Hana Hou! V28 Nº5 October-November

OluKai.com

86 / A Moment Noticed Six Hana Hou! veterans on their personal favorites

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW RICHARD HARA, ELYSE BUTLER, LINNY MORRIS, MONTE COSTA, DAVID LIITTSCHWAGER AND PF BENTLEY

98 / Treasured Images

Since the advent of the camera, Hawai‘i has been one of the world’s most photographed places

STORY BY CATHERINE TOTH FOX

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELYSE BUTLER

STORY BY PETER VON BUOL

STORY BY CONNER GORRY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW RICHARD HARA 29 / Room to Flow

STORY BY SARAH BURCHARD

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LILA LEE

30 / Growth Mindset

STORY BY SARA STOVER

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW RICHARD HARA 32 / A Space in the

STORY BY MARTHA CHENG

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT MALLAMS

38 / For the Retaking Native Hawaiian photographers are standing on the other end of the lens

STORY BY LESA GRIFFITH 48 / Artist of the Portrait For Dana Edmunds, a great photo begins in the heart before it reaches the eye

STORY BY CATHARINE LO GRIFFIN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DANA EDMUNDS

62 / Photographic Memories

For almost thirty years, Hana Hou! photographers have documented Hawai‘i’s subtlety and grandeur

STORY BY STU DAWRS 108 /

STORY BY MICHAEL SHAPIRO

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TAYLOR NIIMOTO

THE PIZZAIOLO OF KAUMAKANI / While Hawai‘i is known for a lot of superlative things, great pizza isn’t usually one of them. But Xavier John Paul Machado had a dream: to create a pizza rivaling the venerated pies of New York and Chicago. With only YouTube tutorials and a pizza obsession, the teenager in a small, remote town on Kaua‘i now bakes with the best of them—ask any visiting East Coaster.

SLIDING SCALE / Drivers of Team Saiko clutch remotes instead of steering wheels and compete for style and synchronicity—not speed. In regional and national RC competitions, the objective of drifting isn’t to be the first to cross a finish line but to achieve perfect synchrony as the cars slide across a course full of hairpin turns.

IMAGE CORRECTION / Using the archaic technology of wet-plate photography, Kenyatta Kelechi creates modern images with a nineteenth-century feel. The aim, he says, is to accurately portray Native Hawaiians as a corrective to the kinds of wet-plate images being produced in the Islands during the latter half of the 1800s.

DOUBLE TAKES / John Hook’s doubleexposure photographs are a little bit of intention and a lot of luck. Hook shoots a roll of film, then shoots again, creating superimpositions of two images that are poignant, provocative, ethereal and beautiful accidents.

Forget to take your copy of Hana Hou! from the seat pocket? Miss a story from a back issue? Want to share a story or a video you’ve seen on the in-seat media player or on the Hawaiian Airlines app? Hana Hou! is now online as well as on-screen. Visit our new web site at the link below or scan the QR code to view the current issue and selections from our archive.

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PUBLISHER & CEO

Jason Cutinella

PARTNER/GM —HAWAI‘I

Joe V. Bock

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Michael Shapiro

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Matt Mallams

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Maria Kanai

MANAGING DESIGNER

Taylor Niimoto

DESIGNERS

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Coby Shimabukuro-Sanchez

VP FILM

Gerard Elmore

EDITORIAL PRODUCER

Anthony Banua-Simon

FILMMAKERS

Blake Abes

Romeo Lapitan

VIDEO EDITOR

Jhante Iga

STUDIO DIRECTOR/ PRODUCER

Kaitlyn Ledzian

DIGITAL PRODUCTION

DESIGNER

Arriana Veloso

OPERATIONS

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE

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OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Sabrine Rivera

TRAFFIC MANAGER

Sheri Salmon

OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

Jessica Lunasco

CLIENT SERVICES DIRECTOR

Kristine Pontecha

ADVERTISING

HEAD OF PARTNERSHIPS–HAWAI‘I

Alejandro Moxey

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Simone Perez

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

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OPERATIONS & SALES

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CONTACT

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CONTRIBUTORS

Andrew Richard Hara

Catharine Lo Griffin

Catherine Toth Fox

Conner Gorry

Dana Edmunds

David Liittschwager

Elyse Butler

Kapulani Landgraf

Kenyatta Kelechi

Lesa Griffith

Lila Lee

Linny Morris

Martha Cheng

Monte Costa

Peter von Buol

PF Bentley

Sara Stover

Sarah Burchard

Stu Dawrs

Ualani Davis

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ON THE COVER

The Photo Issue

Since 1998, Hana Hou! has featured iconic images of Hawai‘i created by some of the Islands’ most dedicated photographers. This special edition celebrates nearly three decades of visual excellence.

FLAVORS THAT FIRE.

Internationally Influenced, Hawaii Inspired.

BY JOE SPRAGUE , CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, HAWAIIAN AIRLINES

A Memorable Year

What a joy it was to recently celebrate an unbelievable milestone with one of our employees. Honolulu-based flight attendant Sheila Sugano was recognized for commemorating sixty years of service with Hawaiian Airlines. It was a treat to hear her share some stories from her early years at Hawaiian … but only for so long, as Sheila was off to work a flight to Las Vegas, a route she continues to fly for us regularly. Amazing! And equally remarkable is Sheila’s colleague, Mae Jean Silva, who also recently celebrated her sixty-year anniversary with Hawaiian. A big mahalo to both of these special women for all that they’ve done for Hawaiian over so many years.

Anniversaries are always a good time to reflect on our progress and what’s ahead. As we celebrate Hawaiian Airlines’ ninety-sixth year serving our Islands and the one-year anniversary of our combination with Alaska Airlines, I know the past year will become a special

chapter in our long history—both for how much our teams have accomplished and for how they positioned our company to do even more for our guests and communities in the future.

Bringing Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines together last September helped us deliver significant and immediate benefits to our guests in a relatively short period, especially in two areas we know our guests value most: flights to more destinations and enhanced loyalty benefits.

Literally overnight, our guests gained access to dozens of new cities as we linked Hawaiian’s broad domestic and international network of flights to, from and within the Islands to Alaska Airlines’ extensive routes across the continental US and beyond. Thanks to our complementary networks and fleets, we are flying our aircraft more, improving schedules by spreading out departures at different times of the day and enabling more seamless flight connections. Next

spring and summer we are inaugurating service in Europe with nonstop flights between our global hub in Seattle and Rome, London and Iceland—with onestop connections to and from Hawai‘i.

As we bring more of the world to our guests, we are also rewarding them with industry-leading loyalty benefits. This November marks the one-year anniversary of Huaka‘i by Hawaiian, a program offering hundreds of thousands of Hawai‘i residents a free checked bag and 10 to 20 percent discounts on flights to and from O‘ahu’s neighbor islands, along with exclusive, quarterly network-wide deals.

Today, guests booking Hawaiian or Alaska flights on either carrier’s website are earning miles and status that have much greater value under our new loyalty program, Atmos Rewards, which we announced this summer. Our HawaiianMiles and Alaska Mileage Plan members—along with all their miles— are now Atmos members. When our Atmos Rewards members fly among the Hawaiian Islands, explore Asia, Oceania, the continental US or the one thousandplus global destinations with our partners, including those in the oneworld alliance, they will enjoy unmatched flexibility, value and recognition. For instance, in a first for any airline, starting next year Atmos empowers our guests to choose how they want to earn miles that never expire: by segment, distance or ticket price. Members will be able to select the earning option that works best for them and change their prefence annually.

We couldn’t be more excited to welcome our members into Hawaiian and Alaska’s loyalty ‘ohana, and I invite you to visit atmosrewards.com to learn more. On behalf of Sheila and all of our thirty thousand-plus employees at Hawaiian and Alaska, including over six thousand here in Hawai‘i, mahalo for your loyalty and for helping us make the past year one to remember.

A new dawn of live entertainment rises in Cirque du Soleil ‘Auana—a Hawai‘i-inspired production featuring a cast of powerful acrobats, talented musicians and singers, and profound hula dancers. is unparalleled ensemble brings together international and local talents to shine a fresh light on the spirit of Hawai‘i. Only at the OUTRIGGER Waikīkī Beachcomber Hotel.

“HEARTFELT & HEART STOPPING… WAIKĪKĪ’S NEWEST MUST SEE ATTRACTION.”

OC REGISTER

“NOTHING SHORT OF A JOYOUS CELEBRATION OF HAWAI‘I”

BROADWAY WORLD

island intelligence

The Honu Hospital

Above left, animal care manager Taylor Prostor treats a Hawaiian green sea turtle, which had become entangled in fishing line, at the new Hawai‘i Marine Animal Response Care Center, O‘ahu’s first honu ER. Once rehabilitated, the turtles are released near the spot where they were found—in this case, Ala Moana Beach Park (above right)—to much rejoicing and Instagramming.

The rain didn’t stop them, not these volunteers, not today. On a gloomy morning at Ala Moana Beach, OA191, a Hawaiian green sea turtle, or honu, is carried to the water and released where it was found three weeks before, entangled in fishing line, its left fore flipper injured.

The turtle had been rescued by Hawai‘i Marine Animal Response, the state’s largest marine conservation field response rescue and outreach organization. These are the folks you call when you find a distressed sea turtle or seabird, and they’re the ones shooing curious beachgoers away from basking monk seals.

“We’re busy every day of the year,” says HMAR founder and president Jon Gelman. Its nine staffers and legions of volunteers help more than two hundred turtles a year, some requiring medical care. A year ago, HMAR opened O‘ahu’s first emergency care and rehabilitation center for sea turtles near Makapu‘u. Its six holding tanks include a huge, tenthousand-gallon tank for larger turtles and areas for treatments like laser and

wound therapy, medical massage and surgery. Gelman, who started HMAR about ten years ago after retiring from a career in telecommunications, points to a juvenile turtle in one of the 1,500-gallon tanks. It got tangled in discarded fishing line—a common threat—and its left fore flipper must be amputated. The surgery will be done onsite—the first surgery at the new HMAR Care Center—using a state-ofthe-art anesthesia device.

When it started in 2016, HMAR focused on Hawaiian monk seals, one of the most endangered seals in the world; on average, Gelman says, they aided three thousand seals annually. A year later, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration asked if it could help sea turtles. A year later, seabirds. “We follow the need,” says Gelman, who has never taken a paycheck. “We go where our resources and capabilities can help the most.” HMAR often gets mistaken for a state or federal agency; most aren’t aware that it’s a private nonprofit relying on grants, donations and volunteers. “We do what

we can, we make an impact,” Gelman says, “but nobody knows who we are.”

HMAR is exploring the possibility of setting up an outdoor space for seabirds that become disoriented by artificial light and fall to the ground due to exhaustion or injury. (“Fallout” happens most often between September and December, when young birds are just leaving their nests.) These birds— mostly wedge-tailed shearwaters, or ‘ua‘u kani—typically don’t need extensive medical care, just a safe place to rest. Last year alone, HMAR conducted 182 seabird interventions, 71 percent of which were related to fallout.

“Nobody does what we do at the volume we do it,” Gelman says. “And we’re always asking ourselves, ‘How can we do what we do better and better every year?’”

If you see a marine animal in distress, call HMAR’s hotline at (888) 256-9840.

Power and Prestige

The height of luxury in the early 1920s, this Duesenberg “straight-eight,” customized for Honolulu auto enthusiast Samuel Northrup Castle, was the first passenger car the company ever sold. It was shipped to Honolulu in 1922, where it caused a stir, and today is on exhibit at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum in Auburn, Indiana.

On May 31, 1919, the engines once again revved at the Indianapolis 500, which had been suspended for two years due to World War I. Among those following the race was S. Northrup Castle of Honolulu. A grandson of Samuel N. Castle, co-founder of Castle and Cooke, one of the largest companies in the Territory of Hawai‘i, the younger Castle was an avowed car fanatic who had advocated for the construction of safer roads in the territory.

Castle noted that seven of the Indy cars had engines built by the Duesenberg Automobiles & Motors Company of Indianapolis, the most of any manufacturer. One of the cars was outfitted with the “straight-eight” engine, a cutting-edge design featuring all eight cylinders in a row. It broke down and the car didn’t finish, but had it not malfunctioned, it would have blown the competition away—so much so that the Indy’s sanctioning body rewrote the rules to ban it.

When Duesenberg announced it would begin producing passenger cars

with the straight-eight engine, Castle jumped. According to Sam Grate, curator of the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum in Auburn, Indiana, Duesenberg’s engineering was far ahead of its competition. With cost no object, their passenger cars harnessed the latest racing technology. Duesenberg passenger cars were the first to feature a four-wheel hydraulic brake system, a standard feature in all cars today. The body was customized to Castle’s specifications (he was seven feet tall) and the vehicle, now known as the Castle Duesenberg, became the first passenger car the company ever sold. According to a 1922 article in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Castle paid $14,000. (The price for a 1922 Ford Model T was $660.)

When it arrived in Honolulu in April 1922, it was displayed in a downtown car showroom on Beretania Street. The Star-Bulletin called it the “most interesting motor car in America” and described the crowds flocking to admire it.

Until his death in 1959, Castle considered the Duesenberg among his most prized possessions. He left it to his nephew, James Christian Castle, who brought it to California and placed it in storage. He in turn left it to his son, James C. Castle, Jr., and his wife, CyrAnn. In 2010, the car underwent a five-year, ten thousand-hour restoration. The Castles drove it for enjoyment and brought it to car shows, including the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the most prestigious antique car show in America. In 2019, after having been in the family for nearly a hundred years, the Castles donated it to the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, where it’s now on display.

“When the Duesenbergs were built, both the Model A (as Castle’s would become known) and the Model J were not made for the top 1 percent,” says Grate. “They were made for the top .01 percent. They were the pinnacle of luxury, power and class for their time.”

STORY BY CONNER GORRY

BY ANDREW RICHARD HARA

Where the Birds Are

Take a walk down ‘i‘iwi street: Seeing some of Hawai‘i’s rarest endemic birds is as easy as a stroll along the Kaulana Manu Trail (seen above right and on pages 20–21) just west of Hilo. The well-maintained 0.4-mile loop through old-growth ‘ōhi‘a forest almost guarantees a glimpse of ‘apapane, ‘amakihi, ‘ōma‘o and, of course, the unmistakable ‘i‘iwi (above left).

When a guy known for VIP access to secret waterfalls, moonlit treks across lava fields and Mauna Loa backcountry camping recommends an easy, accessible 0.4-mile-loop trail a stone’s throw from Hilo, you take it. Located at mile marker 21 on the Saddle Road, the Kaulana Manu Trail is a “good, safe spot to hike within a sensitive, native ecosystem without adversely affecting it,” says Jackson Bauer, Hawai‘i Island program manager for Nā Ala Hele Trail and Access Program. The evidence is soaring all around: endemic birds like the ‘i‘iwi, their crimson feathers once woven into cloaks for Hawaiian royalty, and ‘apapane, ‘amakihi, ‘ōma‘o. The birds are here because of the trees: The well-maintained loop meanders through some of Hawai‘i’s healthiest ‘ōhi‘a forest.

This ecosystem exists in what Hawaiians call wao akua, or “the realm of the gods”; back in the day, few could enter here, notably the kia manu (bird catchers), who collected material for royal featherwork. Today, anyone with decent footwear and an hour to spare can get a dose of old Hawai‘i in this time-capsule forest nestled in a kīpuka—an area spared during an eruption because lava flowed around it, isolating it. Old-growth forests thrive in such kīpuka, protected from the depredations of feral ungulates like sheep, pigs and cattle.

Kīpuka 21 was transformed into an interpretive trail because of its easy access and biodiversity, Jackson says. This forest supports seventy fern, shrub and tree species; ten native bird species; and a dazzling array of microfauna—

over 90 percent of the bugs, flies and lichen in this three-thousand-year-old kīpuka are found only on Hawai‘i Island. Kaulana Manu means “resting place for birds.” Don’t be surprised to happen upon giddy photographers capturing close-ups of rare birds pulling nectar from fire-engine-red lehua blossoms. Exploring this oasis is a privilege that carries a kuleana (responsibility) to help protect it. Close the trailhead gate to keep out sheep and pigs; clean your boots at the designated station to prevent the spread of the fungus that causes Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death (ROD). And, as always, leave no trace.

Room to Flow

Kaiao Space, started by renowned Hawai‘i designer Sig Zane, isn’t just a Chinatown art gallery: It’s a hub for community and culture, where artists, art lovers and creative entrepreneurs gather to talk story and crosspollinate, with a new show every two weeks. Above, the opening of an exhibit by Honolulu sculptor and painter Roland Longstreet.

