BOOKSHELF
COURTESY AWAIAULU PRESS
Solomon Enos' illustrations help tell Hi'aka's story.
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Event celebrates story of a goddess
The area now known as Foster Botanical Garden was once the playground of the goddess Hi'iaka and her companions, so it's fitting that the site should serve as the launching ground for a comprehensive telling of the Hi'iaka legend, "Ka Mo'olelo O Hi'iakaikapoliopele" -- "The Epic Tale of Hi'iakaikapoliopele."
A free program on the book, presented by Awaiaulu: Hawaiian Literature Project and Native Books/Na Mea Hawaii, will run from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday. Admission to the gardens will be free from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The event will include cultural demonstrations on the art of kapa, lei-making and shell adornments; a display of Solomon Enos' art from the book; and the sale of native plants. The story of Hi'iaka will be told in chant, dance and song, and Puakea Nogelmeier, the book's translator, will present an overview of efforts to make the story available to contemporary audiences, along with its attendant details on social and religious practices, poetry, hula nd the healing arts.
The 500-page hardcover edition of "Hi'iakaikapoliopele" ($40), in English or Hawaiian, was published by Awaiaulu Press and is available in most bookstores. Visit www.awaiaulu.org.