Learning from the masters and the ancestors….
I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO SPEND THE LAST 2-3 DAYS LEARNING AND LISTENING TO KUMU FROM THE ISLANDS….
Honing the craft.
dAY 1. WE MEET THE kUMU’S AND DISCUSSED THE HISTORY AND THE MANA OF THE TRADITIONAL cRAFTS. THE BALANCE OF LIFE AND THE BALANCE OF THE LANDS AND THE SEAS. tHE ORGIN STORIES OF FOOD, AND TOOLS AND THE PURPOSE OF THE TOOLS AND THE SYMBOLS THEY REPRESENT. tHE ONLY WAY TO TRULY LEARN IS THROUGH EXPERIENCE AND REPEATITION. oNE CAN NOT WATCH FROM THE SIDELINE AND EXPECT TO UNDERSTAND.
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tHE FIRST WORKSHOP i ATTENDED WAS THE MAKING OF nIHO’OKI AND THE pANOA ‘A’U. wE SPENT THE DAY LEARNING THE CRAFT AND LETTING EACH PIECE TELL US WHAT IT WANTED TO BECOME. wE LEARNED THE PROPER WAY TO MAKE THE mARLIN BILL DAGGER. AND THE CUTING TOOL . EACH PIECE ARE GIFTS FROM OTHER ANIMALS. THE mARLIN BILL, THE SWORDFISH BILL, THE PIGS JAW, THE SHARKS TEETH THE KOA OR mILO WOODS. REPURPOSING THE LIFE TAKEN TO BE USED IN DEFENSE OF THE OHANA. bUT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS ON THE DAY. WAS sTICKS WILL HURT, BONES WILL BREAK, BUT WORDS ARE FOREVER…. SO CHOOSE YOUR WORDS WISELY.
nIHO’OHI - TEETH CUTTING TOOL & pAHOA ‘A’U - mARLIN BILL SWORD!
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