Acrowd of surfers, artists and passersby sip Heinekens and talk art outside a gallery on the corner of Smith and North King. Not an unusual Friday night sight in Honolulu’s Chinatown Arts District. But what is unusual is the gallery itself—an arts and culture hub where community, not commerce, is the focus.

Since 2019, Kaiao Space, owned by Hawaiian cultural practitioner and clothing designer Sig Zane, has fostered creativity. This year Sig Zane Designs turns forty, which is also a bit unusual for a local design company, especially built on community rather than competition. In the art world, where white walls carry a stigma of elitism, Kaiao Space has become a “third space” for creatives. Every other Friday, Kaiao Space opens a new exhibit of work from both emerging and established Hawai‘i artists.

Sig, who’s based in Hilo, opened a Honolulu store on Smith Street in 2016. Open Fridays only, Sig on Smith sold—and sold out—new Sig Zane

shirts every week. Zen Yoshifuku, who ran the store, came to the job through his work on Contrast magazine, a nowdefunct publication that covered local surf, art, fashion and music. One of the creatives he featured was Sig Zane’s son, Kūha‘o Zane, who’s now CEO of Sig Zane Designs.

Kūha‘o recognized how closely his business values aligned with Yoshifuku’s. The two began inviting brands to pop-up in Sig on Smith to support local artists and small businesses while offering new products. One pop-up featured Golden Hawaii Barbershop; the first twelve customers to purchase a Sig Zane shirt got a free haircut. “The original idea wasn’t necessarily to sell more things,” Yoshifuku says. “It was more to have these gatherings, to have a space where the community can come together.”

Three years later, Sig on Smith’s neighbor moved out. Yoshifuku and Kūha‘o renovated the space to resemble a gallery, with white walls and movable modules. Kūha‘o drew

from two concepts for the gallery’s name and ethos. Kaiao is Hawaiian for the time just before sunrise; Kūha‘o’s grandmother, renowned kumu hula (hula teacher) Edith Kanaka‘ole, felt this was when her best ideas came. The second comes from the Japanese word yutori, which refers to slowing down, reflecting, letting ideas grow.

Kaiao Space’s first show featured photographer Mark Kushimi, who has had two more shows since. This October, photographer Kenyatta Kelechi, whose archaic-looking wet-plate collodion images can be seen elsewhere in this issue, will have a two-week exhibit. Ultimately, Kaiao Space is Sig Zane’s way of giving back to the community that supported him over the decades. “It’s less about business,” Kūha‘o says, “and more about cultivating opportunities for artists to express their culture.”

STORY BY SARA STOVER

Growth Mindset

Allyson and Allen Blackard harvest lettuce at the first Hydroponic Hut in ‘Āinaloa. Back in 2020, the couple didn’t know much about growing food; today there are four Hydroponic Huts on Hawai‘i Island, where visitors can roll up and harvest their own produce any time they wish in exchange for cash, coconuts, chocolate—or whatever they have to share.

Allyson Blackard was convinced that she had an incurable black thumb until the avocado pit that she and her husband, Allen, suspended in water had sprouted.

“That got me excited about growing our own food,” says Allyson, who enrolled in Hawai‘i Community College’s agriculture program in 2020 to learn how. “One day, my professor, Lew Nakamura, said, ‘There’s a food insecurity problem here in Hawai‘i. What are you going to do about it?’”

That planted another seed.

Allyson and Allen, known as “the Als,” built a hydroponic system on their property in ‘Āinaloa, Hawai‘i Island. They constructed a greenhouse with hydroponic tables using a method pioneered by University of Hawai‘i’s Bernard A. Kratky. Shortly after Allyson graduated in 2023, the Als invited the public to their “hydroponic hut” to harvest greens directly from

the tables. “As we shared our surplus, we saw the immense potential of hydroponics to answer Lew’s question,” Allyson recalls.

The hut has since evolved into a twenty-four-hour stand, where people walk, rollerblade or drive up to harvest lettuce, bok choy, cilantro and other greens. Payment is by the honor system, though not always in cash: “Some people just leave money, but one person grabs bags full of lettuce and drops off coconuts. The other day, a woman picked some lettuce and dropped off homemade chocolates,” Allen says.

The Als also added an education component to teach others how to hut. Hilo nurse Mary Jane Bowden was so inspired by the 2023 harvest that she took Hydroponic Hut’s first workshop two months later. “Nurturing the plants and sharing with others is so rewarding,” she says. “It’s also therapeutic for me as a nurse.”

“Students leave the class with takehome hydroponic kits and the skills to grow food for themselves, their ‘ohana and their community and become a ‘Hydro Hero,’” says Allyson, adding that education is a key part of their mission. “The oldest Hydro Hero was probably 80, and the youngest was barely 8.”

Things have been growing steadily since 2023: More than 750 Hydro Heroes have trained in the workshops, and there are now four Hydroponic Huts on Hawai‘i Island run by workshop graduates. The Als recently registered Hydroponic Hut as an LLC, and what started with one avocado pit has grown into a food movement. “This is bigger than growing food. It’s about growing our island-wide connection through shared learning and action,” says Allyson. “It’s about growing a more resilient Hawai‘i together.”

STORY BY MARTHA CHENG

A Space in the Sun

On the bottom floor of what used to be an Urban Outfitters store in Waikīkī, pīkake (jasmine) perfume wafts from the artificial garden. It fronts a house facade and lānai, with peacock chairs inviting you to sit (and take photos for the Gram). This faux house and garden is an homage to ‘Āinahau, the former estate and home of Princess Ka‘iulani, where the recently opened immersive art installation, In the Southern Sun resides—aptly—at the intersection of Ka‘iulani and Kalākaua avenues. The name is from a poem Robert Louis Stevenson penned for the princess, whom he often visited while he lived in Hawai‘i—he called her “the Island rose” of “Her islands here, in the Southern sun.” Never mind that Hawai‘i is actually north of the equator.

“The way that I interpret it is, we’re on the South Shore,” says Kamea Hadar, the curator for the exhibit and a muralist

whose large-scale portraiture can be seen on walls throughout Honolulu. “It’s a Waikīkī-centric theme that’s about bringing authentic, local culture to Waikīkī, which is many times lacking.” Hadar invited other muralists, artists and graffiti artists, who typically work in two dimensions, and tasked them with creating more immersive experiences. On the second floor of the 12,000-squarefoot space, blacklit former fitting rooms cast Noa Hardisty’s depictions of menehune and night marchers in an unearthly, psychedelic light, “blending the lines of what’s real and what’s legend,” Hadar says. One area by graffiti artist Melón recreates the atmosphere of Hawai‘i’s forest, with the song of native ‘i‘iwi birds and the fragrance of the maile vine, while also juxtaposing jungle with concrete—allusions to the military “pillboxes” and other cement structures, often graffitoed, one comes across in

Hawai‘i’s wildernesses. A replica crack seed shop features glass apothecary jars filled with the salty-sweet-sour preserved fruit locals love, alongside nostalgic candies like White Rabbit and haw flakes; there’s also a working Spam vending machine.

The installation is a reflection of Hawai‘i culture, which “is a mix of different cultures,” Hadar says. “That’s tourists, that’s residents, that’s Native Hawaiians, that’s Asian, that’s haole and that’s what makes this place so interesting. And [for the exhibit], you have the mixing of different genres of art: graffiti, street art, murals, fine art, tattoos, sign painting. You mix it all together and you get really interesting hybrids.”

departments & features

STORY BY LESA GRIFFITH

For the Retaking Native Hawaiian photographers are standing on the other end of the lens

Every Sunday beginning in March 1989, Kapulani Landgraf and fellow photographer Mark Hamasaki headed to the construction site of the H-3 freeway. The controversial $1.3 billion project put a major highway through some of O‘ahu’s delicate ecosystems, neighborhoods and Hawaiian cultural sites. Landgraf and Hamasaki wanted to document it quickly, before it was finished. Landgraf, only 23 and studying

anthropology at the University of Hawai‘i–Mānoa, says she was motivated by “curiosity about what was happening.” But her curiosity was also personal: Her family has ties to Pū‘ahu‘ula, an ili (subdivision) of the ahupua‘a of Kāne‘ohe, where she was born, raised and still lives. The freeway ran through what she calls her front yard, where as a child she hiked with her mother. “We didn’t even look at what we were shooting because it

was happening so fast,” recalls Landgraf. “There would be a mountainside one Sunday, and then it would be cut the next week. We didn’t even know what was happening; we were just shooting like crazy.”

The result was Ē Luku Wale Ē: Devastation upon Devastation, a milestone in contemporary Hawaiian art. The large-scale images of terrible beauty, lush landscapes gouged by

Native Hawaiian photographer Kapulani Landgraf’s first body of work was a groundbreaking series documenting controversial excavation work done for the H-3 freeway in Windward O‘ahu (seen on page 38). Landgraf also creates conceptual installations and collages; Ponoiwi (above left) combines images, shovels and salt to highlight the damaging effects of sand mining on Maui. Ho‘okuleana (above right) commemorates places impacted by military and plantation operations.

excavation like wounds on a body, exposed—in literal black and white—state misinformation, such as the denial that any culturally significant sites lay in the path of the freeway connecting Pearl Harbor with Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Mōkapu Peninsula. After the highway was complete, it was revealed to have run through the site of Kukuiokāne, once the largest heiau (temple) in Kāne‘ohe.

It’s been noted that the language of photography is violent and extractive— photographers take, shoot, capture, expose. As the West took Indigenous lands around the world in the nineteenth century, it also took through photography. From Edward S. Curtis’ portraits of Native Americans on North America’s plains to images of bare-breasted “hula hula girls” in Hawai‘i, photography romanticized and exoticized the other and signaled that new frontiers and paradises were ripe also for taking. Some photography promoted racist theories; anthropologist Louis R. Sullivan’s photographs, displayed in Bishop Museum’s 2021 exhibit (Re) Generations: Challenging Scientific Racism in Hawai‘i, helped reify the idea of a “pure race.” Unsurprisingly, the physiognomy of Indigenous people did not fit the paradigm.

More than a hundred years later, Native artists are using this European tool to take back. In an age when photography is about one-shot instant

gratification on our smartphones, this small cadre of Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) photographers revels in the labor and science of film photography to tell their, and Hawai‘i’s, stories.

Though Hawai‘i in the mid- to latenineteenth century, when photography was introduced to the Islands, was a forward-looking nation under King Kalākaua—he had ‘Iolani Palace wired for electricity before even the White House—there isn’t much, if any, historical record of Kanaka Maoli photographers. Landgraf herself didn’t have Hawaiian mentors and largely pioneered her own path while blazing a trail for the rising generation of Native photographers to follow.

Ē Luku Wale Ē had an impact in Hawai‘i. Landgraf and Hamasaki, working under the name Piliāmo‘o, quickly secured an exhibition in 1989, “because we wanted people to know what was happening,” says Landgraf. They continued to make photographs over the next few years, developing what they call a kū‘ē (to resist or protest) archive containing thousands of H-3 images. In 2015, they published a book of a selection of the photographs along with text, such as dirges to the land composed by Landgraf. Publishing the book “took over twenty

years because it was so controversial,” she says.

Now the series is making a statement nationally. In 2022, Ē Luku Wale Ē was featured in the Hawai‘i Triennial, where it attracted the attention of curators across the country. It was acquired by the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York as well as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Landgraf also has work in the collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Honolulu Museum of Art. Photographs from her series Nā Wahi Kapu O Maui, created between 1997 and 2003, were included in this year’s Sharjah Biennial in the United Arab Emirates. She has a piece in the exhibition Fault Lines: Imagining Indigenous futures for colonial collections at the University of Cambridge’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. It’s been a banner year for her, the result of almost forty years of obsessive (her word) research and image making.

Landgraf is a professor of art and gallery director at Windward Community College. Sitting in her office on the campus, where she took photography classes from Hamasaki (in fact, it used to be his office), Landgraf says when she started out as a photographer in the 1980s, her inspiration was the land— the ‘āina. Not surprising; she studied

In 2024, artist Ualani Davis visited her grandmother’s house in Waihe‘e, Maui, for the first time in more than twenty years. She photographed her brother, sister-in-law and community members restoring the lo‘i kalo (taro patches) on the family property. Images like “Hāloa 1” (seen above), from the series Ho‘i I ka Piko (seen also on pages 36–37), gesture toward cultural legacy and returning to ancestral lands.

anthropology and wanted to go into archaeology. “At that time, there weren’t many Hawaiian photographers doing noncommercial work. Not even a handful. There wasn’t a Hawaiian perspective … I sort of fit in that void. That gave me more purpose.” After the waves she and Hamasaki made with their H-3 photographs, “I knew I couldn’t go into archaeology ’cause I would never get a job.” For her, photography was always a tool. She loves it, but didn’t think it would be her profession.

Landgraf’s work remembers what’s been forgotten or buried—the original names of places, ancestors (she references iwi—bones—in her work) and ways. She celebrates but also commemorates these things, often including dirges and laments she’s composed. For years Landgraf has pushed beyond the two-dimensional image, manipulating negatives and cutting up prints to create layered

collages. Each is an exercise in discovery, not only through extensive research but in technique and even physical pain. For her installation “Ponoiwi,” an indictment of sand mining from sacred burial grounds on Maui, Landgraf drilled holes in twenty shovel heads, a task that taught her to wear gloves after burning her hand. “It’s the actual physical harm for me that kind of makes sense,” Landgraf explains; it parallels the harm done to the ‘āina.

Above her desk is a print of her 1990 work “‘Āpuakēhau Heiau.” It’s a photograph of a visitor lying on the beach in front of the Moana Hotel. He wears swim trunks, his legs apart, his face raised to the sun, eyes shut. Surrounding him is text describing the heiau that once stood there. Landgraf etched the words onto the negative. “That one was a breakthrough,” she says. “Writing text on the image, it was no longer the pristine print. I didn’t want to

destroy the image, but because of what happened to the land, it was all right for me to put that history in.”

“Learning the history of photography really changed my relationship with the medium,” says Ualani Davis, “because it became obvious who did and didn’t get to take pictures, let alone be in pictures during the first few decades after it was invented. And since image making came out of Europe, early photographers were also primarily European men and their images were representative of their perspective. There were very few female photographers let alone Indigenous photographers. When you think of the images that were made in and of Hawai‘i in the 1800s, it’s clear they did not represent our perspective.”

A photography teacher and head of the visual arts department

As part of the island-wide public art project Wahi Pana, Davis created Ku‘u Pua i Kohelepelepe (seen above). On view in Koko Crater Botanical Garden, the installation is comprised of cyanotypes inspired by Queen Lili‘uokalani’s personal garden and the public garden the queen planted as a symbol of resistance for her people.

at Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, Davis has been working on projects that explore identity, ancestry and culture for more than fifteen years. Ka Holokū, a series of photographs done in collaboration with artist Brandon Ng, features a woman dressed in holokū, the gown introduced by missionaries posing in cultural and historical locations like Ulupō Heiau in Kailua. Her series Ho‘i i ka Piko is a poignant study of her family home on Maui.

Davis is one of fourteen artists participating in the public art project Wahi Pana, which aims to transform the way visitors and residents engage with significant O‘ahu sites. Her installation Ku‘u Pua i Kohelepelepe, comprising three cyanotype panels in Koko Crater Botanical Garden, was inspired by Queen Lili‘uokalani’s song “Ku‘u Pua Paoakalani.” It’s an homage to her garden and to Uluhaimalama, a kū‘oko‘a (independence) flower garden she established in Pauoa following the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Today it’s a cemetery.

As with Landgraf, research plays a big role in Davis’s creative process. For Ku‘u Pua i Kohelepelepe, she felt a responsibility to learn the history and mo‘olelo (stories) of Maunalua, the traditional name of what is now known

as Hawai‘i Kai—a moniker made up by industrialist Henry Kaiser, who developed the area. “I kept coming back to ‘How can art transform a place? What can a garden become? What is the pana, or heartbeat of a place? What are the stories that I want people to know or learn about Koko Crater?’” Davis says. After going down a rabbit hole of links, articles, pictures and references, she organized her finds into cohesive ideas that she explored visually.

Koko Crater’s original name, Kohelepelepele (fringed vulva), comes from a story about Kapo, a goddess of fertility and sorcery, who used her sexuality to distract the demigod Kamapua‘a from his amorous pursuit of her sister, Pele. Davis “wanted to make something that spoke of sisterhood and the feminine power,” she says. She chose cyanotype photography, a nineteenth-century process that produces images without a camera, for its experimental and tactile qualities. “The chemistry works on many papers and fabrics. It requires only sunlight for an exposure and water to process. I like making photographs that exist in the real world that my hands helped create,” says Davis.

