Our reunion started with opening ceremony on Wednesday, October 9th at Kapi'olani Park.
Kapi'olani park is a special place for our ohana because our kupuna served as kahu to Queen Kapi'olani.
We started our ceremony by gathering at the Kahi Hali'a Aloha Memorial. This memorial is the resting place for many iwi kupuna (ancestral bones) that were found during the construction of Waikiki. Here we asked our kupuna to join us for this week of reunion activities with E Ho Mai and . Kimi then presented the kupuna with a lei. You can learn E Ho Mai on our Oli Page!
We then met with Kumu Brad to learn about how to conduct an awa ceremony. Kumu Brad conducted the awa ceremony with the elders from each family line. After the elders drank, everyone was invited to share in the awa! Kumu Brad shared how important it is that Native Hawaiians are seen doing Native Hawaiian ceremony in Waikiki. He shared the meaning of the word Hawai'i with us. Ola i ka ha, life in breath. Ola i ka wai, life in water, and Ola i ka 'i, life in the divine.
After the Awa Ceremony we paid tribute to Queen Kapi'olani. We chatted about how our ohana served as kahu to her. We presented her with lei, and we shared her olelo no'eau, kulia i ka nu'u, strive for the summit!
After our ceremony we talked story together, and received our t-shirts! Mahalo to Elena Franco and ohana for all their work in organizing the family t-shirts!
Our t-shirts had our kupuna family names printed on them this year!
Nalaielua-
Padeken-
Ioane-
Nakuilauhulu-
Kahopuwaiki -
Rose Ku- Wahinehelelani
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