KANAKA
Kanaka (people)
The rhythmic tapping of iron on wood echoes through the valley. Master carvers swing koʻi (adzes) against a log that will eventually be shaped into a canoe. A fire is lit. An ʻimu (underground oven) is prepared to receive sacred foods. Kanaka (Native people) gather in ceremonial dress to consecrate the newly built canoe. Our island customs and traditions are still alive today. We honor these cultural practices through images that celebrate stories of a people who have survived and thrived in these islands for over a millenia.