Davis made cyanotypes of three plants significant to Lili‘uokalani’s

gardens and to Maunalua—koa, kukui and ‘ihi‘ihilauākea, an endangered fern—and to three holidays celebrating significant moments in Hawaiian history: Lā Kū‘oko‘a (Independence Day, November 28), ‘Onipa‘a Peace March, January 17) and Lā Ho‘iho‘i Ea (Restoration Day, July 31). The sun passes through the cyanotype panels, casting Prussian blue images on the dry, red soil of the crater.

Growing up, Davis says that she didn’t surf, dance hula or ‘ōlelo (speak) Hawaiian—the marks of what others might call a “good Hawaiian.” So her photography has also been about “ways of finding belonging,” she says.

Like Davis, Kenyatta

Kelechi was similarly disconnected from his Native culture and similarly reconnected to it through photography. Kelechi is known for his wet-plate collodion images, a nineteenthcentury technique widely used—some might say misused—in Hawai‘i. Kelechi was raised in Kailua and has family ties to Moloka‘i, but as a teenager, surfing and skateboarding took precedence over roots, and he emerged into adulthood feeling severed from his Hawaiian heritage. His ongoing project is a series of portraits of Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) cultural practitioners, such as salt harvesters, musicians and taro farmers—including Kaina Makua, who made his acting debut in August as King Kamehameha I in Jason Momoa’s period series Chief of War. Kelechi’s photographs of alluring, sepia-toned images seem to straddle the past and present, making images that feel like they could have been shot in the 1800s but are thoroughly contemporary. His work has been shown in practically every art venue in Honolulu; last year he had his first museum solo show at the Honolulu Museum of Art, and his work will be on view at the Kaiao Space gallery in Chinatown this October. The portrait series started when a friend suggested Kelechi photograph the musical trio Puamana. “I grew up listening to them at my grandma’s house,” he says. While he was developing the plate in what he calls his “dark box,” the musicians—Mihana Aluli Souza, Aima Aluli McManus and

nineteenth-century

taro-farming Makua ‘ohana (above

recent television series Chief of War.

ongoing

which includes

Maina Souza—began playing a song. “It gave me chicken skin,” says Kelechi, “my hands were shaking.” When he saw the image emerge, “it blew me away,” he says, knowing then and there that “this is what I’m going to do.”

“When I started making the photographs I had the feeling this was something I loved doing because of the people I found myself surrounded by,” says Kelechi. “It has definitely changed my life. Seeing the perseverance and love these practitioners have for the work they do, it’s hard not to be inspired.” His process has largely been organic, connecting with his subjects through word of mouth. But lately he’s using research to guide his art, resulting in a desire to take ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i classes to be able to read historical documents.

Recently he has been feeding his curiosity by turning his lens on potential new projects. One of them is inspired by the coconut rhinoceros beetle. The Southeast Asian insect, first spotted in Hawai‘i about a decade ago, is slowly

spreading, ravaging coconut palms in the process. After photographing a friend who’s on an anti-beetle crusade, Kelechi started paying more attention to niu—coconut trees. “You see them every day, but now I look at them a little longer and try to enjoy them,” he says. Kelechi’s exhibition at Kaiao Space is likely to feature some of these niu images.

The world of fine art photography in Hawai‘i is a small one, and the pool of Native artists even smaller. Kelechi learned to mix chemicals for film development from Davis, when she was running the photo lab at UH–Mānoa. And he says, “it’s amazing how Kapu uses photography in ways I never would have imagined.”

While Native photographers

were rare before Landgraf made the camera her weapon of choice, Hawaiian royalty strategically leveraged the medium in the 1800s. King Kalākaua savvily used photography and other

technology to craft a cosmopolitan identity for himself and his nation, something that was explored in the milestone 2018 exhibition Ho‘oulu Hawai‘i: The King Kalākaua Era at the Honolulu Museum of Art.

“The connection between what the ali‘i were trying to do in terms of self-imaging and what photography can do today to make those kinds of statements—reclamation, selfimagining—is striking,” says Healoha Johnston, curator of Ho‘oulu Hawai‘i and now director of cultural resources and curator for Hawai‘i and Pacific arts and culture at Bishop Museum. “I look at how Kapu and Ua have taken that to task, and it becomes a really important medium to continue to portray not only Hawai‘i but all the struggle, the daily life, it becomes an important medium to add to the record.” hh

Artist of the Portrait

For Dana Edmunds,

a great photo begins in the heart before it reaches the eye

My phone dings at 6:30 a.m. in Apia, the capital of Sāmoa. I pick it up with my head still on the pillow. New text from Dana Edmunds. “Parade out front.”

“Right now?” I reply.

“Yes, you need to come out.”

This was last September, when Dana and I were covering a World Cup qualifying soccer match between Sāmoa and American Sāmoa for

Hana Hou! It was our second day on assignment—when every encounter is a swing of an axe in the hewing of a story. Whether they hit or miss, those swings are essential, so I skipped coffee and headed to the hotel lobby.

Outside, throngs of people were laughing, dancing and singing. Turns out this was the staging area for the opening event of the annual Teuila Festival, a weeklong celebration of Samoan culture.

The Miss Sāmoa Pageant princesses waved from ornate floats surrounded by women in brightly colored puletasi and men in matching lavalava. I spotted Dana and his camera weaving through the crowd, looking for highlights.

As serendipitous as we thought the parade was at the time, not one of the 616 photos Dana took made it into the story. They were instead relegated to a hard drive in his studio in Kailua,

Few photographers exemplify Hana Hou!’s visual style more than Dana Edmunds, who started shooting for the magazine nearly thirty years ago. Above, the cast of Hā‘upu in full regalia on the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland, where Edmunds spent a week at the 2016 Fringe Festival to document Kamehameha Schools’ production of the original, all-Hawaiian-language opera.

O‘ahu, where they will remain, probably never to be seen.

That doesn’t bother Dana. “A lot of times it’s just about taking the picture,” he says. Sometimes, he says, he’ll go out, shoot and simply delete the images.

“Looking at it on a computer is my least favorite part of what I do. A lot of it isn’t designed to go anywhere. It’s the process that I like.”

Seen or unseen, Dana’s body of work speaks truth to Ansel Adams’ anatomy of a photo: “You don’t make a photograph just with a camera,” Adams said. “You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.” Ever since Dana picked up a Kodak Brownie at age ten, his camera has brought enrichment and

connection. For Hana Hou! alone, Dana shot more than sixty covers, which is only a fraction of the stories he has photographed for the magazine over its twenty-eight-year run; Dana is one of a few photographers whose images have run in these pages since its first year of publication. His work gives readers a glimpse of people, lifestyles and cultures in far-flung places: Tahiti, British Columbia, Scotland, Palmyra Atoll. Rich in aesthetic beauty and emotional currency, they tap into the universal human story and make the world a little more accessible.

Dana was fresh out of high school in Southern California when he first visited Maui in 1973—a two-week surf trip that turned into seven

years—lured by the Pacific blues that occasionally popped from the pages of the then mostly black-and-white surf magazines. He became a regular at Ho‘okipa, where he met Gerry Lopez, a soul surfer whose effortless flow set the gold standard for style.

“It was really a special time on Maui. Maui County, which included Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i, had a population of less than fifty thousand. There was no traffic. There was always parking,” remembers Lopez. Most of the surf media focused on O‘ahu’s North Shore. Dana was one of the only photographers in the lineups on Maui, and he kept all the local spots a secret.

He began submitting his photos to Art Brewer, the photo editor at Surfer magazine, who told him to ditch the color negative film for color slide film.

He also advised Dana regarding lenses and water housings, helping kickstart his career. Dana’s first cover was in March 1977, a shot of North Shore surfing legend Michael Ho doing a massive cutback at Honolua Bay. The disco-font headline read: “Special All-Color Issue.”

Lopez hired Dana to shoot an ad for his surfboard company Lightning Bolt, which later led to a trip to Bali cosponsored by Surfer, where they reveled in perfect waves around the Bukit Peninsula. Dana would strap his Nikonos to his chest and swim out to the lineups. “Because it had a fixed, thirty-five-millimeter lens, I had to be close,” Dana says. Each roll of film gave him thirty-six exposures, and from those came some now iconic photos of Lopez surfing at Uluwatu. Once again, Dana captured the purity of a place at the dawn of an era—the empty waves, the pristine, undeveloped hillside.

The people interested Dana as much as the waves. Back then, there was only a small village a mile from the break. The grinning local boys who carried

Lopez’ boards down to Uluwatu made a particular impression. “These kids don’t have much, but they’ve got so much,” Dana recalls thinking. “They loved Dana and he loved them, and the images of them have come out in books,” Lopez says. “Those kids are all old like me now, but they are so proud of those pictures.”

In the fall of 1977, Dana met his wife, Ginger, at a Halloween party in Makawao, Maui. Ginger was dressed as a softball player. Dana was Snake Man, a half-baked costume idea involving a cape and rubber snakes. She gave him a ride home to his tin-roof shack, a converted furo (traditional Japanese wooden bathtub) in the cane fields. He took a wild guess at her phone number (he knew the first three digits—661 for Nāpili) and as destiny would have it, he got it right on the first try. “It was the best move I ever made,” Dana says.

“My first invoice was from Gerry, so I asked Ginger, ‘Do you know how to do an invoice?’” Dana laughs. Since then, they’ve done not just business,

LEFT / Edmunds at home with his wife and business partner, Ginger. “They balanced it all—rushing to get the kids to school, coordinating huge shoots on the road—always in tandem,” says longtime colleague Deby Chock.

ABOVE / Edmunds on assignment in the remote Johnstone Strait, British Columbia, getting what would be the opening image for a story on the R2AK, a grueling 750-mile sailing race from Washington State to Alaska.

but life, together. “From the beginning,” Lopez attests, “they made a really awesome team.”

Dana worked in the darkroom for Bob Jamieson, an instructor at Maui Community College who taught Dana aerial photography, and made ends meet with a second job at the Maui Surf Hotel. “I was folding the napkins in the restaurant and decided, ‘I’m not doing this for the rest of my life. I’m not doing this,’” Dana recalls. He applied to the prestigious ArtCenter College of Design in Los Angeles. ArtCenter accepted him, and Ginger, whose background is in accounting and finance, worked to pay tuition while Dana went to school. They married in 1980.

Eager to return to Hawai‘i, they moved to O‘ahu in 1984. Immediately Dana began doing commercial shoots for ad agencies, while Ginger got a job doing the books for a roofing company. Before long she partnered with Dana; the couple opened a studio in downtown Honolulu and began building a Rolodex of loyal clients.

FACING PAGE / Persistence pays: After three failed attempts to reach the restricted atoll of Palmyra due to weather, a government shutdown and permitting errors, Edmunds finally landed and captured this award-winning image of Kawika Cardus clearing invasive coconut palms.

“I come from a family of entrepreneurs, so I always stuck with the business side. Dana always stuck with the creative side,” says Ginger. “I never told him what to do, and he never told me what to do. We stayed in our lanes, and that was it.”

In 1985, their rent was $400 a month. “We were super broke. We couldn’t even afford a ladder—I would stack my camera cases and stand on that,” Dana recalls. “Those days we used film that you had to load in the dark. I’d tell clients, ‘I have to load some film in the dark room.’ ‘Where’s the dark room?’ ‘Oh, just down the hall.’ It was actually the trash room. We’d go in there and Ginger would hold up the black velvet while I loaded the film.”

The commercial gigs, like Liberty House catalogs, weren’t glamorous (“I shot a lot of pots and pans and dish towels,” Dana says), but they were steady and lucrative. At lunch Dana and Ginger would share a plate lunch in the park and take a nap under the trees.

“Dana can walk into a room and make everybody feel comfortable. Outside of his art and his technical experience, he’s a good, kind person,” says longtime colleague and art director Deby Chock, who attributes Dana’s success as much to his character as his work ethic. Chock has collaborated with Dana on some big accounts, including Bank of Hawaii’s annual report for the past twenty-eight years. “Sometimes we go to holes in the wall, other times to grand places. We could be at an amazing resort or in someone’s garage. He treats it all the same.”

Dana has won so many national and local awards that he’s not interested in listing them. Instead he says, “I’m most appreciative of the clients that kept trusting me for over

OAHU KAUAI HAWAII

thirty years.” Meeting people and making friends, he says, has been the most fulfilling aspect of his career.

“We never let the work get in the way of our surfing,” says Lopez. “If you’re a friend of Dana’s, you’re a friend for life.”

As polished as magazine stories appear in print, creating them is hard work. Adaptability, patience and good humor are imperative while on assignment, especially when you’re lugging Pelican cases filled with expensive equipment through foreign territory. Wrong directions, cancelled flights, cockroaches under the dining table—Dana takes it all in stride. I’ve watched him sprint through the woods (past fresh bear dung), lie at the edge of a barge (that we hitched a ride on) and endure a late-night downpour in freezing temperatures (as I sat indoors with a bowl of chowder)—all to get the shot.

“You have to be an interesting person to be an amazing photographer,” says Hana Hou! director of photography Matt Mallams. “It’s not about the equipment; it’s about you. Dana is super-talented, but he’s also selfless. Collaboration is a big theme of his.” The most standout contributions Dana has made to Hana Hou! are his environmental portraits, a mode of documentary storytelling that features a person in a setting. To prepare, Dana researches his subjects but avoids looking at how they’ve been previously photographed so his approach is fresh.

“When I’m going to photograph someone in their element, I previsualize, as much as I can, what I’m after. At times, especially with portraits, rather than add lighting I actually subtract light to get the proper mood,” Dana says. This treatment, inspired by the Renaissance painting technique of chiaroscuro, is seen in Dana’s cover

shot of a sugarcane farmer for a story about the closing of Hawai‘i’s last sugar mill. “The sculpted highlights from the single direct light source tell the story, while the dense shadows set the mood.”

“Dana knows how to create depth using light and shadow, which influence the way he composes these images,” says designer Kunio Hayashi, who first met Dana while working on Kanyaku Imin, a book about Japanese immigrants, in 1985. They have since teamed up on countless editorial and commercial projects, including many for Hana Hou! “His colors are very kind and warm. They are just like Dana— humble. His photos are very soothing to look at. When I first saw his work, the colors and his lighting techniques reminded me of Rembrandt’s paintings.”

Dana tries to spend time with his subjects before ever shooting a frame. “The first hurdle is getting past how people expect to be portrayed,” he

D H O P P I NG ISLA N D H O P P I N G O N E B I T E AT A TIME O N E B I T E AT A TIME-

ISLAN

says, cringing at the thought of shakas and ‘say cheese’ smiles. “I’m after something more revealing. I want to capture what’s in their heart, what’s in their soul. My favorite portraits are those where I have felt a bond with my subjects. Our roles could even have been reversed. We’re just sharing a special moment captured at a thousandth of a second.”

Dana says the greatest compliment he ever received was when Hayashi sent him to Maui, alone, to shoot a forty-four-page resort brochure. The account executives were shocked Hayashi wasn’t accompanying him. “They asked why, and I told them that the images would look much more natural if the photographer had full control, without anyone looking over his shoulder. I told them that if I had to be there to direct the photographer,

then I chose the wrong photographer,” Hayashi says. “Thanks to Dana’s work, the brochure won Best of Show at the Pele Award,” the American Advertising Federation’s Hawai‘i chapter awards.

If Dana ever wonders how impactful his images can be, Mallams has an answer. Some twenty years ago, Mallams and then-girlfriend (now wife) Elyse Butler were flipping through Photo District News, a publication for professional photographers. The issue interviewed a photographer from every state, and Dana’s Hawai‘i photo caught Butler’s eye: the view from the back seat of a blonde girl in braids driving a blue 1957 Plymouth convertible, top down, along Kalaniana‘ole Highway as it winds around the Kaiwi Coast. A dog in the passenger seat is looking at the camera, the horizon is blue and you can almost hear the soundtrack

from The Endless Summer playing. Enamored, Butler decided to return home to Hawai‘i with Mallams to build her photography career.

Sometimes the best pictures are the ones not taken, and Dana has an eye for both. “I was in the airport a few years back, and there were three Catholic nuns all wearing traditional habits taking a selfie near the departure gate. I had multiple cameras with me, but I was rushing to my flight so I was able to stop for a moment and enjoy the scene. It was just a fleeting moment but that missed shot sticks in my mind,” he says. “Maybe not all of life’s experiences are meant to be photographed. Perhaps enjoying the moment is the best reward.” hh

The Cook Islands:

No High-Rises. No Hassles. No Regrets.

