LIHU‘E — Kahili have a long and colorful back story in the history of Hawaiian royalty. A kahili, or feathers Royal Standard, is a set of feathers carefully aligned on top of a pole. Kahili indicated the presence of ali‘i,
LIHU‘E — Kahili have a long and colorful back story in the history of Hawaiian royalty.
A kahili, or feathers Royal Standard, is a set of feathers carefully aligned on top of a pole. Kahili indicated the presence of ali‘i, or royalty, in a room.
The Kaua‘i Museum will host “Na Hulu Kapuna: The Esteemed Ancestors” from 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday. Aunty Paulette Kekuewa Kahalepuna of Na Lima Mili Hulu No‘eau on O‘ahu will share the history and construction process of kahili making.
While the event is free, guests are asked to make a time commitment over the next year to help construct special kahili to honor the ali‘i of Kaua‘i.
Kahalepuna learned the history of kahili from her parents, Paul and Mary Lou Kekuewa, who started doing feather work for the Aloha Festivals in 1955.
“My mother volunteered as a wardrobe mistress,” Kahalepuna said, “and feathers were part of the adornment and props for the festival.”
By 1970, the Kekuewas were teaching feather work within the Hawai‘i Civic Club movement including members of the Hawaiian Civic Club of Kaumuali‘i. By 1974, they were teaching the arts to the community.
Kahalepuna works with groups to help them become more “consciously aware of colors and materials used” in the construction process. “We use materials that we can get today, along with colors and natural materials that we can work with,” she said.
“We also need an army of people with the encouragement to participate over a period of time,” Kahalepuna said of the kahili building process, which can take anywhere from three months to a year depending on available resources.
“Expect maybe three to four more sessions,” said La‘amea Almeida, education and volunteer coordinator with The Kaua‘i Museum. She hope to generate a team of folks to help both build and repair kahili at the museum.
“Some are in need of repair, and we plan to construct new ones,” she said, noting that the new ones would be made and dedicated for Kaumuali‘i and other royals of Kaua‘i.
Kahalepuna hopes Saturday will offer people a chance to touch base and “get an interest going” for what can be done.
“It’s a meeting of awareness,” Almeida said, “to bring to the forefront a history of the kahili.”
The museum is inviting the public at large to the meeting.
“There is a commitment involved to construct new kahili,” said Almeida. “We want to perpetuate this Hawaiian art form. It’s a great way to build community while bringing aloha and mahalo to ancestors. The end product will have love and energy in it.
“It’s a great way to honor the past.”
