Pahu Drum Making
The pahu is the heartbeat of hula and protocol. Haumāna learn to carve, hollow, and lash the drum under the guidance of master craftsmen.
Ongoing Projects
Eleven hands-on projects, one shared kuleana.
These are our active hands-on projects — taught by master practitioners, anchored in protocol, and open to haumāna ready to commit the time and care this ʻike requires.
Pōhaku Kuʻi ʻAi Making
Stone poi pounders are shaped from carefully selected pōhaku. This project teaches the selection, shaping, and finishing of a tool central to the kalo cycle.
Traditional ʻUlīʻulī Making
Traditional gourd rattles used in hula — crafted from the laʻamia gourd and fashioned with lauhala leaves in the older style, with no feathered top. Haumāna gather, dry, and shape each ʻulīʻulī using only traditional materials and protocols.
Ulana ʻIe
Weaving in the tradition of ʻieʻie aerial roots — a practice once central to fish trap, helmet, and ceremonial object construction. Because true ʻieʻie is increasingly difficult to gather today, practitioners often work with rattan (ʻie) as a respectful substitute. Materials are gathered with permission and protocol.
Ipu Pāwehe
Decorated ipu (gourd) making in the style attributed to Niʻihau — the inside-out dye method historically associated with that island, where artisans carve patterns into the green gourd’s skin and let natural dyes leach through from within. Haumāna learn the carving, dye-work, and finishing techniques used to create vessels for water, food, and ceremony.
Mahiʻole
Feathered helmets worn by aliʻi. A multi-month project covering frame weaving, feather selection, and the protocols around regalia work.
Kāhili Making
Feathered standards used in royal processions and protocol. Haumāna learn the structure, lashing, and feather techniques.
ʻAhuʻula Liʻiliʻi for Display
Smaller-scale feather capes — study pieces and display works built using the same netted-base and feather-lashing techniques as full aliʻi regalia, preparing haumāna for full-scale work.
Hawaiian Kapa Making
Beating wauke bast on the kua with hohoa and ʻiʻe kuku to produce kapa — the cloth of our kūpuna — from harvest through fermentation, beating, dye-work, and finishing.
6-Week OC3 Youth Paddling Course
A six-week OC3 outrigger course for Hawaiian youth — water-safety, paddle technique, and the relationship between paddler and kai.
Loyalty Awards at Huliheʻe Palace
Hale Mua serves as kāhili bearers and honor guard at the Daughters of Hawaiʻi Loyalty Awards ceremony — carrying protocol and presence for one of the Kingdom’s most enduring civic traditions in Kona.