Some destinations offer a fleeting escape. You return home refreshed, perhaps, but the memory fades quickly, leaving little lasting impact.

Other places resonate deeply. They transform you in subtle yet profound ways. You remember the feeling of freedom, the peace, the spirit of adventure. The world feels bigger; life feels fresh again.

The Cook Islands is that kind of place. It’s a destination that offers true value, leaving you with cherished memories rather than a sense of a fleeting moment. In fact, your budget stretches even farther here – in the summer of 2025, 30 U.S. dollars is nearly 50 New Zealand dollars. That could cover a delicious, freshly-caught Mahi Mahi fish sandwich for two at a local cafe, a car rental to explore the island, or a beautiful black pearl – a tangible reminder of your unforgettable experience.

The beauty here will captivate you. It’s unspoiled, untouched by concrete and crowds. No building stands taller than a coconut tree. With a population of just 15,000, it’s easy to connect with locals –friendly, English-speaking, and eager to share their vibrant culture and worldview. They’ll make you feel at home, like you belong, and you’ll find yourself yearning to return.

Getting around is as effortless as making new friends. Exploring by foot, bicycle, rental car, or bus is both easy and affordable.

Whether you’re seeking relaxation, connection, or adventure, the Cook Islands is a paradise you’ll be glad you chose to experience.

Hawaiian Airlines offers weekly flights to Rarotonga, Cook Islands, departing Honolulu on Saturdays and returning on Sundays. Visit CookIslands.Travel/hanahou to start planning your dream escape.

www.CookIslands.Travel/hanahou

Photographic Memories

Hawai‘i is a visual place. People come from all over the world to experience its beauty and take it home with them as pictures. It hardly matters how many times Hawai‘i’s most iconic scenes have been photographed in the past: surfers backed by Lē‘ahi (Diamond Head), rainbows erupting from emerald valleys, lava aglow in the dark—these never get old. But stay a while, look more closely and other worlds unfurl; “paradise” is far deeper than its sheen, full of grit and glamour, the grand and the granular.

For almost thirty years, Hana Hou! has occupied a privileged position in the publishing world: With the support of

Hawaiian Airlines, we have enjoyed the freedom—and capability—to create images of Hawai‘i and Island culture abroad. Now that opportunity is unique: As of this year, Hana Hou! stands as the last inflight print publication in the United States. With this opportunity, we have sent some of Hawai‘i’s most talented photographers to all the Islands to shoot exclusive, original images of its highest summits and deepest reefs, its sweeping landscapes and microscopic worlds, its people, art, culture and history.

And we’ve hardly stayed local: Our photographers have braved the jungles of Papua New Guinea, sailed the Cape of

Good Hope, flown prop planes to isolated Pacific atolls and trekked to Icelandic waterfalls. All this has been in pursuit of one aim: to tell stories of Hawai‘i to all its people, whether visitor, kama‘āina (resident) or Kānaka Maoli (Native). This issue features some of the most compelling images to have run in these pages since our first issue in 1998, presented here without context. An index for reference can be found on pages 84–85, but before flipping ahead to learn what these images are, perhaps sit for a moment with how they feel. For that, too, is a story—one that requires no words.

1 - Greg Solatorio hauling kalo in Hālawa Valley, Moloka‘i

“EYES OF THE KĀNAKA”

ISSUE 25.4 AUGUST–SEPTEMBER 2022

PHOTO BY PF BENTLEY

2 - Unloading cargo from the SV Kwai in the Caroline Islands

“THE SEA TRADER”

ISSUE 21.5 OCTOBER–NOVEMBER 2018

PHOTO BY PF BENTLEY

3 - Kids roaming O‘ahu’s North Shore bike path

“COUNTRY ROAD”

ISSUE 25.5 OCTOBER–NOVEMBER 2022

PHOTO BY ARTO SAARI

4 - Dueling Chevy Novas rev up at Maui Raceway Park

“A NIGHT AT THE RACES”

ISSUE 26.4 JUNE–JULY 2023

PHOTO BY VINCENT BERCASIO

5 - Harvesting Hawai‘i’s last sugar crop, Pu‘unēnē, Maui

“BITTERSWEET HARVEST”

ISSUE 19.6 DECEMBER–JANUARY 2016

PHOTO BY DANA EDMUNDS

6 - Tom Pōhaku Stone with a traditional alaia surfboard

“RIDING THE PLANK”

ISSUE 18.1 FEBRUARY–MARCH 2015

PHOTO BY DANA EDMUNDS

7 - Paniolo (cowboys) capture feral cattle on Mauna Kea

“THE LAST ROUNDUP”

ISSUE 18.3 JUNE–JULY 2015

PHOTO BY PF BENTLEY

8 - A family plays in the tidepools at Kealakekua Bay

“ON THE PATH OF THE GODS”

ISSUE 22.1 FEBRUARY–MARCH 2019

PHOTO BY MEGAN SPELMAN

9 - Nēnē take flight on Haleakalā

“GOOD FOR THE GOOSE”

ISSUE 15.1 FEBRUARY–MARCH 2012

PHOTO BY ELYSE BUTLER

10 - Hōkūle‘a spreads her sails off the coast of South Africa

“THE FARTHEST SHORE”

ISSUE 19.3 JUNE–JULY 2016

PHOTO BY MONTE COSTA

11 - Chanter, singer and hula dancer Kekuhi Kanahele

“HAWAI‘I STYLE 2000”

ISSUE 2.3 SUMMER 1999

PHOTO BY LINNY MORRIS

12

- A plantation worker with sugarcane at Pu‘unēnē, Maui

“BITTERSWEET HARVEST”

ISSUE 19.6 DECEMBER–JANUARY 2016

PHOTO BY DANA EDMUNDS

13 - Musician Dennis Kamakahi at Kalaupapa, Moloka‘i

“SONGS OF KALAUPAPA”

ISSUE 15.4 AUGUST–SEPTEMBER 2012

PHOTO BY ELYSE BUTLER

14 - A native pueo (owl) perching on a snag on Hawai‘i Island

“PUEO OF THE SUN”

ISSUE 18.1 FEBRUARY–MARCH 2012

PHOTO BY JACK WOLFORD

15 - Outrigger canoe paddlers compete in New York’s Liberty Challenge

“PADDLING GOTHAM”

ISSUE 16.6 OCTOBER–NOVEMBER 2013

PHOTO BY DANA EDMUNDS

16 - A honu (sea turtle) drifts by the start of the Ironman Triathlon

“INDOMITABLE”

ISSUE 26.6 OCTOBER–NOVEMBER 2023

PHOTO BY DONALD MIRALLE

17 - Players in the Polynesian Bowl perform a pregame haka

“PRIDE ON THE GRIDIRON”

ISSUE 22.5 NOVEMBER–DECEMBER 2019

PHOTO BY CONNER TRIMBLE

18 - A native hibiscus fluoresces under ultraviolet light

“INVISIBLE LIGHT”

ISSUE 24.4 SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2020

PHOTO BY CRAIG P. BURROWS

19 - Mandy-Rae Cruickshank freediving with a spinner dolphin off Kona

“ON ONE BREATH”

ISSUE 11.4 AUGUST–SEPTEMBER 2008

PHOTO BY SERGIO GOES

20 - Sliding Sands Trail in the summit crater of Haleakalā

“QUIET”

ISSUE 14.4 AUGUST–SEPTEMBER 2011

PHOTO BY ELYSE BUTLER

21 - Yo-yo phenom Evan Nagao at Skógafoss, Iceland

“THE WORLD ON A STRING”

ISSUE 21.1 FEBRUARY–MARCH 2018

PHOTO BY BRYAN DERBALLA

A Moment Noticed Six veteran Hana Hou! photographers reflect on their personal favorites

If you’re like most people, you’ve got thousands of photos on your phone and no desire to sort through them. Now imagine that you’ve been asked to do not just that, but to pick your favorite, the best of your best, your single, desert-island image. Now imagine that you’re a career professional, with terabytes photos on innumerable hard drives, but—gun-to-your-head—pick your favorite. That’s the task we set before six of our longtime image-makers, who’ve been traveling the Islands and the world for years making memorable, even iconic images. Of all the exceptional photographs they’ve captured for these pages, these are the six they chose as their standouts.

Andrew Richard Hara

Why did you pick this photo?

This image is important to me because it represents a time when a dream came true, when my passion and obsession became reality. Coming home to Hawai‘i from Los Angeles in 2010 meant figuring out what my future might look like. Shortly after I returned, the USGS’ Hawaiian Volcano Observatory accepted me—a new volunteer—to help scan original glass slides and journals from when the observatory opened in 1912. Out of generosity and by chance, two geologists brought me along in a helicopter over the craters of Halema‘uma‘u and Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō to take photos of their aerial lava sampling. That moment made me question: “Could this become a career here on Hawai‘i Island?”

Six years and five hundred flight hours later, another stroke of good fortune budded a growing relationship with Hana Hou!, leading to a story about kīpuka— areas of forest where lava flowed around, protecting them—in 2017, with the help of one of our state’s most knowledgeable and skilled helicopter pilots, David Okita.

What’s the story behind this photo?

In the good ol’ days, we let it rip! I really wanted to show the grand scale of kīpuka, how they are time capsules of our Islands’ ecological past. The only way to pull that off was to zoom out and give readers a bird’s-eye view. Some kīpuka are surrounded by miles of monochrome, overlapping flows of pāhoehoe lava. One was a small brown outcropping carved with petroglyphs in a sea of glassy pāhoehoe. This photo shows a sliver of densely packed ‘ōhi‘a trees surrounded by hot, sharp, rolling ‘a‘ā lava just off the Hilina Pali heading down to the ocean. I chose this because it shows how kīpuka are formed, preserving a slice of the past.

To you, what makes a photo great?

The same as what makes a person truly great. It needs no explanation or context. It contains something more than the 99.99 percent of what we normally see throughout our lives. Something that represents and extends into the past, present and future all at the same time, effortlessly. A great photo has no “because.” It just is.

Why did you pick this photo?

I love photographing wildlife and have always felt deeply connected to the ocean. I’ve been documenting my underwater explorations in search of creatures and clarity for the past ten years. I was recently honored to have my ocean photography featured in a photo essay called “Full Immersion,” which went on to win multiple Pele Awards. This is one of my favorite photos from that ongoing project.

What’s the story behind this photo?

I was freediving on O‘ahu and came across this beautiful school of bigeye jacks, or menpachi ulua. I love watching schools of fish swim together—they’re so connected, as if they share one consciousness. I dived multiple times to immerse myself in their school and photograph them, and I was happily surprised to see a ta‘ape, or bluestripe snapper, swimming with them and becoming a part of their school. To me, this photo is full of metaphors—I love all the layers and bright blue hues, how you can easily get lost in the gaze of all those fish eyes staring back at you.

To you, what makes a photo great?

A great photo resonates with the viewer and connects them with a moment that feels authentic and captures the magic in the mundane. It uses light, emotion, composition, movement, context and synchronicity together in one frame that evokes a feeling. Great photography is nuanced and has complexities that make you see more than the everyday.

Linny Morris

Why did you pick this photo?

First, to pick a favorite image from all I’ve ever shot for Hana Hou! is an impossible challenge. There are so many! I selected this image because it offers a strong contrast—a still life—to the portraits shown elsewhere in this issue. A mentor, renowned Time and LIFE photographer Ernst Haas, told me that great photographers with a consistent, recognizable vision can shoot any subject. This has been my mantra from the start of my career straight out of school at Parsons School of Design.

What’s the story behind this photo?

The subject of the assignment was limu (seaweed). I flew to Kona to shoot at a limu farm and captured the more journalistic aspects to accompany the text. I learned that an extract from seaweed is routinely used as a stabilizer in both milk and beer. The seaweed farm gave me some fresh limu to bring back to O‘ahu for additional, more creative photography. In my home studio, I shot both a blackish-green seaweed close up, rising from a sea of milk like a glistening creature, and a reddish-brown one submerged in effervescent beer poured into a substantial crystal vase. I chose the latter because of the bold color and striking play of light. Both are trademark elements of my work.

To you, what makes a photo great?

A complex question that entire books have attempted to answer. Personally, the photos I strongly respond to inspire wonder. Rarely what they seem at first glance, they seduce the viewer into looking harder, closer, past the obvious. They contain elements of surprise, magic, mystery and unapologetic beauty.

For you. For Family.

Honey, I'm going to Hawai‘i to play golf with my buddies.

Great, when are we going?

Why did you pick this photo?

This photograph of the swimmer resonates with me. The gist of it is about being in the water. I respond to the image in a visceral way because of my own affinity for the ocean. Almost abstract in composition, it conveys energy and tension at the same time.

What’s the story behind this photo?

The image was published in the story, “Across the Great Divide,” about a competitive 8.8-mile swim across the ‘Au‘au Channel from Lāna‘i to Maui. I wore my fins, mask and camera, and a waterman on a jet ski dropped me in the channel. Looking underwater, I was stunned by the immense expanse of deep, deep blue. The gentle ocean conditions helped me position myself in the path just ahead of a few swimmers, and I photographed them as they passed.

To you, what makes a photograph great?

A picture describes but can’t explain things the way words can—there are limitations of the medium. In a realitybased approach to photography, a successful photo is strong in both form and content. It is thoughtful and reveals an understanding of the subject or story. For me, the formal aspects of an image— composition, light, color, gesture—-are the most interesting. A great still photo goes beyond capturing the moment and has the power to communicate with the viewer on a gut level, spontaneously.

David Liittschwager

Why did you pick this photo?   I find this creature beautiful. It is a nudibranch, also known as a sea slug. I specialize in photographing natural history subjects for National Geographic and other magazines, and this nudibranch is one of the more showy I have seen.

What’s the story behind this photo?

I took this image for a story about the beauty and diversity of nudibranchs in Hawai‘i. This specimen was collected in 2015 along the seawall on the Ala Moana side of Magic Island, near the mouth of the Ala Wai. I put the nudibranch on a crystallizing dish against a white background to maintain contrast. In this image, I pointed the camera straight down at the creature, which lifted up its head and tilted its eye spots. It was a nice gesture to capture.

To you, what makes a photo great?

A photo is great when it helps you see how amazing the world is. Those are my favorites. That’s something you can do in photography. For example, this picture lets you see a lot about this nudibranch, the front of the foot, the oral tentacles, the head, the rhinophores (sensory organs) and the gills. Altogether a lovely expression of the diversity of marine life.

PF Bentley

Why did you pick this photo?   For the simplicity of the image and complexity of its meanings.

What’s the story behind this photo?

In the sacred cradle of Hālawa Valley on Moloka‘i where waterfalls whisper to the stones and ancient winds carry the breath of ancestors, I set up a portable studio along a dirt road.

‘Anakala (Uncle) Pilipo Solatorio and his son Greg stood before me, barefoot and rooted like the taro they pull from the earth. I asked that they face each other, hands upon the heart of the land. No other words were needed. Their foreheads met, their noses touched and they shared the hā—the breath of life—as their kūpuna (ancestors) had done for centuries. In that instant, time folded. The valley, the heavens, the unseen spirits watched and blessed the moment. Their weathered hands, stained with the earth that fed their ancestors, held the taro—a symbol of life, of sacrifice, of unbroken lineage. Through the lens, I captured not just two men engaged in the traditional honihoni greeting but a remnant of a vanishing world—fierce, tender and eternal. In Hālawa, where mana (spiritual power) rises from the roots and hangs heavy in the mist, the Solatorio ‘ohana reminds us: The spirit of the real Hawai‘i is not gone if you know where to look and listen.

To you, what makes a photo great?

A great photograph needs to invoke a strong emotional response of the viewer in some way at either end of the love/hate spectrum. It makes you feel something— whether it’s awe, joy, love, hate, tension, nostalgia or sorrow. It tells a story or captures a moment that resonates with human experience. A great photograph stays with you; you don’t just see it—you remember it.

Treasured Images

Since the advent of the camera, Hawai‘i has been one of the most photographed places in the world “

This is one of the most precious photographs we have … and just to put that in context, we have over five million,” says Adam Jansen. We’re in a restricted area of the Hawai‘i State Archives, surrounded by the visual history of Hawai‘i, 1840s to present day. Shelf after shelf is lined with box after acid-free box containing every type of image: daguerreotype, ambrotype, tintype, wet-collodion, dry-plate. There are lantern slides, carte-de-visite and stereoscopic images. Studio portraits of ali‘i (monarchs), of unidentified maka‘āinana (commoners) and immigrant laborers, photos that chronicle the transformation of Honolulu from

The earliest known photograph of a Hawaiian is this 1843 daguerreotype of Timoteo Ha‘alilio, taken in Paris while he was on a diplomatic mission. The introduction of photography in the Islands created an invaluable trove of historic images, including the 1853 daguerreotype of Princess Lili‘uokalani seen on page 98.

dusty port town to modern metropolis. Photos documenting the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom and the Hawaiian sovereignty movement. Images of the famous, the infamous and countless others who lived quiet lives somewhere in between—many marked “unidentified” but nonetheless leaving an echo here.

