Come along with Joe and Mara as they hunt for the night marchers in March On, the hilariously spooky video by my friend, the writer and storyteller Courtney Takabayashi. Be sure to watch through the credits for the lovable eccentric, Uncle Kimo. Courtneyʻs video is a past winner of the Halloween Video Contest sponsored by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and Hawaii News Now.

The working mom of a toddler and a couple of fun-loving cats, Courtney admits that her website is a bit out of date, so to contact her, follow her on Instagram. 

Hawaiʻi Creole English — called “pidgin” by its native speakers — dates back 100 years to the sugar plantation days. Immigrant workers, first from China, then Japan and other countries, needed a way to communicate with their fellow workers and with the people who lived among them, the Native Hawaiians. Pidgin is still spoken in Hawaiʻi, and being fluent is a source of great pride by its speakers. Pidgin is what makes us local.

One of the most popular videos we published at Pūpū was this little gem, Moke Action, an early film directed by the talented Native Hawaiian filmmaker ʻĀina Paikai. Not surprisingly, ʻĀina would go on to make many award-winning short films, including the wonderful Hawaiian Soul in 2020. Moke Action, starring Brutus LaBenz, Brahma Furtado, and Liona Arruda, is the tale of two young men who nearly get into an unfortunate scuffle. Happily, they are prevented from committing violence, thanks to their respect for their elder. Or, in pidgin:

Two guys like scrap til aunty wen scold dem.

Exactly.

The Hawaiian language — ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi — is a beautiful, rich language. Thanks to the internet, ʻōlelo can now be heard across the globe.

Read-aloud versions of childrenʻs books in English are readily available online. And now thanks to Kamehameha Publishing, books in ōlelo are, too.

I am pleased to feature No ke Ahilā — Our Hawaiʻi Weather, a delightful bilingual boardbook for keiki, written by Kaulana Domeg and Mahealani Kobashigawa and read by fluent ʻōlelo speaker, and wonderful presenter, Makiʻilei Ishihara.

Native Hawaiians have a rich oral tradition that spans over a thousand years. Our stories are told in many forms: songs, chants, hula, legends, ʻōlelo noʻeau, and word play. Modern Hawaiians continue our ancient tradition by weaving their stories into beautiful spoken poetry.

Chris Oliveira is a fluent Hawaiian language speaker and a dedicated Hawaiian activist. Hailing from the Waiʻanae Coast, he is the Vice President and Executive Director of Koa ʻIke, a community non-profit organization that focuses on place-based, service learning educational initiatives and student exchanges.

First published in 2014 by Pūpū A ʻO ʻEwa, A Nation of Our Own is a powerful, provocative lamentation on the loss of our sovereignty dating to the 1893 U.S.-backed coup dʻetat that overthrew our indigenous government. Mahalo nui, Chris.

Watch our interview with Chris. 

Native Hawaiians look to our kūpuna — our elders — to help us find our pathways through life. They guide us by their spiritual wisdom through personal, familial or community difficulties. Kūpuna are the source of experience, knowledge, guidance, strength and inspiration to the next generations, a rich resource to contribute to the betterment of the Hawaiian people.

Kahaulahilahi Vegas is a fluent Hawaiian language speaker whose family is from both Molokaʻi and Oʻahu. After graduating from Leeward Community College and the University of Hawaiʻi-West Oʻahu, Lahi is pursuing her PhD degree in Public Health at the University of Hawaiʻi-Mānoa. Her goal is to help the Native Hawaiian community. 

Lahi Vegas also loves to compose. To honor her beloved kūpuna, she composed her mele aloha, Ka Maile, which we published at Pūpū A ʻO ʻEwa in 2015. She credits her grandparents for providing the foundation of her lifeʻs path. Lahi says she will always be inspired by her kūpuna: He aloha pau ʻole — a love without end.

Watch our interview with Lahi in both ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and ʻōlelo haole. Mahalo nui, Lahi.

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.