Molokaʻi Kulāia
By ʻOiwi TV
I think we’ve embraced the meaning of ʻohana and what it means to be Hawaiian…It’s all about aloha.
Known for its close-knit and welcoming ʻohana, Molokaʻi now hosts many world-renowned water sports and canoe races to Oʻahu. From Molokaʻi Hoe and Nā Wāhine o ke Kai, the number of events has grown to at least ten in recent years, and Molokaʻi is doing their part to keep these relationships strong.
“People come from all over, and I like see that! It’s really, really exciting,” said Molokaʻi community member Merv Dudoit.
“I think we’ve embraced the meaning of ʻohana and what it means to be Hawaiian and the whole cultural thing. It’s all about aloha,” said Rosie Lum, director of the Nā Wahine o ke Kai outrigger canoe race.
Aloha ʻāina took them back to a celebration that brought people together on Molokaʻi during the races, a festival known as Kulāia that was once held at Haleolono. Now held in the heart of Kaunakakai, the event brought together Molokaʻi and all ʻohana waʻa, including the Polynesian Voyaging Society represented by Molokaʻi crewmembers who were involved with Hōkūleʻa in the past, and those who will be sailing on the Worldwide Voyage.
“I think itʻs a wonderful family event. And how do we support all of our paddlers and those that are sailing around the world. My son is one of the voyagers. Itʻs such a wonderful thing. A wonderful turn out for Molokaʻi this evening to have everyone come back and reminisce again remember when, if you look thereʻs still many of the old canoe paddlers that are still here,” said Molokaʻi resident Julia Hoe.
“This kind, we always had it at Haleolono. Haleolono was the best place. you know. It had all the music, the dancers, and the king and queen was down there too along with all the paddlers camped at the beach, which was really nice,” said Uncle Merv.
“Although it’s a little different, it’s not down at Haleolono and campsites going from one tent to the next, the feel is awesome.” said Lori-Lei Rawlins of the Kulāia Working Committee.
“So I think this is such a great event for Molokaʻi to have all of this wonderful entertainment come up in celebration. Kawika Kahiapo, Raiatea coming back home celebrating this whole event,” said Aunty Julia.
“It’s really an honor for me to be a part of this because I get to say you know I was a part of bringing back this celebration and how paddling is supposed to be. It’s not just a sport, but it’s really more than that. It’s a part of the people and of course community,”said well known musician Raiatea Helm.
“Mahalo to everyone, mahalo to all those who came and sponsored us, who came and helped us, We can have a vision, we can organize it, but definitely we can’t do this by ourselves. So it’s a community effort for our community, for those who come and visit us, and hopefully they’re taking away the aloha that we wanted to share,” said Lori-Lei.
How do you mālama honua (care for our Island Earth)? This is the question we ask when we arrive in each port, where crewmembers meet and interact with local communities. The resulting “Stories of Place” highlight local solutions that can be applied to global problems. We invite you to gather solutions from your community and share your Story of Place with us!