The image that Jansen, the state archivist, is cradling in gloved hands is a daguerreotype, roughly three inches square, taken circa 1853. Photographer unknown. Daguerreotype, invented in France fifteen years earlier, produces a

single image on a silvered copper plate. Unlike later processes that created negatives that could then be reprinted on everything from paper to metal to leather, daguerreotypes were one-offs.

The one Jansen is holding has been reproduced in modern times, but this is the original, one-of-a-kind. As he gently moves the plate from side to side, the image seems to go from positive to negative and back again. “Daguerreotypes look almost like a hologram,” says Jansen. “They have more depth than a print and better capture

the subject’s aura, their essence. This is reputed to be the earliest photograph of the future queen, Lili‘uokalani, when she was about 15. Even at this young age, you can see her incredible self-assurance and drive. It shows her importance that she was included in some of the earliest photography in the Islands.”

Some of the earliest, but not quite the earliest. The oldest known photograph of a Hawaiian was taken in 1843. Timoteo Ha‘alilio, the

Kingdom of Hawai‘i’s envoy to the United States, Great Britain and France, sat for a daguerreotype in Paris while on a diplomatic mission. As for the earliest known photo made in Hawai‘i, Bishop Museum holds an 1847 image of its namesake, Bernice Pauahi Bishop, believed to be taken by one of the first professional photographers in Honolulu: Señor F. Le Bleu, who arrived in the Islands in December 1846. Before Le Bleu, one Theophilus Metcalf briefly advertised his services in the Polynesian newspaper in 1845.

As Hawai‘i gained global recognition as a nation-state, it was inevitable that its ruling class would have formal portraits painted, either at home in the Islands or while traveling in Europe and the Americas. By the arrival of photography, the ali‘i were well-versed in portraiture, and photography would have been a natural progression—one implying that the Hawaiian Kingdom was a modern, cosmopolitan nation. Today there’s a large archive of royal photos, from Ha‘alilio all the way through Queen Lili‘uokalani.

“I’ve always found it interesting how Hawaiians saw themselves and presented themselves in photography,” says Lynn Davis, when asked about the sheer volume of ali‘i portraiture that exists today. A historian and archivist who served as head of the Preservation Department at the University of Hawai‘i–Mānoa Library for nineteen years—and twenty before that as head of the Bishop Museum Archives—Davis is an

expert on photographic history in the Islands. “People had seen images, they’d seen portraits. Photography, painting, prints, portraiture … everything has conventions—clients knew those and wanted that look.”

At the same time, the closeness of Honolulu society and Hawai‘i’s less formal ways made for some interesting interactions between photographers and their clients. In a 2001 issue of the journal History of Photography, Davis and the late historian David Forbes published selections of a memoir by the American daguerreian B. Jay Antrim. As noted in their introduction, Antrim arrived in Honolulu in 1855 and set out to build a collection of images in competition (at least in Antrim’s mind) with Honolulu’s other daguerreian of the moment, the German Hugo Stangenwald, who had set up shop two years earlier. Antrim, still relatively fresh off the boat, describes an encounter with a visitor to his studio— “...

a fine and manly looking, though poorly dressed, young fellow” who wore “a long blue swallow tailed coat, with brass buttons and a large patch at the elbow, a very coarse straw hat and slippers.” Despite the humble attire, Antrim recognized him as an ali‘i. He goes on to describe their conversation:

‘Well’ said I, ‘I want first of all to get the King’s portrait in my collection and hardly know how to go about it. Do you suppose that by talking with him you could induce him to come here and sit for one?’

‘O yes, Alec’s an easy man to deal with’.

‘Will you speak to him on the subject?’

‘Yes’.

‘And you think he will be likely to come?’

‘Very likely’.

The conversation continues like this for some time, but spoiler: The visitor was himself “Alec,” a.k.a. Alexander Liholiho, a.k.a. King Kamehameha IV. “After that,” wrote Antrim, “I kept a

such as

sharp lookout for ‘Brass buttons,’ and sure enough he soon appeared but not in the same style; it was now His Majesty in superfine cloth. With a smile he inquired for the picture with the patch and with a hearty laugh we became friends.” Antrim’s formal portrait of Kamehameha IV, in full regalia with a curved saber resting across his thigh, is now part of the Queen’s Medical Center’s Historical Room Collection.

The kingdom was changing rapidly when Le Bleu arrived in Honolulu. Six years earlier, Kamehameha III had established a constitutional monarchy. In 1848, private landownership was introduced. The population of foreigners living in the Islands grew, while the Hawaiian population declined. Professional photographers came and went. Antrim was in the Islands only for a little over a year, departing in 1856. Stangenwald

closed his shop in 1858. The newspapers of the day regularly ran ads for one shop or another, often with one photographer replacing another:

“Having disposed of my photographic business to Mr. JW King, whom I can recommend as a good artist, I would respectfully request that the liberal patronage which I have heretofore received from the Honolulu public, may extend to my successor,” reads a small ad taken out by William F. Howland in June 1861. “Having purchased JW King’s entire photographic stock, together with his negatives, any persons wishing duplicate copies can have them printed at Chase’s Photographic Gallery, Fort Street,” advertised HL Chase in September 1870. Meanwhile a photographer named Yatsing (or possibly Y Atsing) took out his own advertisement three months later to announce, “Having fitted up the rooms lately occupied by JW King, I am now prepared to take pictures of any style!”

The advent of reproducible negatives created an international market for images of the Islands. Photographers of the day advertised their state-of-the-art equipment and studio amenities. This image, by James J. Williams, would no doubt have been cropped to include only the dancers and background, but the full-frame version tells a more complete story.

As the late historian Robert C. Schmidt documented several years ago, the reason for JW King’s demise was his being exposed as Hawai‘i’s first known pornographer. The August 6, 1870, issue of the Pacific Commercial Advertiser carried a story noting that “... on Monday the Marshal made a descent on Mr. King’s gallery, with a search warrant, and unearthed the negatives of a most disgusting assortment.” Presumably

these images weren’t among the stock that Chase bought from King, but in any case their transaction points to the rise of reproducible images—glass-plate and film negatives—which went hand-inhand with the rise of foreign interests in the Islands.

“One important point about this period is that the technological hindrances of the early photographic processes dictated what could or couldn’t

be photographed,” says historian and Bishop Museum archives’ curator DeSoto Brown. “Daguerreotypes and ambrotypes were typically used for indoor portraits of people because the exposure times were so long that taking outdoor pictures was difficult. Even after these processes had been superseded, carrying glass plate negatives to remote locations could be very arduous—people did it, under difficult conditions, but

it wasn’t simple or easy. It wasn’t until negatives and prints evolved that you could make multiple copies of an image inexpensively, which in turn meant that photos could be sold commercially. And once tourist/ promotional publications began to appear, as early as the 1880s, a variety of visual clichés were quickly established: Diamond Head, surfing and etcetera—these even show up in DISCOVER

In these days of GoPros and cellphone cameras, it’s hard to imagine just how difficult scenic photography was in the nineteenth century— for instance, this image of Halema‘uma‘u Crater by Brother Bertram. “He was working with really cumbersome equipment at this point,” says Adam Jansen of the Hawai‘i State Archives. “We’re talking eight- by ten-inch glass plate negatives that he had to haul around.” publications that predate photos being used in print.”

There were numerous amateur photographers throughout the nineteenth century, many of whom, because of their social status, were present for some of Hawai‘i’s seminal events. Among the Hawai‘i State Archives’ holdings, for instance, is the work of Brother Bertram, a Marianist and the first director of Honolulu’s Saint Louis School.

There is also Christian J. Hedemann, an engineer who left Denmark in 1878 for Hāna, Maui, where he supervised the installation of machinery at the Hāna Sugar Mill. Though Hedemann planned to return to Copenhagen following the completion of his work in Hāna, in 1884 he took a job at the Honolulu Iron Works and lived out his life in the Islands. Throughout his time in the Islands, Hedemann was making photographs and, starting in 1889, served as the first

president of the newly formed Hawaiian Camera Club.

“The amateurs all had different motivations,” says Davis, whose 1988 biography of Hedemann, A Photographer in the Kingdom, inspired Hedemann’s descendants to donate more than 1,600 glass-plate negatives to Bishop Museum. “They’re very personal, based on who they are and what they’re doing. Bertram was frankly making images for education and entertainment. He made one hundred slides from his negatives and used them for teaching. That, plus any Catholic Church documentation, was a huge motivation for him. Hedemann is the earliest amateur, in a way. He thinks he’s leaving the Islands, and he’s making these images because he wants to take something with him.” Both Hedemann and Bertram documented some of the major events of the era, including the Chinatown fire of 1886, which was intended to control an outbreak of the bubonic plague but raged out of control. Hedemann’s collection is also

notable for the numerous images of everyday Hawaiians.

There were of course many others. In A Photographer in the Kingdom, Davis notes that the majority of the members of the Hawaiian Camera Club were men with engineering and scientific backgrounds. “They all spoke the same language,” she says. “They knew chemistry, they understood photography. They were excited about it.”

A portrait of Lili‘uokalani, taken at the time of her coronation, overlooks the reading room at the Hawai‘i State Archives. This is a famous and often reproduced image, known to be taken by JJ Williams. But until recently, the location of the original glass-plate negative was not generally known. Williams, who founded Paradise of the Pacific magazine (later Honolulu magazine) in 1888, was a prolific photographer and publisher. (One of his earliest works, published in 1882, was the Tourists’ Guide for the

Hawaiian Islands.) In 1927, the Territory of Hawai‘i purchased a large collection of Williams’ glass-plate negatives, but this particular image of the queen was not among them. Because these images are all now out of copyright, a few years back the state archives began digitizing and making them freely available online. That’s when Adam Jansen heard from the Williams family.

“So they got in touch with us and essentially said, ‘Well, when we sold you all of this in ’27, we kept back 1,200 of the best images,’” Jansen says. “Because at the time they were using them in postcards and calendars and travel guides, and they were the most valuable images because they were the most iconic of the collection. We worked with the family, and last year we purchased the entire Williams photography collection—not just JJ, but also James, his son, who was the photo editor of Paradise of the Pacific and a photographer for the Pacific Commercial Advertiser ; and Alex, JJ’s grandson, who started photographing construction projects for insurance purposes in the 1960s; and now Matt, the great-grandson, who continued that business. As Matt tells me, they are the oldest family-run photography business west of the Mississippi. Within the glass plates, some of the things we found were the formal portrait of Her Majesty the Queen for her coronation and the iconic negative of Duke Kahanamoku standing in front of his surfboard.”

In other words, the Williams collection documents Hawai‘i from the nineteenth through twenty-first centuries, which is truly remarkable. But just as remarkable is the sheer number of images that exist in institutions throughout the Islands. It’s hard to imagine any other place of Hawai‘i’s size that has been so thoroughly photographed.

“We are so lucky that so many things stayed here,” says Davis. “The early collections that exist are missionary collections, ali‘i collections and some business-related collections, and those exist because they’re in institutions. But we have such a wealth: They stayed here, people donated them or they were part of the establishment of the various institutions. It really is a fabulous resource. Fabulous.” hh

EVENTS : O‘AHU

OCTOBER

MARY CASSATT AT WORK Through 10/12

Honolulu Museum of Art presents a major exhibition focused on Mary Cassatt, the only American to formally exhibit with the French Impressionists, and her enduring legacy in the world of modern art and in HoMA’s collection. Honolulu Museum of Art, honolulumuseum.org

KALAPANA 50TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT

10/4

Contemporary Hawaiian music legends Kalapana will perform their biggest hits alongside special guests Henry Kapono, Summer, Jorden Kealoha-Yamanaka, Exile Atsushi, Kalapana’s founding member Kirk Thompson, Kamasami Kong and more. Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell, blaisdellcenter.com

WIKI WIKI ONE DAY VINTAGE

COLLECTIBLES & HAWAIIANA SHOW

10/5 & 11/23

An all-vintage and retro collectibles and antiques sale with more than a hundred tables with vendors from O‘ahu, the neighbor islands and continental US. Blaisdell Hawaii Suites & Galleria, (808) 561-1083

AIA HONOLULU FIRM CRAWL 10/3

Celebrate the first Friday of Architecture Month and visit up to twelve design firms in downtown Honolulu. Many locations will include pūpū and drinks. Learn about architecture design, planning, landscape design and more. Various locations, aiahonolulu.org

KOLOHE KAI 10/11

Celebrating the release of his newest album What Aloha Means, Kolohe Kai performs with special guest Protoje. Aloha attire encouraged. Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell, blaisdellcenter.com

MICKEY DOLENZ

10/11

Multitalented performer Mickey Dolenz is best known as a vocalist and drummer of the 1960s pop sensations The Monkees. Hawaii Theatre Center, hawaiitheatre.com

ARLIE GLASS

O‘ahu

BATTLESHIP MISSOURI MEMORIAL

Inspired by Hawaii’s vibrant flora and the cherished tradition of crafting and giving lei, glass artist Arlie Pemberton creates timeless pieces from borosilicate glass. Her heirloom-quality jewelry, lei, and home décor are designed on the North Shore of Oahu, where Arlie melts and shapes each flower by hand. Gift a piece of Hawaii this holiday season with Arlie Glass using coupon code HANAHOU25 for 15% off.

arlie@arlie-glass.com

Instagram @arlie_glass | arlie-glass.com

Mark the 80th anniversary of WWII’s end with a visit to the Battleship Missouri Memorial—America’s most historic battleship. Stand on the deck where World War II officially ended and explore powerful new exhibits. Once home to 2,700 sailors and 1,220 projectiles, the Mighty Mo now stands as a symbol of history and honor. Shuttle service from the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center is ncluded with admission. Discover new exhibits, commemorating the 80th anniversary of WWII’s end.

(808) 455-1600

ussmissouri.org

FARMLOVERS FARMERS MARKETS

Kaka‘ako, Pearlridge Center, KailuaTown

Immerse yourself in local food culture at any one of our Farmers Markets. Taste the true Hawai‘i. Experience our local farmers, culinary masters, and artisans. Fresh locally grown produce. Tropical Fruits and Vegetables. Come Hungry! Leave Happy. Our chefs cook healthy, island style grindz. Need a gift? Our local artisans have you covered. Kaka‘ako (Sat), Pearlridge (Sat), KailuaTown (Sun).

(808) 388-9696

farmloversmarkets.com

KHAN SKEWER RESTAURANT

Offering guests the boldest flavors and the highest quality ingredients of Mongolian cuisine since 2022. No artificial colors, flavors or preservatives used. The amazing range of skewers made fresh daily include lamb, beef brisket with tendon, grilled oyster, Big Island abalone and grilled eggplant. The restaurant also offers fabulous new dishes and chef’s specials: crawfish, spicy stir-fry, Maui venison meat, and grilled fish, adding a new taste experience to an already stellar menu.

(808) 955-8868

khanskewer.com

NORTH SHORE SOAP FACTORY

67-106 Kealohanui Street, Waialua

Watch our master soap maker when you visit North Shore Soap Factory! Come for the soap, stay for the stamping. Customize your bar at our stamping station. Book a Behind-the-Scenes Tour* to see how we handcraft Hawaiian Bath & Body® soaps and skin care products. Local art, gifts and more. Find us in the big, coneshaped building!

(808) 637-8400

northshoresoapfactory.com

RAINBOW DRIVE-IN

Kapahulu, Kalihi, Pearlridge

Family-owned since 1961, Rainbow Drive-In serves generous portions of hearty Hawai‘i comfort food. With three locations across O‘ahu, it’s a local and visitor favorite for plate lunches and one of the island’s best Loco Mocos. Cool off with a famous Slush Float and take home exclusive logo gear from the Rainbow Tiki shop.

PARADISE BAY RESORT

47-039 Lihikai Drive

Welcoming guests from near and afar, Paradise Bay Resort is a serene escape on O‘ahu’s lush windward coast. With stunning views of the Ko‘olau Mountains and Kaneohe Bay, this hidden gem offers an authentic island experience. It’s no wonder so many say “Hana Hou”—again, please—for the unforgettable beauty, aloha spirit, and peaceful charm of Paradise Bay Resort.

