2009 Pu'ukohola Heiau Cultu...

Sometimes it is hard to find a little of the old Hawai'i under the layers of modern life, but it is there. Sometimes some dedicated people bring it back to life so the rest of us may see a glimpse of what was. Such an opportunity happens every year at Pu'ukohola Heiau during the annual Hookuikahi Establishment Day Hawaiian Cultural Festival.

On the beach below the Heiau you can try your hand at many of the crafts that made daily life possible in the islands. Weaving coconut fronds, making tapa cloth, or learning about carving and making objects like fishhooks or the weapons of warfare. There was an instrument maker demonstrating the art of drum making. You could try your hand at block printing, learning about the patterns. You could spend a while in the surf, using the sand and water to smooth a gourd and make an ipu.

A dance and hula demonstration, with several traditional chants provided another dimension. Here was how many of the traditions were handed down from generation to generation. In the songs histories and traditional knowledge would be preserved. Simple music, with little accompaniment and relying on the human voice, these chants linger in the mind. I may not understand all of the words, but one can understand how effective such a memory technique was in the absence of any written record.

Another unique opportunity was trying some of the foods that ancient Hawaiian subsisted on. You could try some unique items like black crab, limpets, and, of course, poi. I can not recommend that black crab or limpets be added to any menus, but I was glad I tried these different foods.

You could take a short voyage in a double hulled sailing canoe. The hull may have been fiberglass, but it was molded from an original dugout canoe, the remainder of the design reasonably close to authentic. It was surprising just how seaworthy the craft is, my first opportunity to see first hand how such a vessel handles. There were no problems launching or rowing out of the cove, even with a completely unskilled crew at the paddles. Once clear of the trees the sail provided plenty of power, catching the gentle breeze at a wide variety of angles with little fuss. We even caught a bit of a wave returning to the beach, quickly pushing us to shore.

The day was a lesson in how life existed in Hawai'i before western contact. Some observers may use words like "primitive" to describe ancient Hawaiian culture. It was anything but. Rich and sophisticated despite the lack of modern technologies. It was clear how millenia of traditions and ancient knowledge came to Hawai'i in the voyaging canoes. Refined and developed during the great migrations across the Pacific, here it thrived and in some respects reached its apex.

The Heiau is the perfect setting for this event, a place steeped in the history of the islands. Here on the beach where so much history occurred you can get a little view, and a small taste of what life was like in Hawai'i for centuries before being caught up in the modern world.