Sustainability through local tradition – Arts and Crafts

by Sovidias

A festival is a great outreach to the public. Very hands on, traditional and modern ways of sustainable living were shown right next to each other at the "Grow Hawaii Festival".

Since 2008, this yearly festival, which connects tradition and our modern world, takes place on the grounds of the Honolulu Bernice Bishop Museum, which is the perfect setting as it has an abundance of information on Hawaii history. In previous articles I talked about local food and finding ways to actively get children into environmental awareness. Here, I would like to write a little bit about traditional arts and crafts, which was shown during this festival. It is a free event that is dedicated to clean energy and sustainability.

It is somehow amazing and obvious at the same time, how traditional ways of producing everyday objects facilitate nature without permanently damaging it. Early settlers would not have made it if they had destroyed their major source of surviving, being months of a canoe ride away form the next land. Especially here on an island, where the area that can be exploited is limited, people originally learned to sustainably live with nature. Besides bringing with them animals and plants in their canoes which they needed for food and often times as medicine, Polynesian settlers also introduced species that were useful for building everyday tools.

Books about Hawaiian Plants
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Flowers and Plants of Hawaii: Pocket Guide Series

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Weaving

One very important art was the technique of weaving. It can be found almost everywhere like in the form of Lauhala, which seems to get more and more popular nowadays. The prepared leaves of the Hala tree were being woven into everyday life things like mats, baskets, fans, hats, roofing material, or for modern use, just to decorative items like bracelets or head bands. Basically all other parts of the tree were used as well, so the fruits as paint brushes, and the stem as food. Weaving artists, who primarily use fronds of the coconut tree, can be found all over Waikiki offering their trinkets to tourists. More traditional weaving products are sandals or capes made out of Ti leaves. Leaves of the Ti plant are further used for making lei and hula skirts, and for wrapping food. Ieie is another Hawaiian plant, which was utilized for weaving. Its long strong roots were made, e.g., into baskets with lids and fish traps, sandals, or served as frames for helmets. The art of weaving can also be found in fish nets or carriers. The bark of the Olona bush was the source of those valuable fibers, which after special treatment were twisted into long cords.

Hawaiian Coffee and Sweets Gift Basket

Hawaiian Coffee and Sweets Gift Basket Great for gift giving.

Hala Tree, Hawaii Premium Giclee Poster Print, 18x24

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Lauhala fans in basket
Lauhala fans in basket
Sovidias
Ieie fish traps and basketry
Ieie fish traps and basketry
 
More Lauhala products
More Lauhala products
 
Fish net made out of woven fibers
Fish net made out of woven fibers
 

Cloth Making

Another ancient Hawaiian tradition, which is slowly getting more popular again, is Kapa (clothes) making. It is a very strenuous and complex way of making clothes by pounding the bark of the Wauke (mulberry) tree. It requires lots of tools (different kapa beaters, bamboo sticks for dying and stamping) and steps, which are a combination of peeling, fermenting, rinsing, pounding, embossing, dying or scenting; finally the pieces are being stitched together with olona fibers. Kapa festivals like on Big Island and on Oahu (the Bishop Museum hosted its first Kapa festival last fall), bring this tradition closer to the public.

Different kapa beaters
Different kapa beaters
Sovidias
Tools for stamping and dying
Tools for stamping and dying
 

Flowers and Feathers

And what would a Hawaiian festival be without flower lei stands? They do not belong to life’s necessities but are just like feather Kahili (standard to show noble status) nice to look at. On a side note, feather also played an important role to make Mahiole (royal helmet) and ’ahu ’ula (royal cape). Bird catchers caught the birds at the beginning of the molting season, so the feathers would easily come off and the bird would not get hurt and be released again.

30" Long Adult Hawaiian Luau Hula Skirt

30" long Adult Hawaiian Hula Skirt. Perfect for your next luau. Elastic waist. Stretches out to 36". Check out my other auctions for more hawaiian accessories.

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Small Hawaiian Flower Leis (1 Dozen Per Package)

Here is our most popular selection of simulated silk leis. They have many bright colors with smaller flower pedals. 36 inches.

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Kahili
Kahili
Sovidias
Mahiole
Mahiole
 
Flower Lei
Flower Lei
 
Flower samples
Flower samples
 
Updated: 05/28/2012, Sovidias
 
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Mira on 05/15/2019

Thank you so much for this. It's a beautiful article!

Sovidias on 06/27/2012

Thank you, 2uesday. It sure is a gift to be able to work with those materials. Watching it always makes me wish I was a little more into crafts!

Sovidias on 06/27/2012

Thank you for reading and liking my page!

katiem2 on 06/27/2012

The flowers are so beautiful, everything is amazing. The weaving looks so fun and enjoyable. You are so fortunate to live in paradise with so many magical natural and sustainable resources. Thank you for taking care of it.

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