(808) 239-5711

paradisebayresort.com

THOMAS DEIR STUDIOS

1311 Kika Street, Kailua, O‘ahu

Artist Thomas Deir specializes in murals on tile, UV art window tint, and paintings on canvas. His extensive portfolio of work includes lava, waterfalls, hula, sunsets, moonrises, waves, turtles, dolphins, whales and reef scenes to abstract art. He creates originals or reproductions for your wall, kitchen backsplash, shower, pool, entryway or tint for your window. He enjoys the people who appreciate art!

(808) 737-0177

PRIDE RUN/WALK 5K

10/11

This annual run/walk is an opportunity for the LGBTQIA+ community and supporters to come together in pride and celebration in an active, healthy way. The race begins at 7 a.m. at Magic Island and circles the entire park. Ala Moana Beach Park, honolulufrontrunners.org

MOLOKA‘I HOE

10/12

Paddlers from around the world gather at Moloka‘i’s Hale o Lono Harbor for this forty-one-mile outrigger canoe race to O‘ahu’s Waikīkī Beach. Award ceremony at 2:30 p.m. Duke’s Beach, Hilton Hawaiian Village, molokaihoe.com

HONOLULU PRIDE FESTIVAL & PARADE

10/16–19

A weekend of events including a parade along Kalākaua Avenue is followed by a festival with music, activities, food and libations celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community. Waikīkī, hawaiilgbtlegacyfoundation.com

45TH HAWAI‘I INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

10/16–26

HIFF screens films from throughout the Asia-Pacific region as well as Europe and North America. It also features discussions with filmmakers, award presentations and other special filmrelated events. Consolidated Kahala Theatres, hiff.org

MYSTERIES OF HAWAI‘I IN CONCERT

10/18

Master storyteller Lopaka Kapanui joins Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra for a concert ghost tour paired with spooky symphonic favorites. Costumes welcome for pre-concert activities including a costume contest and trick-or-treating. Hawaii Theatre Center, hawaiitheatre.com

A TRIBUTE CONCERT IN HONOR OF TERESA BRIGHT

10/19

Mailani Maka‘ina‘i, Hōkū Zuttermeister, Kanoa Kūkaua, JRoQ Wright, Shawn Ishimoto, Miss America USA and kumu hula Aureana Tseu pay tribute to local Hawaiian artist Teresa Bright. Blue Note Hawaii, bluenotejazz.com/hawaii/

Join the Valley for traditions of mele

from new

11 AM & 1 PM in the Amphitheatre.

Kauhale Kahiko

Through our Ka'apuni o Waimea Program, (included with all admission) uncover the sacred past through this new exhibit reconstructed on the archaeological remnants of a kauhale (structures comprised of several hale with specific functions) that existed here throughout Waimea Valley’s vast history. Learn more about the cultural significance that these dwellings provide for Kānaka Maoli (Native People) from past to present.

Mahalo,

EVENTS : O‘AHU

HIFF WEST O‘AHU

10/28&29

Hawai‘i International Film Festival hosts additional screenings of this year’s films from throughout the Asia-Pacific region as well as Europe and North America. Various locations, hiff.org

HAWAI‘I FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL

10/30–11/2

Now in its fifteenth year, the festival features a roster of more than 150 internationally renowned master chefs, culinary personalities, winemakers and mixologists. Various locations, hawaiifoodandwinefestival.com

NOVEMBER

HO‘ONANEA: A VINTAGE EXPERIENCE AT HĀNAIAKAMALAMA

11/1

This deluxe tour at the Queen Emma Summer Palace allows guests to step back in time with a selection of vintage mu‘umu‘u to wear, a workshop to create a fresh floral hairpiece, a docent-led tour of the Palace and a light picnic lunch. Hānaiakamalama, daughtersofhawaii.org

O‘AHU FESTIVAL

11/8

Kalākaua Avenue closes to traffic and turns into a pedestrian marketplace with more than 130 vendors offering apparel and accessories, jewelry and crafts, delicious local street food and drinks. 4 to 10 p.m. Free. Waikīkī, millwoodohanaproductions.com

KAIWI COAST RUN & WALK

11/23

A four-mile run/walk along the Kaiwi coast. The race starts at dawn at Sandy Beach and ends at the Hui Nalu Canoe Club on Maunalua Bay. Proceeds benefit the Hui Nalu Canoe Club. Maunalua Bay, kaiwicoastrun.org

WAIKĪKĪ HOLIDAY PARADE

11/28

A parade commemorating servicemen who protected the Islands during WWII, featuring local musicians, marching bands, dignitaries and local officials along Kalākaua Avenue. Waikīkī, waikikiholidayparade.com

Step into a hidden gem in Downtown Chinatown— an oasis where bold Thai and soulful Lao flavors come alive.

RECLAIMIN G LIG H T I N WA I K Ī K Ī

INSIDE THE Y E AR- L ONG I M MERSIVE A R T EXPERIENCE IN TH E SO U THERN S U N

In the heart of Waikīkī, where foot traffic moves fast and history

can feel like a distant echo, something rare is unfolding

Presented by global arts collective POW! WOW!, In the Southern Sun is not your typical gallery, retail store or photo op it’s all and none of the above.

Over the past year, In the Southern Sun has transformed the vacant 12,000-square-foot space formerly occupied by Urban Outfitters at the Hyatt Regency Waikīkī Beach into an immersive, multimedia experience in which murals,

installations, sound and sensory design come together to tell a story about time, memory and place

The name is drawn from a line in Robert Louis Stevenson’s

poem about Princess Ka iulani, Island Rose, and the soul of the project is rooted firmly in Hawai i. Drawing from the Hawaiian proverb, “mai ka lā hiki a ka lā kau” from the rising to the setting sun the exhibit unfolds as a journey through light, exploring the rhythms of nature, the intimacy of observation

and Waikīkī as a place of gathering and transformation

What makes this installation truly unique is not just what’s

inside but how it came to be In the Southern Sun is completely self-funded by a group of longtime friends and local creatives: Kamea Hadar of POW! WOW!, Keola Rapozo

of FITTED, Jason Cutinella of NMG Network and Kimo

Kennedy of Eleven 17. With Hyatt’s blessing to try something bold, they reclaimed a prime commercial space and filled it with intention.

Visitors can purchase tickets to the experience, shop locally made apparel and goods in the retail space or attend special programs and events that bring the space to life in unexpected ways

Whether you’re a local, a visitor, a creative or simply curious, In the Southern Sun invites you to slow down, look closer and see Waikīkī through a different lens.

MAUI MOLOKA‘I LĀNA‘I

OCTOBER

MĀLAMA WAO AKUA

Through 11/7

A juried art exhibition of all media celebrating the native species of Maui Nui (Maui, Lāna‘i, Moloka‘i, Kaho‘olawe). Maui artists explore watersheds and raise awareness about the importance of protecting native species. Hui No‘eau Visual Arts Center, malamawaoakua.org

FESTIVALS OF ALOHA, MOLOKA‘I

10/10

“Friendly Isle” Moloka‘i displays its aloha spirit with the Royal Court’s investiture, a poke and kalo (taro), ‘ulu (breadfruit) and ‘uala (sweet potato) recipe contest, parade and ho‘olaule‘a (celebration). Community Health Center, festivalsofaloha.com

KOLOHE KAI

10/10

Celebrating the release of his newest album What Aloha Means, Kolohe Kai performs with special guest Protoje. Aloha

HULA O NĀ KEIKI 2025

10/10&11

The cherished children’s hula competition celebrates Maui’s songs and Hawaiian traditions. Over three days, keiki (ages 6–17) perform in kahiko (ancient) hula and ‘auana (modern) hula competitions. OUTRIGGER Kā‘anapali Beach Resort, (800) 688-7444

FESTIVALS OF ALOHA, HĀNA

10/17–27

Festivals of Aloha comes to Hāna with a full week of community events, including a parade, karaoke night, talent show, sports night, multiple contests and more. Various locations, festivalsofaloha.com

THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW

10/17–11/2

Maui OnStage presents the cult classic rock musical, featuring Eric Gilliom reprising his role of the diabolical Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Iao Theater, mauionstage.com

FESTIVALS OF ALOHA, WAILEA

10/24–26

Festivals of Aloha comes to Wailea with three nights of concerts and performances. Various locations, festivalsofaloha.com

OSKIE RICE MEMORIAL RODEO

10/24–26

This annual rodeo includes a Bull Bash Friday evening, traditional rodeo events and the VIP Suite Race Car Challenge on Saturday and Sunday. Oskie Rice Event Center, oskiericeeventcenter.com

HAWAI‘I FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL

10/24–26

Festival events on Maui include a golf tournament, wagyu, whiskey and wine tasting and a celebration of southern seafood. Various locations in Kā‘anapali, hawaiifoodandwinefestival.com

Witness marine life found nowhere else in the world at Maui Ocean Center — fostering conservation through cultural experiences, enterainment, events, animal encounters, sustainable dining and interactive education.

Explore the enticing beauty of Lāna‘i with one of EXPEDITIONS ecofriendly, USCG certified, daily cruises. Snorkel, hike, drive, tour or just Lounge on Lāna‘i! Aboard Expeditions, you’ll enjoy spectacular views of Maui County, including the islands of Maui, Lāna‘i, Moloka‘i and Kaho‘olawe. For three decades Expeditions has been providing the most reliable, affordable inter-island travel between Maui and Lāna‘i.

(808) 661-3756 go-lanai.com

KA‘ANAPALI GOLF COURSES

2290 Ka’anapali Pkwy, Lahaina, HI 96761

Royal Kā‘anapali and Ka’anapali Kai Golf Courses offer spectacular Maui golf with panoramic ocean views. The Royal Kā‘anapali Course leads down to the Pacific where players putt next to gently lapping ocean waters. Kā’anapali Kai focuses on strategy, which is why it is enjoyed by both the beginner and avid golfer. Experience FootGolf, Fit Club and “keiki” tees at Kā’anapali.

(808) 661-3691 kaanapaligolfcourses.com

HUI NO‘EAU VISUAL ARTS CENTER

2841 Baldwin Avenue, Makawao, Maui

Explore Hui No‘eau’s historic 25-acre estate in Upcountry Maui. Enjoy local artwork, join an art class, or browse the Hui Gallery Shop. Beginning November 17th, the Hui’s gallery is transformed into a unique shopping experience with an expanded collection of Maui-Made treasures & gifts. Supported by the County of Maui and Hawai‘i Tourism Authority.

(808) 572-6560

COLE SLATER President & CEO, Maui Divers Jewelry huinoeau.com

“Hana Hou! has been our most important form of marketing communication to customers since we started advertising in the magazine in 2000. To achieve the greatest impact, our new ‘Collections’ are introduced first in Hana Hou! and there is no doubt that our advertising in Hana Hou! has contributed greatly to our success.”

“Our advertisements in Hana Hou! magazine received an excellent response. Our ad reached our target audience, generating significant interest and engagement, resulting in positive outcomes for Kuilei Place.”

ALANA KOBAYASHI PAKKALA Executive Vice President, Kobayashi Group.

SEA-TO-TABLE CUISINE

HAWAII INTERNATIONAL TROPICAL FRUIT CONFERENCE 10/24–26

An annual conference featuring a full lineup of educational offerings, panel discussions, a trade show and the famous Friday fruit tasting. Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, htfg.org

TUMUA

10/25

Stand-up comedian, podcaster, actor and social media personality Tumua performs as part of his Chee Hoo Tour. MACC, mauiarts.org

FINS & FRIGHTS NIGHT

10/25

Celebrate spooky season with costume contests, face painting, trick-or-treating throughout the park and two diver presentations in the aquarium’s Open Ocean exhibit, otherwise known as the “Deep Boo Sea.” 6 to 9 p.m. Maui Ocean Center, mauioceancenter.com

NOVEMBER

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES MADE IN MAUI COUNTY FESTIVAL

11/7&8

The largest annual products show on Maui, with more than 140 vendors. Shop local and enjoy live demonstrations, food trucks, a fashion show, prize drawings and more. MACC, madeinmauicountyfestival.com

MAUI ARBOR DAY GARDEN EXPO & TREE GIVEAWAY

11/8

Tree and plant care lectures, free hands-on Hawaiian cultural activities, conservation organizations, plants for sale and a giveaway of more than 1,800 Hawaiian trees. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Maui Nui Botanical Garden, arbordayexpo.com

JOSHUA RADIN

11/29

American singer-songwriter Joshua Radin performs with special guest Darling Tarling. MACC, mauiarts.org

THE CLAIRVOYANTS

11/30

Amélie van Tass and Thommy Ten are The Clairvoyants, an award-winning mentalism entertainment duo bringing their mix of mind reading, magic tricks and illusions to the stage. MACC, mauiarts.org

LANAI CAT SANCTUARY

Lāna‘i

Love Cats? Come meet 700+ of them at the Lanai Cat Sanctuary, a peaceful refuge on the island of Lāna‘i , just a 30-minute flight from Oahu or 1.5-hour ferry from Maui. Snuggle cats, snap photos, and see how this nonprofit protects cats and wildlife. Voted #1 thing to do on Lāna‘i ! Open daily 10–3. Free admission!

(808) 215-9066

LanaiCatSanctuary.org

SURFING GOAT DAIRY

Surfing Goat Dairy, nestled on the slopes of Haleakalā in Maui’s Upcountry, is evolving from a commercial dairy into a culinary agro-tourism haven. Visitors can experience the sweet magic of our goats and their milk. Book an interactive tour, or simply enjoy our award-winning cheeses and freshly made culinary offerings, like our famous Goat cheese chocolate truffles.

(808) 878-2870

surfinggoatdairy.com

HAWAI‘I ISLAND

OCTOBER

NIAULANI NATURE WALK

Mondays

A one-hour nature walk through an oldgrowth Hawai‘i rainforest on an easy loop trail. Walkers are introduced to the native plants and birds of Kīlauea volcano. Free. 9:30 a.m. Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus, volcanoartcenter.org

UNDER THE NEW MOON

Last Tuesdays

An evening of Hawaiian storytelling with kumu Keala Ching, live Hawaiian music and hula performances. Bring your own beach chair or mat. No coolers. Free. 5 to 6:30 p.m. Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa, nawaiiwiola.org

KOHALA NIGHT MARKET

First Wednesdays

A monthly community event featuring local products for sale, live entertainment, food trucks and service booths. 4 to 7 p.m. Kohala Village Hub, (808) 889-5471

HO‘OULU FARMERS MARKET & ARTISANS FAIR

Wednesdays and Fridays

A market featuring 100 percent locally made, grown and created products and live entertainment. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Outrigger Kona Resort and Spa, bigislandmkt.com

HILO FARMERS MARKET

Wednesdays and Saturdays

Over 200 local farmers and crafters sell their produce, crafts, gift items and tropical flowers in a festive outdoor atmosphere. Downtown Hilo, hilofarmersmarket.com

PORTUGUESE BREAD BAKING

Thursdays

Observe the traditional art of baking Portuguese bread in a large wood-fired stone oven, or forno. Bread sales begin at 1 p.m. Program begins at 10 a.m. Kona Historical Society, (808) 323-3222

FRIDAY NIGHT MARKET

Fridays

A weekly market in downtown Hilo with live entertainment, local food, unique crafts, gifts, jewelry and more. Hilo Town Market, hilotownmarket.co

ALOHA FRIDAY CULTURAL ACTIVITIES

Fridays

Weekly hands-on cultural demonstrations include lei making, botanical printing, ‘ukulele instruction and lauhala weaving. Topics occur on a rotating schedule. All supplies are provided. Free. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volcano Art Center Gallery, volcanoartcenter.org

YOUTH ARTS SATURDAYS

Second Saturdays

Keiki of all ages are welcome to join guest artists and local organizations in making a variety of creative projects. Free. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. East Hawai‘i Cultural Center, (808) 961-5711

PĀHOA MUSIC & ART WALK

Second Saturdays

This free monthly event features live music, arts and crafts vendors and local restaurants in Pāhoa town surrounded by the Island’s largest collection of centuryold buildings. 5 to 9 p.m. Pāhoa Village Road, (808) 937-4146

MADE IN HAWAII

ARTISAN MARKET

Second Saturdays

Local crafters and makers selling gifts, art, crafts and food. 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Kona Commons Shopping Center, (808) 854-1439

TEXTILES OF MOKU O KEAWE

Through 11/2

This latest installment of Kahilu’s annual Cultural Heritage Exhibition Series will bring together traditional practices with contemporary visions through quiltmaking, featherwork, kapa, fashion and other textiles traditions of Hawai‘i Island. Kahilu Theatre, Simperman & Suli T. Go Galleries, kahilu.org

