New National Park Service Films Celebrate Hawaiian Culture

The National Park Service is proud to introduce a new series of films that celebrate the Hawaiian culture on the island of Hawaiʻi. These videos provide an in-depth look into the islands' unique history, traditions, and the importance of preserving both the land and its stories. The films feature breathtaking landscapes, stories from kūpuna (elders), and interviews with cultural practitioners who share their knowledge and perspectives.

Haʻaheo ka ʻOihana Pāka Aupuni i ka hoʻolauna ʻana i ke kaʻina wikiō hou e hoʻohanohano ana i ka moʻomeheu Hawaiʻi ma ka mokupuni ʻo Hawaiʻi. Hōʻike kēia mau wikiō i kekahi mau nānā pono ʻana no ko ka pae ʻāina mau ʻano lua ʻole, e laʻa me ka moʻolelo, ka hana maʻamau, a me ka ʻano nui o ka mālama ʻana i ka ʻāina a me kona mau moʻolelo. Hōʻike nā wikiō i kekahi mau ʻāina kamahaʻo, moʻolelo kupuna, a kūkā kamaʻilio me nā mea hana noʻeau e hāʻawi i ka naʻauao a me nā kuanaʻike.

 

Duration:

1 minute, 27 seconds

Kūpuna (elders) share powerful statements on the importance of preserving Hawaiian culture and the deep responsibility of passing it on to future generations. Haʻi nā kūpuna i nā manaʻo nui no ke koʻikoʻi i ka mālama ʻana o ka moʻomeheu Hawaiʻi a me ke kuleana hoʻi i ka hoʻoili ʻana i nā hanauna e hiki mai ana.

 

Duration:

5 minutes, 30 seconds

Puʻuloa is the home to the largest concentration of petroglyphs in Hawaiʻi. Join us to learn more about the deep ancestral connections embedded in this place where petroglyphs serve as markers of genealogy and family customs. ʻO Puʻuloa ka malu no nā kiʻi pōhaku, he ʻoi o ka paʻapū ma Hawaiʻi. E hui pū kākou e aʻo hou aʻe i ka pilina kupuna hāweo i hoʻonoho ʻia ai ma kēia ʻāina i hōʻike i nā wahi o ka moʻokūʻauhau a me na loina ʻohana.

 

Duration:

5 minutes

Kumu Hula Meleana Manuel and Ranger Kaysee Buchanan explore how hula connects us to the earth, our ancestors, and the preservation of Hawaiian culture. Hōʻike ʻo Kumu Hulu Mealeana Manuel me ka Lanakia Kaysee Bunchanan i ka pilina ma waena o ka hula a me ka honua, nā kūpuna, a me ka mālama ʻana o ka moʻomeheu Hawaiʻi.

 

Duration:

3 minutes, 15 seconds

Join four kūpuna (elders) as they share deep insights into the meanings of nature and the importance of mālama ʻāina (caring for the land). E hui pū me nā kūpuna ʻehā i kā lākou haʻi ʻana i nā ʻike makamae i ke manaʻo ma ke ao kūlohelohe a me ka nui o ka mālama ʻāina ʻana.

 

Duration:

4 minutes, 13 seconds

Follow Kupu Conservation Leader, Heidi Vidal, as she explores the ancestral significance of farming kalo (taro) from kupuna (elder) Jeremiah Kaholoʻaʻā. E hahai i ke Kupu Conservation Leader, ʻo Heidi Vidal, i kona mākaʻikaʻi ʻana i ka manaʻo nui mai nā kupuna mai i ka mahiʻai ʻana o ke kalo me ke kupuna ʻo Jeremiah Kaholoʻaʻā

 

Duration:

5 minutes, 14 seconds

Join James Kanani Kaulukukui Jr. as he shares his ʻike (knowledge) of carving kiʻi, sacred wooden images. He guides us through the intricate process of shaping kiʻi to carving each detail with intention and respect. He explains the role in spirituality, protection, and history. E hui pū me James Kanani Kaulukukui Jr. i kāna haʻi ʻana i kona ʻike ma ke kālai ʻana o ke kiʻi, he mau kiʻi kumu lāʻau hōʻihi. Alakaʻi ʻo ia iā kākou i ke kaʻina hana kikoʻī me ka manaʻo hoʻokō a me ka hōʻihi. Hoʻākāka ʻo ia i ke

 

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  How to carve Kālai Kiʻi (Carving Sacred Images)

  Join Ranger Hoʻolaʻi Miday as he demonstrates how to replicate traditional kiʻi carving techniques (sacred wooden images) learned from master carver, James Kanani Kaulukukui Jr., using a carrot and a butter knife as substitutes for the traditional tools. E hui pū me Lanakia Hoʻolai Miday i kāna hōʻike ʻana o ka hana kope no nā loina o ke kālai kiʻi ʻana (he mau kiʻi kumu lāʻau hōʻihi), i aʻo ʻia e ka loea kālai kiʻi, ʻo James Kaulukukui Jr., a i hana ʻia me ke kāloke a me ka pahi waiūpaka ma ke ʻano he pa

  Duration:

  10 minutes, 26 seconds

 

Duration:

3 minutes, 44 seconds

Join us as the University of Hawaii and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park collaborate with local community members to unearth the rich history and practices of ancient ʻuala farms (sweet potato), showcasing the ingenuity of Hawaiian farmers in a challenging climate. E hui pū i ka moʻolelo no ka hoʻolaulima ʻana o ke Kulanui o Hawaii me ka Pāka Aupuni ʻo Ka Pele Hawaiʻi ma ka hana me ka lālā o ke kaiaulu i kā lākou wehe ʻana o ka moʻolelo waiwai me nā loina mahiʻai no nā wahi o ka mahi ʻuala, e hōʻike ana i k