Mahiʻai at Hawaii Community College

A Celebration of Hāloa

2008-11-13T12:38:00.000-08:00

On November 4th, 2008, Kanu Kipi Hāloa, HawCCʻs Kalo club put on a celebration of Hāloa. The student organized event attracted students, staff, and community members. Guest speakers included ʻAnakala Roy Wilson, UHH instructor Kamakoa Lindsey-Asing, and HawCC instructor Kihei Nahale-a. The event provided opportunities for participants to hear and learn about kalo.

ʻAnakala Roy Wilson shared his manaʻo about making poi. He shared his many life experiences, techniques and knowledge about the process of making poi from the planting to the pounding. Participants truly enjoyed his lively stories and ʻike. Kamakoa Lindsay-Asing gave the group an insight into types of taro as well as an informative explanation of the names of the different perts of kalo. Instructor Kihei Nahale-a informed the audience of the dangers of GMO taro in Hawaiʻi. This is a very important issue that many in the Hawaiian community are currently seeking a ban on.

The events activities also included steaming and preparing kalo, as well as the making of poi. Participants enjoyed Hawaiian music provided by Hōʻā and Kupaukolo. The event went well into the afternoon and the spirit of community and aloha prevailed all through the event. We look forward to next year's celebration of Hāloa.

Kalo: The Staple Food Plant of Hawaiʻi

2008-09-03T18:49:00.000-07:00

Kalo is Haloa - The ancestor of the Hawaiians
by Linda Pascatore on 21 October 2007

Taro (Kalo), or Colocasia esculenta, is one of the earliest cultivated plants. It is the traditional staple food plant of Hawaii and many Polynesian Islands.

Taro is rich in vitamins and minerals, and provides starch, which makes it a good food plant. The plant is used in India, Nepal, China, Japan, Africa, and Indonesia, and throughout Polynesia. In fact, about 10% of the world population uses taro or similar plants as a staple food.

Taro has large green elongated heart-shaped leafs and green, red or black stems. It grows several feet high. The bulbous root or corm is the primary food starch plant, but the leaves are also eaten. <Click Here To Read Article>

Kipahulu ʻOhana

2008-08-29T17:41:00.000-07:00

Visit our Maui ʻohana at Kipahulu to explore their kalo cultivation and the Kapahu Living Farm.

Click <here>.

Kalo Festival, Hana, Maui 2008

2008-07-15T13:42:00.000-07:00

Singing for the ʻOhana Lind at the Kapahu Living Garden.

Students helped to clean kalo for the taro festival at the Kipahulu Kitchen in Maui.

2008-07-11T17:51:00.000-07:00

Laukapalili O Kulukuluua Summer Program 2008

The HawCC HLS Mahiʻai program partnered up with Randal McEndree of the English department to put together a learning community of Hwst 160 (Mahiʻai I) and Eng 21 (Reading). It was an intensive 3 week course which included several field trips to different areas of Hawaiʻi Island that helped to reinforce curriculum and lectures taught in the classroom. We visited places like Pākolea in Kohala where we helped the Ah Sam ʻohana mālama their loʻi. We also went to Waipiʻo valley where we met taro practitioners and helped in opening up ancient water systems that fed the valley patches. Amongst the different trips and activities of planting kalo and rock wall building, Randal would lecture, demonstrate and or prepare lessons that would help students become better readers. Randal used information and resources that were used for Mahiʻai I as the lessons for reading. It really helped to reinforce and establish the information within the student. The capstone project was the class’s hōʻike where the students were asked to demonstrate and show the amount of information that was acquired within the 3-week period.

Kapahu Living Garden with the Lind Ohana

2008-05-12T12:55:00.000-07:00

Hana Taro Festival 2008

The HawCC HLS Mahiʻai students went to Hana, Maui on April 24^th to the 27^th for the 16^th Annual Hana Taro Festival. For most it was their first time experiencing the twists and turns of the road to Hana. Aunty Donalyn Nāihe of Alu Like hosted us at Hāmoa beach where we enjoyed the wonderful food and scenery of the area. We also visited the Lind ʻohana of Kipahulu where we helped to pull taro and make poi for the festival. The next morning we drove to Kahanu Gardens where we met Kamaui Aiona. There Kamaui introduced us to many different varieties of ʻulu, maiʻa, kō, kalo and many other pacific and Polynesian plants. The culmination of the whole trip was the Hana taro festival itself. We met so many different practitioners and kūpuna willing to share and celebrate the importance of our ancestral ties to Hāloa. He keu nō ʻo Hana i ka hāpai a hanohano iā Hāloa!

Ka Papa Mahiʻai In Hana, Maui- Spring 2008

2008-05-12T12:52:00.000-07:00

Papa Ku`i `Ai Class

2007-11-15T17:27:00.000-08:00

She's the culprit

2007-06-29T17:01:00.000-07:00

Here's the mama pig that was wacking the malas....

Kīhei and Daisy making poi pounders

2007-06-20T15:10:00.000-07:00

Ka Papa Mahiʻai and Papa ʻOlelo Hawaiʻi ma Haiku, Oʻahu

2007-06-15T15:57:00.000-07:00

Can you identify this kalo?

2007-06-15T15:55:00.000-07:00