HĀMĀKUA SUGAR DAYS FESTIVAL

10/4

This annual festival celebrates the legacy of the sugar industry in Hawai‘i and newer agricultural initiatives with a parade followed by the Hāmākua Fair with games, activities and live entertainment. Various locations, hamakuasugardays.org

HAWAI‘I ISLAND FESTIVAL OF BIRDS

10/4

An annual festival with guest speakers, guided birding trips, hula performances and more, aimed at showcasing Hawai‘i’s bird species, encouraging nature and environmental awareness and promoting the Hawai‘i Island Coast to Coast Birding Trail. Hilo, birdfesthawaii.org

IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

10/11

The IRONMAN World Championship hosts professional and age-group triathletes from around the world. Their 140.6-mile journey will present the ultimate test of body, mind and spirit. Kailua-Kona, ironman.com

KĪLAUEA HULA KAHIKO

10/11

Hula and chant on a sacred site near the Volcano Art Center with kumu Stacey Ka‘au‘a with Hālau Unuokeahi. Call ahead to confirm the monthly event. 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Volcano Art Center Gallery, volcanoartcenter.org

ISLAND MAGIC MIKE

10/11

Mike Garcia, aka Island Magic Mike, is a rising star in Hawai‘i’s comedy scene known for his local humor and viral skits on TikTok and Instagram. Kahilu Theatre, kahilu.org

HAWAI‘I FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL

10/17&18

HFWF comes to the Island of Hawai‘i with two events: the First Annual Cuisines of the Sun Golf Classic Hosted by Alan Wong, and Cucina: From Mauka to Makai, a celebration of Italian cooking. Various locations, hawaiifoodandwinefestival.com

KŌKUA KAILUA VILLAGE STROLL

10/19

Ali‘i Drive transforms into a festive, pedestrian-only marketplace filled with music and art. 1 to 6 p.m. Kailua-Kona, historickailuavillage.com

A TASTE OF HILO

10/19

East Hawai‘i restaurants, patisseries and beverage distributors offer an evening of sweet and savory noshing. An annual fundraiser for Hawai‘i Community College’s food service and business programs. Sangha Hall, Hilo, tasteofhilo.org

EAST HAWAII JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL

10/26–31

This annual festival features a week of jazz performances, workshops and finishes with a Black and White Night party and a performance at the Palace Theater. Various locations, hawaiiislandveterans.org

AHUALOA FAMILY FARMS

45-3279 Mamane Street, Honoka‘a

Stop by “The Nuthouse” and see what’s crackin’! Ahualoa Family Farms grows, processes, and produces delicious 100% Hawaiian macadamia nuts and 100% Hāmākua coffee in Historic Honoka’a town, the gateway to Waipio Valley. Come in for free samples, relax on the lanai, enjoy a cup of coffee and take home your favorite macadamia nut flavor. See you at The Nuthouse!

(808) 775-1821

ahualoafamilyfarms.com

PARADISE FOUND BOUTIQUE

Clothing for the Adventuress at Paradise Found Boutique. Established in 1974 in Kainaliu, Hawai‘i we offer island chic clothing. From resort wear, to dressy casual, to lifestyle fashion-a fusion of timeless fashion and comfort. We carry cut-to-order lines from Hawai‘i as well as global designers, incorporating a unique blend of styles and personal service with aloha.

(808) 322-2111 IG | @paradisefoundboutique

PATRICIO’S MEXICAN

TAQUERIA

73-4038 Huliko‘a Dr., Kailua-Kona

Experience authentic Mexican flavors at our family and veteranowned restaurant. Enjoy homemade dishes like Enchiladas, Chile Rellenos, and Tamales, crafted from fresh ingredients and traditional spices. We offer vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. Dine in, order online for pickup, get DoorDash delivery or contact us to cater any family gathering, work event or special occasion! Open daily.

(808) 334-1008 patriciostaqueria.com

Volcano Art Center (VAC) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) origination founded in 1974 to promote, develop and perpetuate the artistic, cultural and environmental heritage of Hawai‘i through art and education. Experience exhibits, classes, concerts and signature programs including Hula Arts At Kīlauea, supported in part by Hawai‘i Tourism. Join us in celebrating the Unique arts and culture of Hawai‘i!

(808) 967-8222

volcanoartcenter.org

NOVEMBER

KONA COFFEE CULTURAL FESTIVAL

11/7–16

Founded in 1970, Hawai‘i’s oldest food festival aims to preserve, perpetuate and promote Kona’s unique coffee heritage with multiple events, including tastings, farm tours, competitions and an evening lantern parade. Kailua-Kona, konacoffeefest.com

KĪLAUEA HULA KAHIKO

11/8

Hula and chant on a sacred site near the Volcano Art Center with nā kumu Kau‘i Kaina and Ha‘amauliola Aiona with Ke Kula ‘o Nāwahīokalaniopu‘u. Call ahead to confirm the monthly event. 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Volcano Art Center Gallery, volcanoartcenter.org

100% KONA COFFEE HALF MARATHON

11/15

Run the scenic coast of Kailua-Kona, beginning at Coconut Grove Marketplace and heading south on Ali‘i Drive. 6 a.m. Coconut Grove Marketplace, purekonahalf.com

KŌKUA KAILUA VILLAGE STROLL

11/16

Ali‘i Drive transforms into a festive, pedestrian-only marketplace filled with music and art. At 4 p.m. there is a free Hawaiian music concert at Hulihe‘e Palace. 1 to 6 p.m. Kailua-Kona, historickailuavillage.com

CHRISTMAS IN THE COUNTRY

11/28–12/31

Special holiday celebrations, including art demonstrations and a selection of handcrafted decorations and gifts offered only during the holiday season. Free. Volcano Art Center, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, volcanoartcenter.org

KAUA‘I

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further with your points

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EVENTS : KAUA‘I

OCTOBER

KAUA‘I CULINARY MARKET

Wednesdays

A weekly farmers market featuring fruits, vegetables, flowers and a cooking demonstration. 3:30 to 6 p.m. The Shops at Kukui‘ula, kukuiula.com

LOCAL TREASURES MARKET

First Sundays

An outdoor market showcasing products from local artisans, crafters, food trucks, bakers and vintage vendors. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Kaua‘i Veterans Center, (808) 635-4314

WAILUA BAY CREATORS FAIR

Fourth Sundays

Artisan goods, clothing, accessories, handsewn items, jewelry, photography, wood carvings, home decor and more accompanied by live music and local food vendors. 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hilton Garden Inn, Kaua‘i, Wailua Bay, (808) 746-2162

ART KAUA‘I

Through 10/24

Art Kaua‘i is the annual juried show of the Kaua‘i Society of Artists, featuring works in multiple mediums by a distinctive group of artists living on the island. Kukui Grove Shopping Center, kauaisocietyofartists.org

KAUAI COMIC CON

10/12

This annual convention features panel discussions, performances and appearances by special guests including Sydney Agudong and Keone Young along with vendors selling toys, comics, food, art, collectibles and more. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall, KauaiComicConvention.com

PRINCEVILLE NIGHT MARKET

10/12

This monthly festival features live music, pottery, paintings, apparel, jewelry and more than forty local artisans. Free. 4 to 8 p.m. Princeville Shopping Center, princevillecenter.com

KAUA‘I

CHOCOLATE AND COFFEE FESTIVAL

10/19

This celebration of two of Kaua‘i’s tastiest crops includes lots of sampling, educational displays and workshops, entertainment and exhibitor booths featuring chocolate and coffee products from around the state. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Kilohana Plantation, kauaichocolateandcoffeefestival.com

RICE STREET BLOCK PARTY

10/25

A family-friendly block party on Rice Street, featuring three entertainment stages, keiki area, over 75 local vendors, food trucks and more. 4 to 8 p.m. Līhu‘e, Rice Street, (808) 652-1442

NOVEMBER

KAUA‘I VETERANS CELEBRATION

11/1

A fair with live music performances along with local food trucks, artisans, free keiki rides and free services and food for all veterans. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Vidinha Soccer Field, (808) 639-3482

EŌ E EMALANI FESTIVAL

11/2

With live Hawaiian music, a commemorative procession, hula and oli (chant), exhibits and more, this annual event honors Queen Emma’s 1871 trek into the upland forests of Kōke‘e. Event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Kōke‘e State Park, (808) 645-0996

PRINCEVILLE NIGHT MARKET

11/9

This monthly festival features live music, pottery, paintings, apparel, jewelry and more than forty local artisans. Free. 4 to 8 p.m. Princeville Shopping Center, princevillecenter.com

Food, Farm & Lei Experience

Kīlauea, Kaua’i

Weekdays Ongoing commongroundkauai.com

Experience the beauty and flavor of Kauai at Common Ground.  Set on a 63-acre historic agricultural property that was once home to a guava plantation, Common Ground is a destination unlike any other.  Take a leisurely walk to a 100 year old stone dam and waterfall,  enjoy a tour through our lush food forest, savor a farm to table dining experience and learn the art of lei making. At Common Ground, we celebrate connections- whether it’s with nature, culture or one another, our experiences are rooted in place and designed for visitors and kama’aina young and old.

Our guided tours invite you to explore the wonders of regenerative agriculture and the critical piece it plays in the future food systems for the island. Savor an incredible meal crafted by our expert culinary team, featuring 100% locally sourced ingredients. Each dish tells a story of our commitment to sustainability and community, allowing you to truly appreciate and experience the beauty of Kaua’i and its people.

Join us as we set the table for a regenerative future!

KAUA‘I WRITERS CONFERENCE 11/10–16

Bestselling authors, literary agents and publishers share tips and ideas with hundreds of writers of all levels. Royal Sonesta Kaua‘i Resort, kauaiwritersconference.com

DRAG RACING

11/15

NHRA drag racing featuring some of the state’s fastest cars. 2 p.m. Kaua‘i Raceway Park, dragracekauai.com

5K TURKEY TROT & SHOOT

11/27

A family-friendly Thanksgiving Day run, walk or trot on the beautiful Hōkūala grounds paired with a nine-hole, par three turkey shoot to benefit Alakoko and Hawai‘i Food Bank. 6 to 9 a.m. Ocean Course Hōkūala, kauaiturkeytrot.org

Waipā Cultural Foodways Program: Food and Farm Tours

5-5785A Kuhio Hwy, Hanalei

Weekdays ongoing

waipafoundation.org/food-and-farmtours/

Ever wonder how Hawaiian people lived sustainably in ancient times?  Or which cultural practices around farming and food continue to be utilized today?

For over 30 years the Waipā Foundation has been exploring how traditional values can guide modern practices to create vibrant, abundant natural resources and healthy, thriving communities. Waipā is a 1,600-acre ahupua‘a on Kaua‘i’s North Shore—a living learning center hosting thousands of lifelong learners annually.

Join our guided tours to learn about the deep cultural relationship between our people, food, and ‘āina. Walk and ride with us to explore the food systems and waterways within the valley. Journey from Halulu Fishpond, through lush farmlands, orchards, gardens, and lo‘i kalo (taro fields), to the cool uplands of Waipā Stream. Along the way, learn about practices that have fed Hawaiian communities for generations.

Savor a light continental breakfast, a mid-morning tasting, and a delicious five-course lunch featuring fresh, Waipā-grown ingredients.

Immerse yourself in Waipā and its vibrant community and be inspired to aloha ‘āina.

4427 Papalina, Kalāheo

No matter if you’re going dancing or stretching a fence, Horses Are Good Company tries to have the best of something for you. From hats and stirrups, jeans and belts, boots and gloves, secateurs and shears, steel toolboxes and watering cans, new and old vinyl records, woven palaka and temporary tattoos to name a few.

SALTY WAHINE GOURMET HAWAIIAN SALTS

1-3529 Kaumuali‘i Highway Unit 2B, Hanapēpē

Salty Wahine Gourmet Hawaiian Sea Salts is a family-owned Kauai Made Company that specializes in Kosher Hawaiian Sea salts, seasonings, and tropical sugars using fruit infusions like mango, coconut, guava, passionfruit, dragonfruit, and pineapple. All products are made by hand with Aloha in our Salty Wahine commercial kitchen/factory in Hanapēpē, Kaua‘i.

(808) 378-2116

(808) 378-4089

saltywahine.com

The Classic

macadamias. Classic signature chocolate. The most delicious journey begins now.

Aloha Welcome aboard

E nanea i kā mākou ho‘okipa, a e luana i ka lele ‘ana!

Please enjoy our hospitality, and have a relaxing flight!

In Hawaiian culture, mea ho‘okipa means "I am your host." This phrase expresses the spirit of hospitality you'll find on our flights, whether you're traveling to the Neighbor Islands, between Hawai‘i and North America or within the Asia-Pacific region. If there is anything that we can do to make your flight more enjoyable, please don't hesitate to let us know.

We prioritize the privacy and safety of our guests and employees. We do not tolerate physical, sexual, verbal and digital harassment or assault, including unwanted photography/ videography. Guests should immediately report unwelcome behavior to an employee; those who feel uncomfortable reporting in person may do so anonymously by calling the Hawaiian Airlines Ethics and Compliance hotline at 1-888-738-1915 or by visiting hawaiianairlines. com/ethicsreporting. Guests may also report incidents to the FBI by contacting their local FBI office, calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or visiting tips.fbi.gov. Any crime committed onboard our aircraft is a federal offense.

144 / In-Flight Meals

145 / Streaming Entertainment on A321neo Aircraft

146 / In-Flight Snacks, Souvenirs and Beverages

148 / Terminal Maps

150 / HawaiianMiles Partners

152 / Route Map

154 / The ‘Ohana Pages

In-Flight Tastes of Hawai‘i

Delicious Complimentary Meals

It’s true. We’re one of the only airlines left in the country to serve you a complimentary meal at mealtime in the Main Cabin. You’ll find Hawai‘i-inspired meals on select flights to and from Hawai‘i, always served with our unique brand of Hawaiian hospitality.

Above top: Wade Ueoka and Michelle Karr-Ueoka

Bottom: Chuck Furuya

Left to right: Chef Eric Oto of Hoku’s at the Kahala Resort and Spa, Chef Robynne Maii of Fete Hawaii, Chef Dell Valdez of vein at Kaka‘ako, Executive Chefs Wade Ueoka and Michelle Karr-Ueoka of MW Restaurant, Chef Chris Kajioka of Miro Kaimuki and Chef Jason Yamaguchi of Mugen Waikiki.

Hawaiian Airlines Featured Chef Series showcases star chefs

Hawaiian Airlines’ in-flight service shares the sights, sounds and tastes of Hawai‘i, and when it comes to our First Class meal service, that means exciting, varied Pacific Rim cuisine with our Featured Chef Series. This esteemed collaboration showcases some of Hawai‘i’s most dynamic chefs creating menus for meals served in our forward cabin.

The Featured Chef Series is overseen by Hawaiian Airlines Executive Chefs Wade Ueoka and Michelle Karr-Ueoka.

Sit back and enjoy Hawai‘i’s vibrant food culture and our distinct onboard experience.

A taste of tradition

Executive Chefs Wade Ueoka and Michelle Karr-Ueoka opened MW Restaurant in Honolulu in 2013. Their cuisine combines inspirations from travels around the world with Hawai‘i’s culinary traditions and local bounty. To sample MW’s latest creations visit their new location at 888 Kapi‘olani Boulevard in Honolulu.

MWRestaurant.com

Wine pairings by our Master Sommelier

Chuck Furuya has a passion for the world’s oldest fermented beverage and holds the distinction of becoming only the tenth person in the United States to pass the rigorous Master Sommelier examination, in 1988. You can find Chuck at Chuck Furuya Uncorked on YouTube.

Starlink In-Flight WiFi on A321neo and A330 Aircraft

In-Flight WiFi

Hawaiian Airlines is proud to be the first major airline to offer Starlink WiFi onboard our A321neo and A330 aircraft. It is fast, free internet available for everyone right when you board. Switch to Airplane Mode and connect to “ Starlink WiFi on HawaiianAir ”

Note: Starlink WiFi is not available on our B787 aircraft at this time.

USAGE GUIDELINES

The following is not permitted with our in-flight internet service:

• No voice or video calls

• No Livestream broadcasting

• No viewing obscene/offensive content

Mele

Collections to suit your musical tastes

Hawaiian Airlines offers DJ-hosted, curated audio programming devoted to musical styles from across the globe, ranging from award-winning Hawaiian music to jazz and K-Pop.*

FEATURED CHANNELS INCLUDE:

Slack Key Serenity

A selection of kī ho‘alu masters showcase varied interpretations of the Hawai‘i-born slack-key guitar style.

