We need to clean out the storage locker. The Nā Hawaiʻi shed is also up for sale; we don't have a place to set it up again and it needs to be moved from its present location. Anyone interested in a 10x13 shed? We need to empty out the Mini Storage locker. We have floral arrangements, tikis, the flame caldrons we used for the volcano on the float, lots of foam luau supplies and lots of art supplies left over from the construction of the floats we were involved in. We also have rolls of chicken wire, a 'canoe' and lots of other items to sell. All items will be at the Clean Sweep Yard Sale on June 30th. Please keep the date in mind!
Last Updated ( Saturday, 05 May 2007 )
Too Much Fun!
Written by Leihua Basso
Monday, 30 April 2007
Ai-eeeee! What a fabulous year we have been having so far. We had a kalua pig cooking demonstration by Advisor Greg Kurahashi, Lisa Chang gave us a demonstration of what she learned in her hula workshop in San Francisco last year plus she taught us a hula which was tons of fun and we had a marvelous demonstration of Hawaiian ornament making by Sarah Stanley who owns Ornaments to Remember. We still have a lot more exciting events, fundraisers and huis planned for this year so please stay tuned, visit our website at www.nahawaii.com and read your newsletters to keep abreast of what is happening at Nā Hawaiʻi!
Our Hui on May 6 will start at 3:30 p.m., which is a different time because of Mother's Day the following weekend. It will still be at the Sunset Firehall in West Linn and Roxanne Martin will be showing us how to make leis out of "fun fur". She says it's really easy and the kits are only $2.50 each. No wooden nickels please! I also suggest finger foods for the potluck. Make it easy on yourself. All those that feel they don't have the aptitude, bring your instruments and voices to serenade us with music from the Islands while we work on our project.
Next month is our Riverwalk fund-raiser walk on June 23rd in Vancouver and our huli-huli chicken/swap meet at Aloha H.S. in Aloha on June 30th. Because of all these fun and exciting activities, there will be no Hui in June.
"Komo mai kau mapuna hoe!" Dip your paddle in! Come join in on the fun! See you at the Hui!
Last Updated ( Monday, 30 April 2007 )
Breaking Trail
Written by Joe Crnich
Monday, 16 April 2007
As I'm sure all of you know by now, Hawaiian singing legend Don Ho passed away on April 14th. To the Hawaiian community, especially the musical community, he was bigger than life, showing that you could be true to your Hawaiian roots and still make it big as a musician and reach audiences nationally and internationally.
I can't claim to have known Don Ho personally, and I'm still not much more familiar with his music than any other haole from Montana. Growing up, I couldn't have told you the difference between an ukulele and a child's toy guitar, let alone the differences between the various Hawaiian musical styles. However, even buried in the hinterlands of Montana, I knew who Don Ho was. To me and millions of others otherwise ignorant of Hawaiʻi, he was the voice of the islands.
And what was the sound of Hawaiʻi to all of us outside the islands? "Tiny Bubbles," of course.
It's easy all these decades later to knock the faux jazz sound of this hapa-haole chestnut. I'm sure even Don got sick of singing it after decades of people demanding his standard. Criticizing this song, or the man inextricably tied to it, though, would be completely missing the point.
Most would agree that the arts of Hawaiian songwriting and singing have grown exponentially since Don's heyday in the 60s. The complexity and authenticity of Hawaiian melodies and lyrics have improved almost immeasurably since then, giving us the nationalism and emotion of Iz, the beauty of Keola's ki ho alu, and the ukelele virtuosity of Jake, to name just three of many who followed in Don's footsteps.
Sure, these modern stars followed in the footprints of others, as well--but Don Ho showed them all how to reach the top, and touch the world.
The important thing to remember, even if you find "Tiny Bubbles" trite or too hapa for your taste, is that Don left footsteps that others could follow--he demonstrated that, to be truly successful, all Hawaiian musicians had to do was take a step toward quality of musicianship, add a long, strong stride of dedication, and then somehow maintain a pace that keeps you in the public eye, yet also true to your Hawaiian roots. Okay, maybe it isn't an easy trail to blaze.
It was quite a walk he walked, actually.
I'd call it groundbreaking, pioneering, trailblazing--pathfinding.
And the Hawaiian music we all know and love today would have been lost had he not shown the way.
