Kamalani Hurley, Author at Kamalani Hurley

Monday is National Spam Musubi Day (Thanks, L&L!)

August 5, 2022 by Kamalani Hurley

Monday August 8 is the Second Annual L&L Hawaiʻi National Spam Musubi Day, and that means a free musubi from L&L Hawaiʻi. Launched by the venerable Hawaiʻi company and licensed by Hormel Foods, this it-should-be-a-holiday is another quirky and fun Hawaiʻi thing.

And because I love both spam and history, letʻs have a little of both in todayʻs blog post.

Spam musubi is sticky white rice topped with a slice of seasoned cooked spam, wrapped up in a piece of crunchy nori seaweed. In my post on 12 Things Native Hawaiian and Hawaiʻi Kids Like, — my addition to children’s author Tara Lazar’s 500+ Things That Kids Like — spam musubi is right there near the top of the list. Thatʻs because itʻs a convenient, inexpensive, packable lunch.

Canned spam first became popular in Hawaiʻi during WW II. Soon home cooks were creating dishes made from the salty canned meat. When I was growing up, we ate spam all the time, including fried with eggs and rice (which is a favorite breakfast order at Hawaiʻi McDonalds restaurants.) The first time my college roommates saw me frying up spam, they freaked out, that is, until they tasted it.

Hawaiʻiʻs Barbara Funamura is credited with inventing spam musubi in the early 1980s for the Joni-Hana restaurant on Kauaiʻi, according to the Garden Island newspaper. Mrs. Funamura had no idea that her humble recipe would, like many great inventions, become so popular.

My kids grew up packing spam musubis to eat after hula and soccer practice, and to this day, itʻs a satisfying treat. Our simple method was simply splashing a bit of shoyu into the pan as the spam cooked, but a search on the internet reveals lots of fancy recipes.

Oh, and did you get the August 8/8–08 shout-out to our area code? Happy Spam Musubi day! Photo credit: L&L Hawaiian BBQ

I am a Farmer, Revisited, by Sheila Arasato

February 17, 2023August 1, 2022 by Kamalani Hurley

The best years of my professional life were as a professor at University of Hawai’i — Leeward Community College. I taught linguistics and business writing courses to thousands of students, who impacted me in such profound ways. I was so lucky to have a job I loved.

One of the activities Iʻm most proud of is founding and publishing Pūpū A ‘O ‘Ewa Native Hawaiian Writing and Arts. The website has a different look and mission now, but during my time, everyone—students, faculty, staff, and community members—was invited to submit, regardless of ethnicity, and the only requirement was that the work be somehow related to Native Hawaiian culture. From 2011–2016 we published over 100 videos, music, photos, and stories. Those works are archived at Pūpū, but I think my blog is a good place to feature some of them again. The works and their creators deserve to be seen and appreciated.

One of my favorite videos is I am a Farmer, a thought-provoking and visually stunning video created by Ke Ala ʻIke Scholar Sheila Arasato and based on an original work performed by her sister, the talented Uʻilani Kumuhone. We first published this video on April 10, 2016, I asked Sheila why she revisited her sisterʻs poem. Her reply? “There was more story to tell: who you are in this ʻāina, and what are you doing to make it a better place?” Excellent questions. Mahalo nui, Sheila and Uʻilani.

Photo credit: Sheila Arasato

Lā Hoʻi Hoʻi ʻEa is July 31

July 29, 2022 by Kamalani Hurley

July 31 is Lā Hoʻi Hoʻi ʻEa in Hawaiʻi! Established by Kauikeauoli (King Kamehameha III), Sovereignty Restoration Day is a national holiday that commemorates the return in 1843 of Hawaiʻi to the rightful Hawaiian government after it was seized by the United Kingdom. He declared, “Ua mau ke ʻea o ka ʻāina i ka pono,” the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness. E mau a mau!

Many Native Hawaiians recognize this day — and not July 4 — as our independence day.

From 1843 to 1893, Lā Hoʻi Hoʻi ʻEa was observed throughout Hawaiʻi nei with games, speeches, and much festivity. But in 1893 when the Hawaiian kingdom was overthrow in a coup dʻetat by American businessmen, our day of independence was banned. As this yearʻs co-organizer, Imaikalani Winchester, writes, “like our mother tongue, our national memory was torn from us.”(“Ea Mai Ka Lahui,” Ka Wai Ola O Oha.)

Then in 1986, in an effort led by activist Dr. Kekuni Blaisdell, Lā Hoʻi Hoʻi ʻEa was brought back, starting with a gathering at Thomas Square in Honolulu. The Honolulu Advertiser announced the event in a small paragraph buried in the newspaper. The event, the article promised, was a two-hour potluck picnic, a flag-raising ceremony, and talk story sessions.

Today we celebrate throughout the pae ʻāina and across the globe, and our kūpuna and the painful truth of our collective history.

Mahalo nui to all of those who continue to share their aloha and their manaʻo with us all.

For a list of this yearʻs events, visit the Lā Hoʻi Hoʻi Facebook page.

12 Things Native Hawaiian Kids Like

July 6, 2022May 19, 2022 by Kamalani Hurley

I love children’s author Tara Lazar’s blog. Many years ago she posted “500+ Things That Kids Like.” From 3D movies to zoos, the wonderful list is a reminder of the things that make childhood fun.

Hula dancing — Hawaiian hula dancers | Joe Sohm | Dreamstime

Let’s add to this list. To start, here are 12 things Native Hawaiian and Hawaiʻi kids* like.

Paipo boarding, the perfect short board for body surfing
Spam musibis and ume musubis
Hehi at a loʻi kalo (flattening the fields at a taro garden—sticky, muddy fun!)
Standing on a surfboard and not falling off
Dancing in hula festivals competitions, or cheering on hula sisters and brothers
May Day festivals in elementary school
Spotting kōlea as they change from brown to black and white just before they leave
Shave ice, with or without azuki beans and ice cream
Waving at paʻu riders at Aloha Week and King Kamehameha parades
Stringing lei for Memorial Day and laying them on graves if you’re a scout
Learning to play the ukulele in elementary school
Olivine sand

Send me your uniquely Hawaiʻi list, and I’ll include it in an upcoming post!

*Native Hawaiians are indigenous to the islands and can trace our ancestry to before Capt. Cook’s arrival in 1778. In contrast, Hawaiʻi kids are non-native locals. The term Hawaiians is reserved for the native people.