Certainly one of the most visible signs of a renaissance in Hawaiian culture along the Hana coast is the emergence of traditional thatched hale. Less visible, but no less important is the revival of ceremonial use of `awa in events and activities that call for this protocol. Last year's East Maui Taro Festival opened with the first public `awa ceremony to be held in Hana in recent memory, and use of `awa has been included in several other public and private events.
The central focus of `awa usage is the bowl in which the `awa is prepared and from which it is served. Indeed, the `awa bowl in some Polynesian societies is thought to be a mirror representation of the joining together of Heaven and Earth. Throughout Oceania the traditional `awa bowl holds value as a centerpiece of the community.
Hui `Aina O Hana Vice-President J. Kalani English arranged for a traditional Fijian Tanoa (`awa bowl) to be presented to the community of Hana as a gift from the indigenous people of Fiji. Carved under commission of the Great Council of Chiefs, the Tanoa was presented by Ratu Manoa Rasigatale, a Fijian cultural icon and ranking member of the Council, in a formal ceremony at Hana Bay Pavilion on April 24. The presentation was a formal protocol, followed by local food and entertainment.
Hui `Aina O Hana is honored to facilitate the receiving of this special gift to the community of Hana from our "brothers and sisters to the South in Fiji".
Please read the text of Ratu Manoa Rasigatale's speech which he gave at the ceremony.
See more about `awa and related links at the Canoe Plants of Ancient Hawai`i
