LIHU‘E — Kaleo Kaohelauli‘i had an opportunity to explain eight years of learning on how to do pupu Ni‘ihau projects, Wednesday. The exhibit was one of several manned by interns in the Kaua‘i Museum Summer Youth Program coordinated through Kaua‘i
LIHU‘E — Kaleo Kaohelauli‘i had an opportunity to explain eight years of learning on how to do pupu Ni‘ihau projects, Wednesday.
The exhibit was one of several manned by interns in the Kaua‘i Museum Summer Youth Program coordinated through Kaua‘i WorkWise and Workforce Development section.
Gage Gusman, who will be attending the University of Minnesota where he will major in exercise science while playing football, said he just started Tuesday and on Wednesday, was taking care of explaining about the free samples of poi, kulolo and shredded coconut.
Kaohelauli‘i and Gusman were two of the eight interns working through the various exhibits at the Kaua‘i Museum.
Emmsley Drake, the overall Tane Polynesia winner at the recent Kaua‘i Polynesian Festival, said in addition to himself, Kaohelauli‘i, and Gusman, other students taking part in the program include Michael Alan Drake, who was manning the fishing methods and hands-on coconut displays; Allyson Wright, who was making flower lei using Anahola plumeria; Evan Wright, whose area of responsibility included the tapa exhibit; and Chanel Lagmay, who was helping dad Leroy Lagmay in the Kaua‘i Museum gift shop.
In addition to the student help, the education-outreach specialist at the museum said there are several other volunteers, including Malie Jumawan, who had a lauhala project underway; aunty Ihi Kaneali‘i, preparing to do several Hawaiian tales in a storytelling session; and uncle Larry Rivera, who was en route to the museum after spending the morning washing windows.
Penny Young, completing her stint with the U.S. Census Bureau, said the program is intended to put the students to work and gain experience while explaining the culture of Hawai‘i.
Young said she was one of the museum’s volunteers, working through one of the volunteer programs through WorkWise.
The program is an outreach to gauge visitor response to assorted stations which the education-outreach specialist said was geared to be highly-interactive.
“Visitors can actually feel the texture of coconut, see a sprouting plant, and even sample poi, kulolo and coconut,” the specialist said.
Kaohelauli‘i’s pupu Ni‘ihau station proved to be the one most-visited as he explained that everything he knew he learned over eight years from the different aunties who practice the shell-jewelry craft.
“I seldom get back there now,” Kaohelauli‘i said of the privately-owned island of Ni‘ihau that is technically part of the County of Kaua‘i.
“My parents now live here because of medical issues and I stay here to help care for them. The people on Ni‘ihau usually ship the shells here for me,” he said.
The specialist said once they gauge the response of the Wednesday sampling, Kaua‘i Museum anticipates offering the more-popular exhibits at least once a month.
Visit www.kauaimuseum.org for more information, or call 245-6931.
• Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
