…”Paik said.
“We also swam in that bay area because it was nice and safe for young children. But also, if we talk about Hōnaunau, we also have to talk about all the families that are from here and there are still some families that remain here. They are the ones who are pilina (relationship) with this place and they are the ones who have protected this place over time. But I was fortunate enough to grow up knowing this area before it became a national park.”
Clarence Medeiros Jr., who grew up in the South Kona area, told attendees about his simple upbringing, remembering what it was like to live without electricity until 1969, watching his grandfather fish, farm, and follow the kapu (rules).
“Life was hard. We had to cut wood everyday and make sure our wood piles were ready. We never had kerosine stoves…” he recalled.
During the Kūpuna Talk Story Panel, the speakers also discussed the integration of coffee into the landscape and Hawai’i’s ecosystem.
Palacat-Nelsen said over the years, coffee became an important indicator for ʻōpelu fishing, and was previously grown in a natural way.
“It allowed for a foreign plant to naturally adapt into our ecosystem,” he said regarding the rise of coffee in Hawai’i. “We didn’t use irrigations, we did not use pesticides or herbicides or any kind of growth help, except to plant it in its natural elevation and its natural place…”
“Today we have irrigation, so farms are now being opened up and planted in areas that are not within our natural belt and going beyond the natural belt, using pesticides and herbicides and its going into our oceans and they’re using irrigation water. Irrigation water now moves the nutrients quicker than it used to in the past,” he said.
A descendent of coffee farmers, Palacat-Nelsen said he’s not anti-coffee, but wanted to use the Talk Story moment to help raise awareness about the importance of mindful farming practices in order to protect places such as Hōnaunau.
“I wanted to mention how important it is when we introduce new species and new industries that we do this in our community with being cognizant of the ecosystem and being cognizant of how its going to impact other things such as the fisheries down below,” he said.
The Talk Story was followed by a special Hōʻike Hula by Hula Hālau O Manaʻolana O Kohala, which concluded the day’s festivities.
For more information about Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, visit this link.
