Port Angeles, Washington
July 10, 2003
The main building of the HCC contains various displays related to the history of Hana. There is one area dedicated to the history of quilting in Hawaii. It seems quilting was brought by missionaries and taught to the Hawaiian women, who logically thought is was silly to waste cloth by cutting it apart and then sewing it back together. And they didn’t understand the need for blankets in the warmth of Hawaii either. Smart ladies. But nevertheless, quilting became a part of life in Hana, but with quilt patterns unique to Hawaii such as a graphic representation of ulu, or breadfruit, a staple in the traditional Hawaiian diet. There is an incredibly beautiful quilt on display at the HCC which took one local woman 10 years to make.
Other displays included artifacts found in the Hana area that were related to fishing and daily life. There were implements to make kapa (bark paper), to process taro root, another food staple, and old canoe paddles, fish hooks, and octopus baits. The were old stone carved bowls that were used as lights, with oil from kukui nuts for lamp fuel. One of my favorite displays was blown up photographs of Hana residents from 30 years ago. The volunteer working at the HCC called it "rainbow of faces" and said that most of them still live in Hana.
The gift shop had many interesting items, including woven bags, paintings on kapa, quilt squares, books, and many other items, many made by local artists and crafters.
Next to the main HCC building is the old police station and courthouse building. It is still used to hold court once per month.
Finally, my favorite part of the visit was walking around the traditional hales (houses) which had interpretive signs and were surrounded by plants that were (and still are) used as food, medicine, and for spiritual ceremonies. Hales are open walled buildings with roofs thatched of pili grass or ti leaves. Hale building is a special art that is making a comeback, with a possibility for building codes to be changed to include them as a choice in modern homebuilding.
The HCC has examples of a cooking hale, a canoe building hale, a men’s sleeping hale, and an all-purpose hale. Before European contact, it was customary when building a hale that a human sacrifice was buried under the center post in order to bring spiritual power to the hale. Normally, a favorite male cousin was chosen for the sacrifice. Some of the plants found around the hales included aloe, kukui, ti, banana, coconut, taro, ulu (breadfruit), and papaya.
From journal Heavenly Hana (Maui)