Gordon ‘Umialiloalahanauokalakaua Kai lives in Kaimuki, O’ahu. His makuakane (father) came from Na’alehua, on the island of Hawai‘i, and his makuahine (mother) from Waimea, on Hawai‘i. He is married to Janice Leina’ala Noweo Lua Kai of La’ie, O’ahu, and has three sons, a daughter, and four mo’opuna (grandchildren).

“I started being interested in mea Hawai‘i (things Hawaiian) while attending high school in Anchorage, Alaska, for seven months just before graduating from Kaimuki High School. I made my first leiomano (shark-tooth weapon) in 1973 after graduating from Chaminade University with a bachelor’s in marketing science. Besides na mea kaua (weapons of war), I like to make makau (fish hooks) pohaku ku’i ‘ai (poi pounders), and other Hawaiian implements. I try to stay to traditional designs as closely as possible and have had many influences: my mother, Rachel Kananimae’ole King Kai; my hanai father, Kahauanu Lake; Richard K. Paglinawan; Moke Kalauokalani; Jerry Walker; Mitchell Eli; Patric Horimoto; George Fuginaga; Raymond Nakama; Ken Ching; and Hokulani Holt-Padilla. I am a current member of [the Hawaiian cultural organizations] Pa Ku’i A Lua, Hale Mua-Kuali’I, and Nalehuakumakua.”

Hawai‘i’s past has always held a fascination for Solomon Kuulie Apio, especially when history deals with his Kanaka Oiwi (Hawaiian culture). A retired machinist from Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, Solomon has filled his spare time collecting old bottles and uncovering the treasures of the past.

Searching for new ways to continue his exploration and perpetuation of his culture, Solomon started turning wood in 1988. For twenty years now, he has worked to recreate the traditional ‘umeke (bowls) and other fine objects of his Hawaiian ancestors. He has worked in wood, bone, and stone, and has explored carving, ’ie’ie fiber weaving, kapa and kapa-implement-making, and most recently, making mea kaua (weapons). Practicing traditional Kanaka Oiwi arts is a way for him to keep in touch with his kupuna (elders)—he has several bowls passed down to him from his tutu wahine (grandmother)—his keiki (children), and his mo’opuna (grandchildren) as he teaches them the arts of the Hawaiian people.

Hawai‘i lei maker Bill Char grew up in Kalihi, O’ahu. Lei-making was a family tradition—his mother was his first teacher in crafting many kinds of lei, followed by his hula teachers. Year after year he takes top honors in the Honolulu May Day Lei Contest, and is a respected authority in the field. He has juried lei competitions in Hawai‘i and California, and judges the lei for annual hula competitions. He also serves as a judge of pa’u (equestrian) units for both the Kamehameha Day Parade and the Aloha Week Parade.

Bill has been an active teacher of lei-making, offering community classes at the University of Hawai‘i Manoa, Kapi’olani Community College, Honolulu Community College, Kamehameha Schools, and Temari Fiber Arts Institute. He has been invited to teach and demonstrate the art around the world, including in India and Japan, and on the U.S. mainland, and has represented Hawai‘i three times at the Pacific Arts Festival, in Australia, Cook Islands and Samoa. In the U.S. he has demonstrated at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the Northwest Folklife Festival in Seattle, and the Hawai‘i Folklife Festival in Honolulu. His presentations have been recorded for television by PBS Hawai‘i, NHK Japan, and Australian TV, and his work has been featured in publications in the U.S. and Japan.

A native of Hilo, on the island of Hawai‘i, Audrey Aukeleamanaali'i Wagner has perpetuated ka hana no'eau hulu, or the art of feather lei-making, for more than twenty years. Audrey obtained a Masters in Fine Arts from California State College, and a Bachelors of Science from the University of Hawai‘i, Manoa campus. She continued the teachings of her kupuna (elders) by conducting classes in Hawai‘i, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., to Native and non-Native students alike.

Her passions returned her to Hawai‘i, where she continues to do featherwork and to share her knowledge by presenting workshops and demonstrations on the art of making feather lei and kahilis to various groups and communities.

“A Native Hawaiian, born and raised on O’ahu, I was inspired by the discovery of kapa and i’e kuku (square kapa pounders) in the Bishop Museum collection directly tied to my ancestors. This gave me an immense appreciation of Hawaiian kapa and the intricate designs.

“It was my brother, Solomon Apio, who came across our ancestor’s name in a book of Hawaiian artifacts. Imagine our excitement! He said to me,  ’Now we got to make kapa like our kupuna, it is in our blood. I’ll make the tools and you make the kapa.’ That was the beginning. I have a growing passion to be beating and learning the art of kapa-making, while Solomon continues his search of the native woods needed to make the tools, many of which are very rare.

