Community members in Mākena on the southeast coast of Maui are invited to take part in the construction of a traditional Hawaiian hale, or house, beginning this Friday in Waipao.
The free, two-day workshop will be guided by Master Indigenous Architect Francis Palani Sinenci and the students of his traditional architecture school, Hālau Hale Kuhikuhi.
The group will spend Friday building the paepae, or stone platform for the hale, and Saturday will be spent constructing the olokeʻa, or wooden scaffolding.
CJ Elizares is a lineal, cultural and genealogical descendant of the surrounding area in Honuaʻula and hopes the hale building initiative will help the community reconnect to the land.
“There’s a deep history of kanaka using the area recently for ranching, prior to that ‘uala sweet potato trade, and just known for its iliahi forest,” said Elizares, who also heads the ʻŌiwi Resources and Stewardship Team for the Mākena Golf and Beach Club.
“So, part of what I do with my work is bringing back the forest, and part of bringing back the forest is bringing back the people and have a relationship with the ‘āina,” Elizares said.
“It’s important to my ʻohana because we come from there, it’s also important to the greater community because everybody comes out and enjoys our resources. One of those resources is Oneloa, Big Beach, which is right across the property where we are building our hale.”
The hale building initiative is being spearheaded by the Mākena Golf and Beach Club’s ʻŌiwi Resources and Stewardship Team, as well as the Kīpaipai Community Archeology Program with ʻĀina Archaeology, an environmental and cultural resource management organization.
Participants can choose to attend one or both days, but registration is required.
Both days will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, May 17 and Saturday, May 18.
Email info@kipaipaimaui.org with any questions.
