For more see the Maui News article: 2008 Winner of the Tiny Malaikini Award

Poom poom!

Hard to believe it’s been 23 years since we met down at Hana Bay my bruddah Pani. Time goes by too fast, but my time sure has been better having met you out on the pier that fateful day.

I know you’re hurting over Boy’s death and I wish I could be there with you and Boy’s o’hana, but sadly it’s not possible for me to make it there right now.

Please have a Happy Birthday and make sure it’s your best year yet! We never know how many more God will let us share with family and friends here on Earth.

Love you bruddah! Happy Birthday!

Kawika

(The Land is a Chief, Man is Steward)

Hui ` Aina o Hana is what’s known as a cultural land trust whose mission is to protect and preserve the culturally significant stretch of land known as the Hana coastal district of Maui. Their mission is also to offer education to help insure the important sites remain available for traditional cultural use and practice.

Hana, known by many as “the last Hawaiian place” has a history that stretches back to mythological times and although most of Hawai`i’s historical sites have been destroyed and lost, many of Hana’s ancient sites remain identifiable and usable today. Core to the mission of Hui ` Aina o Hana is to assure that these unique culture-rich sites remain relevant to the perpetration and revitalization of Hawaiian culture as a land dependent, community orientated way of life.

For more information you can send comment to me kawika(at)hanamarketplace.com or to my dear friend Robert Malaiakini at huiaina(at)aloha.net, the organizations President.

William K. Kamai

I met Uncle Bill Kamai and his wife on my first trip to Hana back in 1985. He is absolutely one of the nicest men on this Earth. He’s a very quiet, very proud man. Also winner of the Tiny Malaikini Award in 1996.

He provided the grinds for nearly every gathering I ever had the honor of attending. His food is ono and my Hawaiian o’hana and friends swear by it.

If you find yourself in Hana be sure to find Uncle Bill’s lunch wagon down at Hana Bay. And order yourself some Hawaiian food! You can eat the other junk when you return back to the mainland. Tell Uncle Bill that Kawika sends his best and I’m missing his ono food!

(I’m sure I have a picture of Uncle Bill’s lunch wagon somewhere and when I find it I’ll add it…).

Aerial photo of the beautiful Hana Bay

Some smart visitors enjoying grinds near Uncle Bill’s lunch wagon

To John and his O’hana’s great credit they have survived and become one of the nicest Hana success stories I know of.

If you want to give a loved one a very special gift order them some flowers from Hana and they’ll remember the special treat forever. Tell John that Kawika (Pani’s brother) said aloha!

Napua Ohana Tropical Flowers

Born and raised in Hana Maui, Pekelo’s Hawaiian slack key music is perfect for getting the flavor of the laid back Hana mood.

There was a nice article about Pekelo recently in the Maui News, ‘Hana artist rooted in right spot’.

Learn more about Pekelo, the Hawaiian music awards he’s won, listen to some of his songs, and order his CDs here: Pekelo Maui Music

A hui hou

As you’ll read below a lot of money went into getting a marketplace built for Hana for all the right reasons:

Hana Marketplace Grant: (Excerpt is from 2002)

Overview The University of Hawaii – West Oahu Campus will receive a $599,875 Alaskan Native/Native Hawaiian Institutions Assisting Communities Program grant, which will augment its efforts to create the Hana Marketplace. Hana is a remote community of about 2,000 residents located on the western coast of Maui. Each year some 500,000 tourists visit the scenic town. Working with the Hawaii Alliance for Community-Based Economic Development, Lokahi Pacific, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and Hina-malailena, the University of Hawaii – West Oahu will make the most its tourist population by creating this new marketplace. The Hana Marketplace will provide commercial space for resident-owned small business, create new job opportunities, offer training in entrepreneurial enterprises and computer applications to business management, and encourage the startup and incubation of local companies by getting their operations online through computer technology training.

I, for one, looked forward to this Marketplace getting built for years. It’s not clear to me why it didn’t come to life with the overwhelming support it had from the Hana community, government officials, and financially.

Rather then dwell on “woulda-coulda-shoulda” I figured it was time for a Plan B. The internet wasn’t a household word when the original Hana Marketplace was on the drawing board. But, it’s here now! Why not take advantage of the power of the net to try and accomplish some of the same things originally planned?

I hope you’ll help me in my cause to develop a Hana Marketplace that the Hana community can be proud of and perhaps even benefit from as it grows in popularity as a shopping destination for people who want Hawaiian products and gift items.

Mahalo

Kawika