Ku‘ialuaopuna offers monthly workshops to the community called Mamao. Mamao is an ‘ohana focused program providing ‘ohana opportunities to learn and engage as an ‘ohana unit on various Hawaiian cultural practices and ‘ike, through mo‘olelo, artifacts, oli, hana no‘eau, exercises, and ha‘a. 

Each ‘ohana takes home a mea they made at workshop, and we encourage them to continue their practice, training, or work with the mea along with encouraging ‘ohana to wala‘au about their learnings at home.

For the Spring season, Mamao Program shared the following:

• the history, purpose and function of the Makahiki celebration in relation to the recruitment and continual training of the Hawaiian warrior during the yearly season of peace

• Through the observation of various mea kaua (Hawaiian war implement) artifacts on display as well as in studying some of the related moʻolelo associated with them, participants will strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the role Hawaiian mea kaua played in the lives of traditional Koa (warriors).

• Learn the protocols and practices associated with the koʻokoʻo (Hawaiian walking stick/weapon) including: the gathering of appropriate woods used, the hands-on processing and creation of making one of their own, as well as the proper care and responsible use related to owning a Hawaiian koʻokoʻo.

• the Hawaiian cultural practice of Kau Lā’au (fishing), its various names on different islands and the many cultural protocols related to gathering materials for, engaging in the actual practice of, as well as, the protocols after a fish is caught.

• The history, purpose, and techniques to make and use a Makau, fishhook made from bone.

At the end of June 2023, Mamao program offers hands-on learning with ‘ōlena, to learn of the nutritious qualities, healing elements, and planting cycles with the mahina and the seasons with a guest speaker Lā‘au Practitioner.

 

Mahalo to KS Kaiāulu for supporting Ku‘ialuaopuna’s Mamao Program, giving us the opportunities to share and impact our Puna & Hilo community, and Hawai‘i Island community.