He Moʻolelo Kō ka Lei and its hōʻike, the Hilo Lei Day Festival (LeiDay.org), comprise a full year of integrated learning, seeking to preserve and perpetuate the traditions and culture of traditional lei. Using the lei as a metaphor, participants learn Hawaiian perspectives of ecology – mālama ʻāina – weaving together an artistic story of their place in the world.
The project seeks to:
- Document traditional Hawaiian styles of lei, including the associated moʻolelo, different gathering protocols and techniques, and fabrication techniques.
- Perpetuate the tradition of mele lei as one aspect of haku lei (lei construction)
- Create a dictionary of lei-making terminology to preserve and perpetuate the unique vocabulary of haku lei.
- Digitize and edit our collection of videos, and add more videos
- Upgrade the Hilo Lei Day Festival website (LeiDay.org) with the information collected using best practices (The original website was receiving 17,000 hits per day before being hacked in 2013).
- Teach traditional Hawaiian lei styles throughout the year, including how to grow the materials, and the interrelationship of the lei plants with the Native Hawaiian ecosystems, including the insects, birds, snails, and akua with which they are symbiotic.
- Hold gardening and landscaping classes and workshops to encourage people to garden and landscape with traditional lei plants, especially Native Hawaiian varieties, and to create gardens which will sustain our unique native insect and bird life.
- Resume the Hilo Lei Day Festival as a hōʻike of lei making on 1 May at Kalākaua Park in Hilo.
“He Moʻolelo Kō ka Lei” was co-founded in 2005 by Kupuna Winona “Aunty Nona” Beamer and Leilehua Yuen. It began as a multi-media art show which depicted the story of the lei from different perspectives, incorporating storytelling, Hawaiian astronomy, the huakaʻi of Hiʻiakaikapuaʻenaʻena, goddess of lei making, and many other aspects not usually presented today. During the April show, traditional lei styles were taught. It culminated in a Lei Day celebration on May 1. The project has continued in one form or another since that time.
The fiscal sponsor for “He Moʻolelo Kō ka Lei” is Paradise Ponies, Inc. dba., The Carousel of Aloha, a 503-C organization that has been a participant, partner and supporter of the project for the last 5 years. They offer a solid base of hands-on experience in fund-raising, volunteer support and project management.