Young Hei Learners at Smithsonian Folklife Festival

Here, Tuhi Kanahele shows "Hale Pa'akai" or "Kanaka" which she learned from her father, Tangaro Taupori of Hilo. Tuhi is in elementary school. The "door" of the house is able to be shut and opened. Here, another young participant at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival learns "Honu/Turtle" She is also in elementary school and demonstrated a propensity to learn quickly.

The Wayuu are from NE Columbia/NW Venezuela on the Guajira Peninsula. They learned to weave from a female ancestor who learned from a spider. Their string figures tell of this story as well as other arts taught to this woman. The Wayuu were one of 4 indigenous peoples from Columbia whose languages are endangered that performed and shared their language and arts at the 2013 Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. The theme was "One World, Many Voices" and we Hawaiians were also represented.

Hawaiian Language Day

October 22 - High school, immersion school, parents gather to participate in various activities like hei. One young 1st grader creates his own pyramid. Another high school couple stunble upon another (triagle)after learning "Kauhale a Limaloa"

Nana I Ke Kumu Workshops

I was privileged to share hei at Kumu Hula Vicky Takamine's Pa'i Foundation's "Nana i Ke Kumu" workshops held at the University of Hawai'i Music Department. The weeklong workshops featured oli, hula, 'ukulele and other performing arts. Hei is a performing art. Here , students marvel at one of the stages of "Kauhale a Limaloa". They form what Dickey calls "Hale 'Ilikini" (teepee). It is actually a mauna (mountain).

Hei Workshop with Hawaiian Immersion Teachers

I met with several kula kaiapuni (Hawaiian language immersion) teachers of Waiau Elementary School at Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center at Mu'olaulani to learn hei. We began learning Kauhale a Limaloa then learned the chant accompanying it. Then we read a story about the naughtly 'elepaio and other versions/derivations later on. We then learned how to make Huewai and Kanukuokamanu (the beak of the bird) to accompany the song, 'Io E. In the story of the naughty 'elepaio, he pecks on the water gourd of a man causing the well-sought out water to flow out. The man throws a rock at the 'elepaio bird and he then flies to his bird kin seeking redress. However, each of the birds see 'Elepaio's fault.

Halehale Ke Aloha

Read this article on the string game and chant, Halehale ke Alha, by Hawaiian scholar, Kihei de Silva.

http://kaiwakiloumoku.ksbe.edu/

Four eyes - Papio Maka Liʻiliʻi

A friend of mine with a beautiful example of Papio Maka Liʻiliʻi or Small Eyed Jack/trevally. The secret to creating a beautiful design is really stretching the string with splayed fingers and he has wonderfully large hands that can separate well at the fingers. The figure, Papio Maka Liʻiliʻi, represents a disinterested suitor. An interested suitor has large eyes. That figure is Papio Maka Nui or Large Eyed Jack and is two eyes. The Hawaiian method for creating two eyes is unique to the islands and not found elsewhere.

Kona Kids Learn Hei

Students from Aloha Victor’s Hālau Kala‘akeakauikawekiu of Kona learn hei (string figures) from Miki‘ala Kanekoa, a kumu hula friend of ours and teacher at Kapolei High School. The Hālau is also learning from Elder Punihaole. They also learn pala'ie, a Hawaiian ball and loop game.
Beautiful footage of Kona!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWMBqzrjZVw

String Figure Epiphany

The ephiphany - A teacher realizes how his favorite pastime, string games (Cat's Cradle), can help to teach keyboarding. And good keyboarding is the key to writing fluency, empowering students to use their own voice (Spanish). The Youtube video shows many old photos of native Americans performing complex and beautiful string figures.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I60rxeIAYvE&feature=related

Maori Master of Whai (Hei/string figure creation)

Mäori Master of Whai, Toby Rikihana, demonstrates some Maori string igures onQuicktime video . See link. His "Te Rua Kümara" or Sweet Potato Pit is made the same way in Hawai'i but it is called "Ka Lua o Pele" or "The Pit of Pele" and his "Whare Kehua" is our "Mauna" or "Hale Lehua". He demonstrates how to make "Tohorä" which is "Koholä" in Hawaiian, however, the same figure is called "Palaoa" which are beaked whales. Koholä refers to the Humpback whale. What was also intriguing is some of the openings and construction techniques which are also very similar in Hawaiian yet we derive different images. For example, we begin 'Te Pae Tūī' me 'Te Pae Kākā' opening moves create sweet potatoe, a canoe, a sled, and a lasso. Very interesting stuff for string figure nerds. Koro Rikihana narrates in both Mäori and English.

The other link features an article on Kwatkiutl Native American string figures. The Kwatkiutl live along the Northwest coast of North America and are well known for their totem poles, elaborate wooden masks, and grand Potlatches. One of the authors, Julia Ayerkieva, says that "The Kwatkiutl string figures also bear resemblance to those of Hawai'i."

Muscle Memory and Hei

How is it that after many years he could remember the string figure? I was amazed because he let his fingers take control and in no time he performed 7-eyes the Hawaiian way. In talking later about the phenomenon, he said that his Chinese grandmother taught him while they sat on the länai/porch having no t.v. or other kind of modern detractor in those days. He also learned knife techniques! Who is this person?

Turtle Surfaces at Hula Conference

Honu iki, honu iki, lu'u ia, lu'u ia a ea mai me ka poho pa'akai.

Hawaiian String Figure Making Continues

A participant in Hana Hei II shows pride in her first attempt at hei (string figure making). She shows the classic Hawaiian hei figure, "Halekumuka'aha" , a house figure, which is created with a doubled string to show "strength and endurance". The opening move is unlike other symmetrical openings which posed a problem for almost all participants. This workshop was a first at the Ka 'Aha Hula o Hälauaola: 3rd World Conference on Hula held at the Kamehameha Schools this entire week.

Hana Hei at World Conference on Hula

Californian, Makaki'i Kalama, says this about hei (string figure making): "As an instructor to nä keiki all things that engage and involve them in hula are very valuable to me. It can also make me more popular on camping trips. :)" Here she is very happy upon getting "Nenue" (rudder fish), the Hawaiian version of One-eye.

Hana Hei at Hälauaola Conference

Julie Moana Boyd is exuberant at her first attempt at Hawaiian string figure making in my presentation at Hälauaola 2009. Here she makes 7 -eyes or "Nä Hiku o Makali'i". Julie is attending the 'Aha Hula o Hälauaola 2009: Worldwide Conference on Hula held this week of July at the Kamehameha Schools, Kapälama Campus. It is held every four years and features performances, cultural field trips, and presentations by noted composers, hula exponents, and Hawaiian cultural practitioners.

Canadian String Figure Educator in Hawaii

String Figure educator, expert, and enthusiast, Anne Glover, spoke and taught at the National Storytelling Networks Conference in Hawai'i. I liked her preliminary remarks stating that string figure making is more than child’s play. Her revelation that string has the ability to connect one person to another was also very important to me as I attempt to revitalize hei or Hawaiian string figure making and storytelling here in Hawai'i. Anne discovered, while attempting to “blend” two diverse populations of students together before their meeting at a local, Canadian middle school, that string figures has an almost therapeutic effect on people. Check out her website to learn more about that. http://www.anneglover.ca/
I appreciated her acknowledgement of the native peoples of the world and especially her story about the Kwatkiutl natives of Canada, especially the men, going about after supper and challenging each other to string figure making contests. She linked string figure making to storytelling and also to ritual –both aspects are key to Hawaiian string figure making. Anne also shared the very famous and complicated Inuit figure of the “dog” seen in the photo.