BOARD and STONE Orientations (Two available, December 4 and December 13) 5:30-7:30pm at Keiki O Ka ‘Āina Family Learning Centers - 3097 Kalihi St.

We would like to welcome you to the first Board and Stone class.





ABOUT BOARD AND STONE:

These family-based cultural experiences teach the Hawaiian tradition of hand-carving a papa ku‘i ‘ai (poi board) and a pohaku ku‘i ‘ai (stone poi pounder) with natural materials gathered from the land.

These classes are taught by Kumu Earl Kawa‘a, a revered cultural practitioner from Molokaʻi who teaches time-proven methodologies of sustainability that have served Hawaiians well throughout the ages. His dedication to share this knowledge came in an epiphany years ago when he returned to Kilohana, the town in East Molokaʻi where he attended school as a boy.

“I had to bring eighteen boards and eighteen stones with me because they didn’t have any,” Kawa‘a explains. “I was so hurt because I grew up on Molokaʻi where there was a board and stone in every home. It was a heart-breaking experience, and I said to myself the loss of these boards means the demise of Hawaiian culture as well.”

From this experience, he coined the phrase “one board, one stone in every home,” and in 2010, Kawa‘a began teaching families how to make them. Since then, in conjunction with Keiki O Ka ʻĀina, the kumu has taught many Board & Stone classes.

These classes are about so much more than just making a board and stone. It’s a way of bringing families together in a safe environment for learning and empowerment. It’s an opportunity for parents and children, aunties and uncles, brothers and sisters to share a culturally profound and meaningful experience. And, it’s a lot of fun!