WAILUA — It went wild, Friday, said Bev Pang, a guest to Na Kupuna ‘O Kaua‘i Legacy of Aloha that brought a pot of stew to the daylong celebration at the Lydgate Park main pavilion, where The Kaua‘i Bus paratransit buses lined up to off-load its wheel-chaired clients.
“This started out when April Christian wanted to pay tribute to Aunty Daisy Nash, who used to have a lomi lomi studio in Kapa‘a,” Pang said. “Everyone knows Aunty Daisy Nash, who flew in from Australia. She’s a healer.”
Many faces, one people is what developed as the tribute and honor for Aunty Daisy grew into a tribute to the kupuna of the island. Kupuna came from all over, the North Shore to Kekaha as the aloha for Aunty Daisy overflowed to include all the kupuna from all over Kaua‘i.
“We expect more than 800 people,” said one of the organizers. “This is a all-day event and we’ll be having people coming and going throughout the day — even after 6 o’clock when we’ll still have entertainment.”
The pot of stew joined other contributions from the growing crowd that included young people who were guests of kupuna participating.
“Have you seen Mel Rapozo?” one of the Legacy of Aloha guests wanted to know. “He was supposed to open up everything. Did you see all those trophies and awards they’re passing out?”
Keikilaniwahinealiiopuna, or Puna for short, Kalama Dawson and her halau, scheduled to do a sunrise service at the Hikinaakala Heiau at the Lydgate Park to celebrate dawn on Earth Day, offered thanks and blessings over the day of aloha for kupuna. The ceremony was interrupted by a pair of flower-bearing helicopters raining its load of blossoms over the crowd that included Nash and other kupuna, who trekked to the heiau from the main pavilion.
“This is the first drink,” said Phil Villatora, who cracked open an ice-cold coconut while Ute Villatora laid out nose flutes.
Further down the pavilion, Onio Punzal helped people with niu, or coconut frond weaving and plumeria lei making, while Margaret Lovett led a group of papale, or lauhala hat, weavers who collected to enjoy the fellowship of not seeing each other since the pandemic shutdown.
The sense of paina reigned as aloha was shared by the many kupuna entertaining, and being entertained by being honored.