“I believe that this discovery wasn’t by chance, but it was destiny. Our kupuna guide us in our search for knowledge and excellence in the art of kapa-making. I only hope that I can be as good as they were, for it is a constant amazement that they created the finest works of art with what they had to work with.

“Mahalo kupuna.”

Darlene Kehaulani Butts, president, owner and chief cook of Makakoa Enterprises, draws her expertise from a 10-year apprenticeship in her uncle’s catering business in Waianae, Oahu, beginning at the age of eight. Thirty years of marriage, a progressive career, and community and social entertainment gave polish to her food prep, presentation, and event-planning skills. Her eight years as director of catering with Lehua Hawai‘i Bakery in Oxon Hill, Maryland, planted the seeds for incorporating Makakoa Enterprises. Darlene’s business savvy has helped spawn “Kings Who Cook,” a successful series of culinary programs on Channel 10 in Fairfax, Virginia, hosted by the renowned Chef Kama Hoe.

In 2000, Darlene was diagnosed as a type-2 diabetic in 2000. For the benefit of her family, friends, and clients, as well as herself, her culinary focus has moved to traditional Hawaiian foods and preparation. The traditional Hawaiian diet has been described as one of the best in the world, based on a variety of plant and animal sources, and much higher in complex carbohydrates and fiber, and lower in saturated fat and cholesterol, than the modern American diet. The same wisdom is reflected in the Hawaiian language, in which the word ola means both “life” and “health.”

Richard Hetzler’s mother is his inspiration in becoming a chef, and the kitchen of his German-American childhood home was his first classroom. After doing prep in a restaurant kitchen during high school, he attended Baltimore International Culinary College. He has worked at the Elkridge Furnace Inn, Jefferson Hotel, and Treaty of Paris Restaurant, among other venues, and has served as executive chef of the Atrium Café of the National Museum of Natural History. In preparation for the opening of NMAI, Hetzler spent a year and a half on the team that researched, developed, sourced, and tested the South American, Northern Woodlands, Northwest and Columbian Plateau, Mesoamerican, and Great Plains menu of the museum’s Mitsitam! Native Foods Café, one of Washington’s don’t-miss cultural and culinary destinations. He is currently helping to develop the dining experience at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery.

Kapa- and lei-maker Hi`ilani Shibata was born and raised in Hilo on the island of Hawai‘i. She attended the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, where she received a B.A. in Hawaiian language and developed an interest in the field of education, specifically in curriculum development and implementation.

After becoming a language teacher, Hi`ilani pursued a career in education, developing, implementing, and supervising educational programming for the Bishop Museum. She is currently the Bishop Museum’s education operations manager.

Halau Ho‘Omau I ka Wai Ola O Hawai‘i (“Through hula and halau, we remain young at heart and full of life”), is a halau (school) based in Alexandria, Virginia. Kumu (Master Teacher) Hula Manu Ikaika helps to carry on the traditions of Hawaiian culture through instruction and performances of oli (hula chants); hula olapa and hula ku‘i (ancient hula); hula auana (free-flowing modern hula in the traditional style); and Hawaiian arts and crafts, history, language, and music (ukulele and ancient hula implements). As both a performer and a teacher, Manuelele is praised for his authenticity, precision, and a special sensitivity and mana (spiritual feeling).

Washington-area appearances by Halau Ho‘Omau I ka Wai Ola O Hawai‘i include the Kamehameha Day Ceremony at Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol, Presidential inaugural parades, and performances at the Washington Monument, Smithsonian Institution, Kennedy Center, Barns at Wolf Trap, and Birchmere.

Kapa- and lei-maker Hi`ilani Shibata was born and raised in Hilo on the island of Hawai‘i. She attended the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, where she received a B.A. in Hawaiian language and developed an interest in the field of education, specifically in curriculum development and implementation.

After becoming a language teacher, Hi`ilani pursued a career in education, developing, implementing, and supervising educational programming for the Bishop Museum. She is currently the Bishop Museum’s education operations manager.

Gordon ‘Umialiloalahanauokalakaua Kai lives in Kaimuki, O’ahu. His makuakane (father) came from Na’alehua, on the island of Hawai‘i, and his makuahine (mother) from Waimea, on Hawai‘i. He is married to Janice Leina’ala Noweo Lua Kai of La’ie, O’ahu, and has three sons, a daughter, and four mo’opuna (grandchildren).