Last Updated ( Monday, 16 April 2007 )
Kupuna Ho'omahana
Written by Dorothy Bryant
Thursday, 15 March 2007
The Nā Hawaiʻi kupuna have decided to take a vacation for a few months in order to plan an event. Consequently, the April and May Kupuna Socials have been canceled. We will keep you posted on some exciting plans!
Last Updated ( Thursday, 15 March 2007 )
'Clean Sweep' A Go!
Written by Terry Crnich
Monday, 09 April 2007
We now have a date for our Clean Sweep Yard Sale! The date will be June 30th, and it looks like Aloha High School will come through for us again and allow us to use the parking lot where we have set up in the past.
We are planning to have the club tables available to use and on-site the day of the sale. We probably have about 20 tables in storage, and each table takes three a-frames underneath the table. Please reserve these tables if you plan on using them. There has been some discussion about charging a fee to rent the tables to help the club out - we thought $10/table would be fair for table rental, but decided to knock it down to $7.50 to make it a bit easier for all of you. Please give me some feed-back, as this is supposed to be a fundraiser for the club as well as an opportunity for our members to have a joint venture yard sale.
Members would all be on their own as far as what they sell and what prices they charge. They will also be responsible for their own set-up and clean-up of their area. Members would keep whatever money they make selling their goods, however Nā Hawaiʻi will gratefully accept any donations from what you make selling your items to be put towards the club to help with club costs and events we have scheduled for later this year.
Nā Hawaiʻi will advertise the event as the time gets closer and we have a better idea as to how many people will be with us that day. Please let us know if you will be selling - even if you have your own tables, we would like to know how big of an area we will be using.
So now is the time to start thinking about what you have around the house that you might want to sell. Load ʻem up and get ready to move em' out! We have found it much easier if you pre-price your items before the day of the sale. You will need to bring change and small bills to give as change. We have found in the past that a fanny-pack is great for stashing your money in and you wear it, so there is little chance of setting it down and and misplacing it. Don't forget your papale - and sunblock - and don't forget to put that sunblock on your FEET...we tend to forget and our slippah'd feet get kinda papaʻa.
There will be more news as we put more details together. If you have any ideas, please leave me feedback on the Nā Hawaiʻi Website or call me at home at 503-430-0065 or email me at
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Let's make this a fun event!!
See you Sunday!!
Terry
Last Updated ( Monday, 16 April 2007 )
A Change of Seasons?
Written by Leihua Basso
Sunday, 04 March 2007
Kapulau is in the air, don't you think? It's only 11:00 a.m. and my temperature gauge reads over 60. Ahi wela! Bikini weather...bring out the slippas!
What a fun meeting we had last month. I felt a new energy surge through our hui and enjoyed seeing all the new faces. I want to see more Hawaiians and Hawaiians at heart at our meetings so I am depending on you to help. This is Your Club and we need to keep our culture alive so I look forward to your kokua to make it grow!
A warm mahalo nui to our Advisor, Greg Kurahashi, for demonstrating to us at our last Hui how to make kalua pig oven style. Greg and his assistant, Kyle Chang, showed us how to prepare a pork butt kalua style and even provided a cooked version for us to eat at the Hui. Broke da mout man! Aunty Jean Carpenter, our in-house chef and cooking critic, gave her seal of approval. I could see Greg sweating bullets and peering over at her during his demo. You pulled it off. No worries or stink eye!
Don't forget to attend Deva's Luʻau on Saturday, March 10. A group of Nā Hawaiʻi members will be serving the food and the show is always really great. See inside newsletter for more information.
This month on Sunday, March 11, Lisa Chang will be sharing with us what she learned last year at a hula/Hawaiian cultural workshop in San Francisco. Maybe we can talk her into showing us how to do a simple hula? Come show your support, potluck as always, talk story and enjoy the comradery of your Nā Hawaiʻi ʻohana.
Next month we will have our regular Hui on April 15 and we (you) will also be walking in the River Walk in Vancouver on April 28 to help raise funds for Nā Hawaiʻi. If you can't walk or attend, sponsor someone that is by donating kala...$$$. We will be carrying our Nā Hawaiʻi banner and if we can get away with it, our Hawaiian flag. We walk proud to help carry our traditions into the future!
Komo mai kau mapuna hoe! Dip your paddle in! Come join in on the fun! See you at the Hui!
We now have a date for our Clean Sweep Yard Sale! The date will be June 30th, and it looks like Aloha High School will come through for us again and allow us to use the parking lot where we have set up in the past.