[ SUNDAY TRAVEL ]

PHILIP SPALDING III
The Moloka'i Ka Hula Piko festival expresses the island's
commitment to preservation of its unique culture.

Molokai marks
the birth of hula
with a cultural
celebration

The 11th Annual Moloka'i
Ka Hula Piko celebrates 'most
Hawaiian' island

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Star-Bulletin staff

The 11th Annual Moloka'i Ka Hula Piko -- A Celebration of the Birth of Hula on Molokai will be held 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Papohaku Beach Park at Kaluakoi.

The free hula festival will feature performances by halau, musicians, and singers from Molokai, neighbor islands and Japan. Hawaiian crafts, including quilting, woodworking, featherwork, and deer-horn scrimshaw, will be demonstrated and available for purchase. Hawaiian foods and Molokai specialties will be sold throughout the day.

MOLOKAI KA HULA PIKO For information, call John Ka'imikaua at (808)-672-3220. Here's a schedule of free events: May 16 >> 9:30 a.m.: Meet at Coffees of Hawai'i for excursion at Kanakaloloa >> 7 p.m.: Lecture at Kulana'oiwi May 17 >> 3 p.m.: Meet at Coffees of Hawai'i for excursion at Kanakaloloa >> 7 p.m.: Lecture at Kulana'oiwi May 18 >> 7 p.m.: Lecture at Kulana'oiwi May 19 >> 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Papohaku Beach Park Ho'olaule'a, with emcee Rodney Villanueva of Island Rhythm 98.5 (Oahu)

Performers include Darrel Labrado and Sterling Kalua, Zachary Helm and Pound 4 Pound.

A series of lectures on Molokai history and mo'olelo (storytelling) will be presented by kumu hula John Ka'imikaua of the Halau Hula O Kukunaokala. He will also conduct excursions to archeological sites significant in Molokai hula traditions. This year's theme is "Ho'ihi 'ia o Moloka'i e na 'Aha Kiole," which translates as "Moloka'i is made sacred by the 'Aha Kiole Councils."

For more than 15 centuries, the ancient inhabitants of Molokai governed the land and people by organizing councils made up of practitioners of various disciplines to preserve and manage the resources of the land for the benefit of the people.

For 750 more years after the arrival of the first Hawaiian rulers during the 9th century, Molokai remained independent. It was not until the time of Kiha-a-Pi'ilani of Maui, 200 years before the arrival of the first Western foreigners in Hawaii, that Molokai fell under the rule of the Maui chiefs.

The Moloka'i Ka Hula Piko festival expresses the island's commitment to preservation of its unique culture. Known as "The Most Hawaiian Island," Molokai has the highest percentage of Native Hawaiians of any of the major islands and has continued to support a rural lifestyle and ancient traditions.