“I started being interested in mea Hawai‘i (things Hawaiian) while attending high school in Anchorage, Alaska, for seven months just before graduating from Kaimuki High School. I made my first leiomano (shark-tooth weapon) in 1973 after graduating from Chaminade University with a bachelor’s in marketing science. Besides na mea kaua (weapons of war), I like to make makau (fish hooks) pohaku ku’i ‘ai (poi pounders), and other Hawaiian implements. I try to stay to traditional designs as closely as possible and have had many influences: my mother, Rachel Kananimae’ole King Kai; my hanai father, Kahauanu Lake; Richard K. Paglinawan; Moke Kalauokalani; Jerry Walker; Mitchell Eli; Patric Horimoto; George Fuginaga; Raymond Nakama; Ken Ching; and Hokulani Holt-Padilla. I am a current member of [the Hawaiian cultural organizations] Pa Ku’i A Lua, Hale Mua-Kuali’I, and Nalehuakumakua.”

Hawai‘i’s past has always held a fascination for Solomon Kuulie Apio, especially when history deals with his Kanaka Oiwi (Hawaiian culture). A retired machinist from Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, Solomon has filled his spare time collecting old bottles and uncovering the treasures of the past.

Searching for new ways to continue his exploration and perpetuation of his culture, Solomon started turning wood in 1988. For twenty years now, he has worked to recreate the traditional ‘umeke (bowls) and other fine objects of his Hawaiian ancestors. He has worked in wood, bone, and stone, and has explored carving, ’ie’ie fiber weaving, kapa and kapa-implement-making, and most recently, making mea kaua (weapons). Practicing traditional Kanaka Oiwi arts is a way for him to keep in touch with his kupuna (elders)—he has several bowls passed down to him from his tutu wahine (grandmother)—his keiki (children), and his mo’opuna (grandchildren) as he teaches them the arts of the Hawaiian people.

Hawai‘i lei maker Bill Char grew up in Kalihi, O’ahu. Lei-making was a family tradition—his mother was his first teacher in crafting many kinds of lei, followed by his hula teachers. Year after year he takes top honors in the Honolulu May Day Lei Contest, and is a respected authority in the field. He has juried lei competitions in Hawai‘i and California, and judges the lei for annual hula competitions. He also serves as a judge of pa’u (equestrian) units for both the Kamehameha Day Parade and the Aloha Week Parade.

Bill has been an active teacher of lei-making, offering community classes at the University of Hawai‘i Manoa, Kapi’olani Community College, Honolulu Community College, Kamehameha Schools, and Temari Fiber Arts Institute. He has been invited to teach and demonstrate the art around the world, including in India and Japan, and on the U.S. mainland, and has represented Hawai‘i three times at the Pacific Arts Festival, in Australia, Cook Islands and Samoa. In the U.S. he has demonstrated at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the Northwest Folklife Festival in Seattle, and the Hawai‘i Folklife Festival in Honolulu. His presentations have been recorded for television by PBS Hawai‘i, NHK Japan, and Australian TV, and his work has been featured in publications in the U.S. and Japan.

A native of Hilo, on the island of Hawai‘i, Audrey Aukeleamanaali'i Wagner has perpetuated ka hana no'eau hulu, or the art of feather lei-making, for more than twenty years. Audrey obtained a Masters in Fine Arts from California State College, and a Bachelors of Science from the University of Hawai‘i, Manoa campus. She continued the teachings of her kupuna (elders) by conducting classes in Hawai‘i, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., to Native and non-Native students alike.

Her passions returned her to Hawai‘i, where she continues to do featherwork and to share her knowledge by presenting workshops and demonstrations on the art of making feather lei and kahilis to various groups and communities.

“A Native Hawaiian, born and raised on O’ahu, I was inspired by the discovery of kapa and i’e kuku (square kapa pounders) in the Bishop Museum collection directly tied to my ancestors. This gave me an immense appreciation of Hawaiian kapa and the intricate designs.

“It was my brother, Solomon Apio, who came across our ancestor’s name in a book of Hawaiian artifacts. Imagine our excitement! He said to me,  ’Now we got to make kapa like our kupuna, it is in our blood. I’ll make the tools and you make the kapa.’ That was the beginning. I have a growing passion to be beating and learning the art of kapa-making, while Solomon continues his search of the native woods needed to make the tools, many of which are very rare.

“I believe that this discovery wasn’t by chance, but it was destiny. Our kupuna guide us in our search for knowledge and excellence in the art of kapa-making. I only hope that I can be as good as they were, for it is a constant amazement that they created the finest works of art with what they had to work with.

