Ke Kukui Foundation sent a few of us to Oahu to do research and learn from our teacher's Kumuhula, Vicky Holt Takamine and her Foundation, Pa`i. One of the best days of the trip was spent going out to pick the fern, Laua`e which was to be used both as decoration and costume for their hula competition and upcoming tour to Japan. After downing a few Leonard's malasadas, we headed into the forest to collect twenty-five leaves each. Through a yard and up some steps, the six of us stopped at the bottom of the forest to oli or chant "E Ho Mai" and ask for permission before taking.
The wind had been blowing through the greenery when we entered but as soon as we finished the oli, it had completely stopped. "Let's do it again", said Aunty Deva. "E ho mai Ka ike mai luna mai e, O na mea huna no eau O na mele e, E ho mai, E ho mai, E ho mai e" which translates to: Grant us knowledge from above, All the wisdom of the songs. Grant, Grant, Grant us these things.
After our second attempt, the wind strangely returned and Aunty Deva said, "Okay, we can go now". With leaves in hand, a few bug bites, scrapes and a trip to Long's Drugs to get benedryl for aforementioned bug bites later, we headed to Aunty Vicky's Mom, Tutu Holt to to clean the laua`e.
Tutu Holt is an amazing woman, dancer, artisan, cancer survivor and cultural fountainhead. She picked through our laua`e and showed us how to clean each one. "This one is junk" she would say and crumple it and throw it in the bucket.
As I looked around her home, I couldn't help but grab my camera and take a few shots. There was a deer head I missed and a weird dog statue and a number of things that were so charming to me. I didn't really want to impose on her, as she'd recently gone through cancer treatment she was concious of her house. Here are just a few I took from that day at her hale.
