Kiawekūpono O Ka Ua is a traditional school of knowledge sprouted from the soils of Honokai Hale and nurtured by the sea, sun, winds, and rains of O‘ahu, especially of the Wai‘anae Coast and the ‘Ewa moku.
Our hālau shares the knowledge and understanding that have been passed down to our kumu to us. We do this in two ways. Firstly, we share for our community. We practice our cultural traditions keeping centered on ‘ohana, and we tell our stories with the lessons they convey. We strive to mālama in every way, perpetuating the virtues of our elders and setting a good example for today’s generation and the next, in a world full of distractions.
Secondly, we gladly share our traditions with other peoples of the world through cultural exchanges in the spirit of good will. We understand that the love of self must be coupled with the genuine appreciation of others for it to be a healthy, fruitful love. We celebrate our global humanity, regardless of color or creed, and we mālama on a larger scale by supporting social justice for all peoples of the world. We start first by acknowledging the wrongs perpetrated against Native Hawaiians, other Pacific Islanders, and other First Peoples of the world. From this foundation of understanding what is pono and what is not, we move forward with mana.
Al Makahinu "Pops" Barcarse
"I ulu no ka lālā i ke kumu"
The branches grow because of the trunk.
(Pukui 1983:137)
Our hālau is forever grateful to those who have given us our foundation.