“Mahalo kupuna.”

Darlene Kehaulani Butts, president, owner and chief cook of Makakoa Enterprises, draws her expertise from a 10-year apprenticeship in her uncle’s catering business in Waianae, Oahu, beginning at the age of eight. Thirty years of marriage, a progressive career, and community and social entertainment gave polish to her food prep, presentation, and event-planning skills. Her eight years as director of catering with Lehua Hawai‘i Bakery in Oxon Hill, Maryland, planted the seeds for incorporating Makakoa Enterprises. Darlene’s business savvy has helped spawn “Kings Who Cook,” a successful series of culinary programs on Channel 10 in Fairfax, Virginia, hosted by the renowned Chef Kama Hoe.

In 2000, Darlene was diagnosed as a type-2 diabetic in 2000. For the benefit of her family, friends, and clients, as well as herself, her culinary focus has moved to traditional Hawaiian foods and preparation. The traditional Hawaiian diet has been described as one of the best in the world, based on a variety of plant and animal sources, and much higher in complex carbohydrates and fiber, and lower in saturated fat and cholesterol, than the modern American diet. The same wisdom is reflected in the Hawaiian language, in which the word ola means both “life” and “health.”

Richard Hetzler’s mother is his inspiration in becoming a chef, and the kitchen of his German-American childhood home was his first classroom. After doing prep in a restaurant kitchen during high school, he attended Baltimore International Culinary College. He has worked at the Elkridge Furnace Inn, Jefferson Hotel, and Treaty of Paris Restaurant, among other venues, and has served as executive chef of the Atrium Café of the National Museum of Natural History. In preparation for the opening of NMAI, Hetzler spent a year and a half on the team that researched, developed, sourced, and tested the South American, Northern Woodlands, Northwest and Columbian Plateau, Mesoamerican, and Great Plains menu of the museum’s Mitsitam! Native Foods Café, one of Washington’s don’t-miss cultural and culinary destinations. He is currently helping to develop the dining experience at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery.

Kapa- and lei-maker Hi`ilani Shibata was born and raised in Hilo on the island of Hawai‘i. She attended the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, where she received a B.A. in Hawaiian language and developed an interest in the field of education, specifically in curriculum development and implementation.

After becoming a language teacher, Hi`ilani pursued a career in education, developing, implementing, and supervising educational programming for the Bishop Museum. She is currently the Bishop Museum’s education operations manager.

The mission of Halau O ‘Aulani is to teach and perpetuate the cultures, traditions, and values of the people of Hawai‘i through dance, language, art, and music. The Virginia-based school was founded in 1996 by Ku‘ulei Stockman and Margo Schlotterbeck. Its teaching staff, under the direction of Kumu (Master Teacher) Hula Keith Kalanikau Awai, provides regular instruction to enrolled students according to a set curriculum.

Kumu Awai is also the artist and repertoire manager and associate artistic director at the Polynesian Cultural Center in La'ie, Oahu, where he has worked for the past 36 years. He currently resides in Hale‘iwa, on Oahu’s north shore.

Halau O ‘Aulani and Kumu Awai have performed for the Hawai‘i Visitors & Convention Bureau; Maui Visitors Bureau; Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Smithsonian Institution; members of the Hawai‘i Congressional Delegation; Hawai‘i State Society of Washington, D.C.; Georgetown and George Washington Universities; USO (United Service Organizations); Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities; and Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.

Born and raised in Hawai‘i and transplanted to the Washington area to pursue careers, the Aloha Boys met in 1996 while playing music to their children and nieces at Halau O ‘Aulani, a local school of Hawaiian culture. They make acoustic, down-home, backyard-style Hawaiian music, which covers everything from traditional to contemporary songs. Isaac Ho‘opi’s guitar styles include ki ho‘alu (Hawaiian slack key [open tuning]) and contemporary Hawaiian. Ramon Camarillo plays lead and rhythm ukulele. Irvin Queja joins on acoustic Martin bass as well as guitar, ukulele, percussion, and drums. Glen Hirabayashi plays rhythm ukulele, and all four band members sing lead and backup vocals in the nahenahe (soft) style.

Kapa- and lei-maker Hi`ilani Shibata was born and raised in Hilo on the island of Hawai‘i. She attended the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, where she received a B.A. in Hawaiian language and developed an interest in the field of education, specifically in curriculum development and implementation.

After becoming a language teacher, Hi`ilani pursued a career in education, developing, implementing, and supervising educational programming for the Bishop Museum. She is currently the Bishop Museum’s education operations manager.