Nana I Ke Kumu! Kula Waena

Nānā I Ke Kumu - Kula Waena

Ma mua o ka haku ʻana i ka pīʻāpā Hawaiʻi i ka makahiki ʻumikūmāwalu ʻiwakāluakūmāono, he ʻōlelo waha ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi a hoʻoili ʻia ka moʻaukala, moʻomeheu a me ka moʻolelo ma o ke kaʻao, mele, oli a me ka hula. Hoʻomau nā kumu ma Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo e hoʻohana i kēia ʻano hana kākau ʻole i ala e aʻo aku i nā haumāna i hiki iā lākou ke hoʻopili i ko lākou wahi pana o Keaukaha. ʻO Edith Kanakaʻole, he kupa no Keaukaha, kumu hula, kumu kula a me ke kupuna wahine o Kūhaʻo Zane (ka makuahine hūnōwai o Sig), ka haku mele o ka hapanui o nā mele, hula a oli i hoʻokele i ka papa haʻawina ma Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo. ʻO kekahi o ko lākou mele punahele a ʻAnakē Edith i haku ai ʻo ia hoʻi ʻo Nā Pana Kaulana O Keaukaha. Hoʻohanohano kēia mele i nā wahi kūikawā like ʻole a me nā hana o ia mau wahi ma kapakai o Keaukaha. E ʻike ʻia ana nā haumāna Ka ʻUmeke ma Kulapae ʻoe, Keonekahakaha ʻoe, Laehala ʻoe, Kaumaui ʻoe a i ʻole ma Waiuli ʻoe e kilo ana i ka limu, e helu ana i ka iʻa, e ana ana i ka paʻakai ma kai, e kūkulu mākāhā ana a e hoʻomōhala ana i ko lākou ʻike honua a me ka noʻonoʻo pono ma o ka ʻenehana o ia wā a me ka wā kahiko.

Prior to the development of the Hawaiian alphabet in 1826, Hawaiian was an oral language with history, culture, and traditions being passed down to the next generation through kaʻao, mele, oli, and hula. The kumu at Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo continue to utilize these oratory practices as instructional methods to engage haumāna in learning and connect them to Keaukaha wahi pana. Edith Kanakaʻole, Keaukaha resident, kumu hula, educator, and grandmother of Kūhaʻo (mother-in law of Sig) composed and inspired many of the mele, hula, and oli that guide the curriculum at Ka ʻUmeke.  One of their favorite mele composed by Aunty Edith is Nā Pana Kaulana O Keaukaha. This mele speaks to the special places along the Keaukaha coastline and the practices of these places. On any given day you can find Ka ʻUmeke keiki at Kulapae, Keonekahakaha, Laehala, Kaumaui, and/or Waiuli identifying limu, counting iʻa, measuring salinity levels, building mākāhā and developing their environmental literacy and critical thinking skills through use of ancient and modern technologies.

Kumu Kiliona Young

Ua komo ʻo Kumu Kiliona i ka ʻohana Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo ma ka makahiki iwakālua iwakāluakūmākahi ma ke ʻano he kumu papa ʻehā. ʻO kekahi o kāna mau haumāna kā Sig moʻopuna ʻo Lōliʻi. Lawe pū mai ʻo Kumu Kiliona i kona ʻiʻini no ke mele, ka mahiʻai, a me ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. Ma o kēia ʻiʻini o ke mele a me ka mahiʻai e aʻo ana ʻo Kumu Kiliona i kāna mau haumāna i ke mele ʻo Nā ʻOno O Ka ʻĀina no ka hoʻolauna ʻana i nā ʻano kalo (he mele ia no kā Edith Kanakaʻole kalo punahele a haku ʻia e Kalani Meinecke me George Kahumoku, Jr.) a me ka paipai pū ʻana i nā haumāna i ka hoʻokani ʻukulele ʻana ma kona aʻo ʻana i kēlā me kēia pule. Ma waho aku o kona kumu ʻana, he makuakāne ʻo ia a he lālā ʻo ia i ke kalapu hīmeni ʻo The Kuahiwis.

Kumu Kiliona joined Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo in 2021 as the kumu papa ʻehā. Amongst his students this year are Sigʻs moʻopuna Lōliʻi. Kumu Kiliona brings with him a passion for mele, mahiʻai practices, and ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. He is bridging his passion for mele and mahiʻai by engaging his haumāna in mele like Nā ʻOno O Ka ʻĀina to introduce them to kalo varieties (a mele inspired by Edith Kanakaʻoleʻs favorite kalo and written by Kalani Meinecke and George Kahumoku, Jr.) while also inspiring the next generation of ʻukuleleists through weekly lessons. Along with being a kumu, Kiliona is also a father and a member of the band The Kuahiwis.

Kumu Ryan McCormack

Ua kaʻana like mua ʻo Kumu Ryan i kona mau ʻike me nā haumāna Ka ʻUmeke Kā’eo ma ka makahiki iwakālua ʻumikūmāiwa i kona aʻo ʻana i ka papa piko Hawaiʻi (he papa haʻawina Hawaiʻi 100) i nā haumāna papa ʻumi ma ke ʻano he kumu kulanui ma ke Kula Kaiāulu ʻo Hawaiʻi. Ua lilo ʻo ia i kumu kūhelu ma Ka ʻUmeke ma ka hopena o ka makahiki kula iwakālua iwakālua, a aʻo i ka ʻōlelo Pelekānia i nā haumāna Kula Waena a me Kula Kiʻekiʻe. He mau kālena kona i ka hula, mele, oli, moʻolelo a me ke kaʻao. He hōʻeu kona aʻo ʻana ma kona haʻi moʻolelo ʻana me ke oli a mele pū. No Waimānalo ʻo Kumu Ryan. ʻO ia ke kumu hula o Māununu ma Puna a he kanaka akamai nō i ka hoʻokani piano.

Kumu Ryan began sharing his knowledge with Ka ʻUmeke haumāna in 2019 when he provided a Hawaiian Studies 100 (Piko Hawaiʻi) ahupuaʻa course to our sophomore students as a lecturer with Hawaiʻi Community College. He joined Ka ʻUmeke full-time at the end of 2020 to teach English to our Kula Waena and Kula Kiekie haumāna. Amongst his many talents are hula, mele, oli, literature, and kaʻao.  His animated instruction dances between lecturing, and storytelling and often includes seamless bursts into a related mele and or oli. Kumu Ryan is from Waimānalo. He is the Kumu Hula of Māununu in Puna and is also a skilled pianist