Hawaii’s Back yard
Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi
FOUR SEASONS RESORT
Demonstrations of plaiting mats and other objects are among the Hawaiian craft demonstrations offered at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai.
Kona resort has
culture at its heartKeahi Freitas remembers growing up in Kona on the Big Island, helping her grandmother gather lauhala (leaves from the hala tree) for weaving and eating meals of taro, breadfruit, dried shrimp, inamona (cooked kukui nut relish), vegetables from the family's garden and poi they pounded by hand "the old way," using a stone pounder and long wooden board.
"Every weekend my family would get together, play music and talk story," Freitas said. "We went fishing, hunted for a'ama crabs, and picked limu (seaweed) and opihi (limpets)."
Freitas, who is three-quarters Hawaiian, says these traditions remain an important part of her life. "It is who I am and where my roots are. All I know was passed down to me by my kupuna (elders). If I didn't have them to share their knowledge, I would not be where I am today."
You'll find Freitas at the Kaupulehu Cultural Center at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, where she works as a mea ho'okipa or concierge (mea ho'okipa literally means "hospitable person"). In this fascinating living museum, she shares her knowledge of Hawaiian history, beliefs and practices with all who walk through its doors.
"The hotel is not just a vacation spot," she said. "We want visitors to take home knowledge of the area and the Big Island and share it with others. We also would like our Hawaiian values -- for example, family unity -- to be more prominent as this is the lifestyle of kama'aina (island residents)."
The Four Seasons Resort Hualalai is part of Hualalai Resort, an 865-acre master-planned community that encompasses luxury homes, two golf courses and an award-winning sports club and spa. Barbara McDonnell, director of marketing for Hualalai Resort, oversees the Cultural Center operations, which she says was created with the intent of having the "true Hawaiian culture" at the heart of the resort.
"Our intent was to stay away from the 'packaged image' of Hawaii -- which had in several respects taken over tourism -- and convey a genuine sense of place for Kaupulehu."
THE 1,100-SQUARE-FOOT center was named after the ancient ahupua'a of Kaupulehu, a 25,000-acre pie-shaped land division that ran from the mountains to the sea where Hualalai Resort is located. The center reflects everyday life in a fishing village that existed here long ago through replicas of weapons, musical instruments and tools; books and videos covering myths and hula to petroglyphs and medicinal plants; and 11 original paintings by noted Hawaiian artist and historian Herb Kawainui Kane.
CHERYL CHEE TSUTSUMI / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-BULLETIN
Keahi Freitas plays the ukulele at the Kaupulehu Cultural Center, which is part of a resort on the Big Island.
Each painting depicts villagers engaged in a task -- The Canoe Builder, The Fisherman, The Planter, The Plaiter of Matting, and so on. A detailed explanation of each occupation is provided, along with a display of related reading material and objects, all of which may be touched. The exhibit accompanying The Maker of Kapa (Tapa) includes beaters, bamboo stamps, wooden bowls containing red clay and burnt coral used in dyes, and plain and decorated sheets of tapa.
Notes Freitas, "Everybody had their kuleana (responsibility), and they depended upon each other for their survival. For example, the home builders constructed and took care of every house in the village."
An eye-catching map of the islands of Polynesia, measuring eight feet in circumference, is inlaid in the center's mahogany floor in gleaming silver oak, koa and milo woods. Above it, a 1,300-gallon saltwater aquarium mirrors life in the coral reef that fronts the resort. It's a magnificent ever-changing mosaic of colors, shapes and textures, with yellow tangs, wrasses, hermit crabs, sea cucumbers, Moorish Idols and more.
THE CENTER ALSO features a library of Hawaiian music recordings from the 1940s to the present as well as daily activities and classes. A recent schedule offered lessons in Hawaiian language; ukulele playing; celestial navigation; feather art; lei making; and natural history, covering the concept of ahupua'a and the geography and native wildlife of Kaupulehu.
Hands-on participation at these sessions is encouraged, for resort executives recognize that is the surest way for newcomers to develop a deep understanding, appreciation and respect for the cultural values, traditions, and arts and crafts of Hawaii.
"Visitors relate to the programs at the center very well," said Kathleen Horrigan, general manager of the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai. "Many have learned a hula 'auana (modern dance) or how to weave a lauhala bracelet. Some take away stories of Pele; others now understand the role of Hawaiian monarchs. The programs apply to all levels of curiosity and knowledge; they are captivating and fun. Many guests have returned time and time again to visit the staff and/or learn something new."
Keahi Freitas loves nurturing the aloha that pervades the center. "When visitors check in at the hotel after a long plane trip, they usually want to go to their rooms as quickly as possible," she says. "But if they've arrived early and their rooms are not quite ready, the front desk will send them here. They're tired and sometimes stressed, but after just 15 minutes of being in the center, looking around and examining things, it's obvious they feel happier, more relaxed and in the mood to start their vacation."
Such is the magic of discovery. Horrigan sums it up, saying, "The Kaupulehu Cultural Center is a means for both kamaaina and visitors to capture a comprehensive depiction of Hawaii's past and its impact on the present and future. Most importantly, visitors can take home a part of Hawaii in their hearts."
Kaupulehu Cultural Center
Address: Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, 100 Kaupulehu Drive, Kona, Hawaii 96740Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily
Cost: There is no admission charge and most activities are free. A monthly Cultural Tour is available to guests and residents of Hualalai Resort. Itineraries vary; recent trips were made to North Kohala, where King Kamehameha I was born and spent his childhood, and Holualoa, a charming arts community. The cost of the tour is $50 for adults and $20 for children 12 and under, including lunch and transportation.
Call: (808) 325-8520
Web: http://www.fourseasons.com/hualalai/vacations/ special_features.html
Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based free-lance writer
and Society of American Travel Writers award winner.