Island Favorites

A collection of the best in Hawaiian music, featuring 2025 Nā Hōkū Hanohano award winners Kala‘e Parish, Seven Suns and more.

Classic Jawaiian Rhythms

The melding of Hawaiian melodies with Jamaican rhythms creates a uniquely Island groove.

The Wings of Jazz

Explore the Island jazz scene with some of Hawai‘i’s top artists.

*Available only on A330 and A321neo aircraft.

Noho Home x Hawaiian Airlines

We are proud to partner with Noho Home by Jalene Kanani. Through the use of artful pattern, color and textures, woven with native Hawaiian intelligence and cultural storytelling, Jalene reimagines the island home aesthetic, rooted in aloha. The limited-edition Leihōkū Collection is available while supplies last.

Products may also be available at NohoHomeHawaii.com. Prices may vary.

Travel Blanket ˙˙

Reusable Cleaning Cloths (3)

Chopsticks (5 pairs)

Travel Wrap

$25.00 $12.00 $12.00 $16.00

Made in Hawai‘i Snack Sampler

In-Flight Snacks and Souvenirs

Pau Hana Snack Cart

Keepsake blanket, popular local snacks, souvenirs and sundries are available from the Pau Hana Snack Cart. Cabin crew will advise when the cart is heading down the aisle on domestic flights or is open in the galley on Australia and New Zealand flights.

Selections and quantities are limited and may vary. To print receipts of in-flight purchases, visit HawaiianAirlines.com/receipts.

Popular Local Snacks

Waiākea Hawaiian Volcanic Water in Refillable Bottle, 22 oz.˙˙

Hawaiian Chip Company Taro and Sweet Potato Chips

Island Princess Caramel Macadamia Nut Popcorn

Kona Chips Furikake Chips

Samurai Furikake Popcorn

Snack Packs ˙

Made in Hawai‘i Snack Sampler K

Choco Caramel Popcorn, Choco Mochi, Lightly Salted and Maui Onion Macadamia Nuts, Mele Mac

Classic Snack Box GF Crisps, Hummus, Turkey Stick, Snack Bar, Chickpeas, Gummies

Keiki (Child) Snack Box GF Cheese Puffs, Turkey Stick, Granola Bar, Applesauce, Oat Bite, Gummies

‘Ono Snack Box GF Salami, Cheese Spread, Crisps, Olives, Fruit Bar, Snack Bar

Cheese Tray˙˙ with Crackers and Dried Fruit

Classic Snacks

M & M’s Peanut

Maruchan Cup Ramen Chicken

Pringles K

Sundries

Ear Buds with Hawaiian Airlines Zipper Case˙˙

Hawaiian Airlines Blanket and Pillow Set

In-Flight Beverages

Juices

Passion-Orange-Guava* (POG)

Pineapple Orange Nectar / Apple / Orange

Mott’s Tomato / Mr. & Mrs. T Bloody Mary Mix

Hot beverages

Lion Coffee* / Tea

Soft drinks

Coke / Diet Coke / Sprite

Diamond Head Strawberry Soda

Canada Dry Ginger Ale

Milk (Lowfat or Whole)

Club Soda / Tonic Water / Flavored Sparkling Water

Cocktails

Mai Tai (Kō Hana)

Pineapple Daiquiri** (Kō Hana)

Old Fashioned** (On the Rocks)

Spirits

Rum (Koloa Rum)

Vodka (Ocean)

Scotch (Dewars)

Whiskey (Jack Daniel’s)

Gin (Tanqueray)

Koloa Pineapple Passion*** (Koloa Rum)

Wines & Champagne

Summer Club Pogmosa Sparkling White Wine with Passionfruit, Orange, Guava

Mionetto Prosecco Sparkling Wine Split

Woodbridge Cabernet Red Wine Split**

Woodbridge Chardonnay White Wine Split**

Red or White Wine Glass***

Beers

Big Swell IPA (Maui Brewing Co.)

Bikini Blonde Lager** (Maui Brewing Co.)

Da Hawai‘i Life Lite Lager (Maui Brewing Co.)

Hard Seltzer Dragon Fruit** (Maui Brewing Co.)

Heineken**

Complimentary beverages provided by *Complimentary on Neighbor Island flights. **Available for purchase on Neighbor Island flights. ***Complimentary glass of wine on flights to/from New York and Boston. Complimentary glass of Koloa Pineapple Passion on flights to/from West Coast North American cities. $8 per glass thereafter.

All beer, wine, champagne and spirits available for purchase on North American flights. Complimentary in First/Business Class.

Alcoholic Beverages

Only alcoholic beverages provided by Hawaiian Airlines and served by Flight Attendants may be consumed on board the aircraft. No alcoholic beverages will be served to persons who appear intoxicated or to those under 21 years of age.

Hawaiian Airlines’ complimentary items may change or vary from time to time, and availability can be affected by aircraft schedule changes.

Beverage menu is subject to change. Some items may not be available on all flights and/or classes of service. Beverage availability is limited. Beers, wines, spirits, snacks and sundries are available for purchase with major credit/debit cards only.

˙ Snack box components are subject to availability. Please see snack box for list of included items.

˙˙ Available on select North America flights only.

GF Gluten-Free

K Kosher

LAX I

SOUTH KOREA

The

Seattle-Narita Celebrations

Our new route connecting Seattle with Tokyo’s Narita International Airport took flight on May 13, marking a milestone for the newly combined Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines.

“Today we are celebrating Alaska Air Group’s new global gateway, something that is only made possible because of the combined strengths of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines,” said Hawaiian Airlines CEO Joe Sprague during a gate event at Narita International Airport. “Hawaiian has proudly served Japan for nearly fifteen years, and it’s because of Hawaiian’s strong relationships within the Japan market, along with Alaska’s deep relationships in Seattle, that we were able to launch this new service within months of becoming a combined company.”

To mark the occasion, Hawaiian Airlines held a traditional Hawaiian

blessing, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony at both airports. In Tokyo, the Mariner Moose, mascot of the Seattle Mariners, posed for photos with guests. In Seattle, taiko drummers performed for travelers heading to Japan. Inaugural passengers also received co-branded gifts, including fans, tote bags and commemorative luggage tags.

The new, daily Seattle-Narita service opens a key gateway between the West Coast and Asia. Travelers from Japan can now connect to more than 100 US cities, from New York to Las Vegas, via Seattle, Alaska Airlines’ largest hub. Meanwhile, travelers heading beyond Tokyo can connect on oneworld partner Japan Airlines.

Like Father, Like Son

For Malachi, a Hawaiian Air Cargo agent on O‘ahu, working with his dad, Sione Olevao, is all about sticking together

as family. After attending college in Utah and working for an airport ramp contractor in Maui, Malachi welcomed any chance to be closer to home. With encouragement from Sione, who is also a cargo agent, he applied to work for Hawaiian Airlines and was hired as a Honolulu ramp agent in 2018. A few years later, he transferred to Hawaiian Air Cargo.

“Working with my son is a true blessing for me,” says Sione, who has been with Hawaiian for eighteen years, including nine with the Cargo division. Father and son both work at Hawaiian’s Honolulu cargo facility, often sharing the early morning shift. They agree that their unique but complimentary skills make them a strong team on the job.

“I really enjoy working with my dad,” Malachi says. “It makes the work environment even more comfortable, and if I need help with something or have questions, he’s there for me.”

Malachi and Sione are gratified by Hawaiian Air Cargo’s role in serving Hawai‘i’s local communities by transporting essential goods including fresh foods, dry goods, pets and medical supplies throughout the Islands, while also supporting our overseas customers. “We have a proud group of coworkers, leaders and customers. That collective energy makes every day, even the busiest ones, more enjoyable for everyone,” says Sione.

With so much time spent together, one might think Malachi and Sione would go their separate ways at the end of the workday but that’s not the case. “Our family loves spending time together,” says Sione. “Whether it’s going out to eat or taking trips to Moloka‘i or Maui to visit more family and friends.”

Aloha in the Air

At Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines, our flight crews’ expertise

ensures every journey is safe and comfortable. In addition to creating memorable travel experiences, they are among the most dynamic professionals in the industry.

Interested in joining our flight crew? Kanoelehua “Kanoe” Robinson became a Hawaiian Airlines flight attendant three years ago, and has some helpful tips—starting with the multi-week training program, which can be fastpaced and requires dedication, focus and performance.

“You can learn an entire training module in one day, and then the next morning, you might be tested on that module,” she says. “Then, right after, you’ll start working on something completely new. … Everyone learns differently: For me, studying with my classmates before and after training helped me a lot, because I could go back and forth with them on topics or questions. But for some, going straight home to study on their own worked best.

The expectations are high, so identifying a learning routine that works for you early is huge.”

Aside from travel, Kanoe believes the best perk to her job is the flexibility. Flight attendants can bid for flights and adjust their schedules to suit their needs and interests. For example, by working flights throughout our extensive Neighbor Island network, parents can be home with their families each night. Alternatively, flight attendants from other countries like Japan can bid for those flights, to stay connected with friends and family abroad.

“The nice thing about a bid schedule is that you can always tweak it to what you need that month or what you want to fly,” she explains. “You don’t always get the flights you bid for, but you’re still able to travel to incredible places and connect with some amazing people.”

Another big highlight? The bonding. “My favorite part of the job is that I get to work with friends,” she said. “And if you’re

just working with someone for the first time, it never really feels that way. That’s the best thing about Hawaiian Airlines: We have such a unique ‘ohana culture.”

Hawaiian Airlines is hiring hundreds of flight attendants as our combined network with Alaska Airlines continues to grow. Candidates fluent in Japanese or Korean are especially encouraged to apply. For more information and to apply online, go to HawaiianAirlines.com/ careers/flight-attendants.

Kanoelehua Robinson (above, third from left) with her crewmates at the launch of Hawaiian Airlines' nonstop service to the Cook Islands.

Behind the Scenes

Late last June, Hawaiian Airlines hosted a group of girls from schools across O‘ahu for a behind-the-scenes look at a variety of potential career paths. In partnership with the Hawai‘i Department of Education (DOE), 40 local students excelling in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) studies were invited to our Honolulu headquarters to participate in the day’s events. Employee career ambassadors including pilots, material planners and engineers shared their stories, answered questions and led the youth through hands-on activities, including a tour of our maintenance hangar and a trial flight in the Boeing 717 and 787 simulators.

“Our goal for this event was to spark curiosity and build confidence by connecting hands-on experiences with women role models across our airline,” said Jadyne Yomono, talent acquisition outreach program manager at Alaska

and Hawaiian Airlines. “The future of aviation should reflect the diversity of our communities, and it’s important to give girls the chance to see themselves in careers they may not have considered.”

Hawaiian Airlines works collaboratively with the DOE to welcome inquisitive youth into the heart of our operations. Together, we believe in the power of connecting with students early, when their interests are taking shape and confidence is growing, to encourage them to pursue careers in aviation within the state of Hawai‘i. “Going in the flight simulator has made my goal to be a pilot more apparent,” said Kaia B., an ‘Ewa Makai Middle School student. “I also found the engineering aspect interesting, but I’m leaning more toward pilot.”

To add to the fun and engagement, the program featured creative elements inspired by Disney’s Lilo & Stitch including special signage, surprise Stitch appearances and exclusive themed swag—to further connect with the students. Our goal was to show them that with STEM skills, out-of-the-box thinking and a supportive community, the sky is the limit.

Forty students from schools across O‘ahu recently toured our Honolulu headquarters as part of our ongoing efforts to promote aviation careers for local youth.

“For these girls, just seeing all the different opportunities out there is what’s most important,” said Christiana Bisquera, a project engineer. “Seeing what people do in fields they’re interested in really opens up a world of possibilities.”

Making Merrie

Every day Hawaiian Air Cargo plays a vital role on Hawai‘i Island, on the east coast of Hawai‘i Island, shipping out local crops like papayas and carrying in key consumer goods like auto parts. But for the Hawaiian Air Cargo Hilo team, there’s no time like the Merrie Monarch Festival to celebrate the spirit of Hilo’s community and their place within it.

For more than 50 years, the weeklong Merrie Monarch Festival, held in April, has celebrated Hawaiian culture. Named in honor of King David Kalākaua, the annual festival’s mainstay is its world-renowned hula competition— though it also includes an invitational arts fair and handmade crafts and food.

“People love Merrie Monarch because Hilo is a small town and has that feeling of community,” says Jason Ryusaki, a chief cargo agent in Hilo who grew up on the island. “The Big Island is the youngest of all the islands, but I think the culture is more alive here. I see the cultural practitioners still working, and the festival is part of that.”

Hawaiian Air Cargo supports every aspect of Merrie Monarch, transporting everything from hālau hula (hula troupes’) attire and instruments to festival vendors’ crafts and food. The cargo team also stores and stages the flower-laden Hawaiian Airlines float that leads the annual parade. “Merrie Monarch is one of our proudest moments working for Hawaiian Air Cargo,” Jason continues. “It’s not corporations that run the event, it’s volunteers. Hilo is a small town; Hawaiian Airlines typically has about 15 daily roundtrip flights here, with maybe one or two more on busier weekdays. But when Merrie Monarch comes into town and everyone leaves on Sunday, we have 20-plus flights. … All the performers come through wishing everybody congratulations on their wins and performances. The energy and atmosphere are incredible.”

For more news and information about our airline ‘ohana, visit newsroom. hawaiianairlines.com

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STORY BY MICHAEL SHAPIRO

Natural Selections

Twenty-eight years, one hundred sixtyeight issues, twenty thousand (or so) pages and one man to view them all. For the past several months, Matt Mallams has been putting in serious overtime. After already long days as director of photography for Hana Hou!, and after the kids are finally in bed (for real this time), Mallams has been staying up late, turning every single page starting with volume one, issue one. His mission: to select the finest images in the publication’s history for this, our first retrospective photo issue.

I know better than most how quixotic this endeavor is. As editor for the past nineteen years, it’s been my privilege to see more extraordinary images cross my computer screen than I can count: the cliffs of Moloka‘i suffused in sunset purples and oranges, the dignified portrait of a plantation worker carrying an armful of stalks from Hawai‘i’s last sugarcane harvest, the Polynesian voyaging canoe Hōkūle‘a dwarfed by the Twelve Apostles off the coast of South Africa, the farthest point from Hawai‘i on the planet one can get—and so many more that didn’t make the cut. Such visual abundance isn’t only because Hawai‘i serves up infinite beauty and drama; it’s also that these small Islands are home to a disproportionately large concentration of talented photographers dogged enough to go to the literal ends of the Earth.

When our first issue was published in April 1998, both the Internet and digital photography were in their infancy. Many of the early photos exist in dusty binders of film negatives and slides; some of those were lost, the images living only on the printed page. But even with the extensive archive of later digital photography, Mallams took a very analog approach: He printed hundreds of his favorites (winnowed from thousands) and scattered them

on a conference room table—a collage comprising three decades of Hawai‘i’s visual history. Summoning the editors and designers to the table, he tasked us with the improbable: Pick twenty-eight. This was more than a fun aesthetic exercise or a sitting-on-our-laurels tour through the gallery of our greatest hits; for Mallams, it was a kuleana—a Hawaiian word that means “duty,” “responsibility” and also “burden.” The mild-mannered farm kid from rural Iowa came to Hawai‘i as a photographer

and carved his niche in a competitive landscape, shooting stories for Hana Hou!. Now he’s unexpectedly found himself as something of an elder lensman, with a kuleana both to tell Hawai‘i’s stories and to help fellow artists and journalists carve their own niches. “Early on it hit me, ‘This is a bigger responsibility than I realized,’” he says. “My colleagues and our readers are relying on me to do this right—it’s a unique opportunity to decide what images run, and why. To think about the cultural sensitivities, the aesthetic

qualities. And to be honest—to show what living here is really like.”

Not that this was much help in the project before us: How could we choose? Mallams had already preselected for the technical aspects—composition, saturation, depth of field—and the aesthetic value was also a given. These were undeniably beautiful images. Look for a “timeless quality,” he suggested. Like the image of a Hawaiian family bathing in a tidepool at Kealakekua, which could have been taken today or a hundred years ago. Megan Spelman shot it in 2019, but you can easily picture Captain Cook’s ship pulling into the bay as it did on January 18, 1778, Hawai‘i’s first contact with the West.

Or look for the ones that slow you down, that insist you stay present rather than glance and turn the page. One of those, for me, is the freediver dancing with a spinner dolphin in the blue water off Kona, the cover image from the August–September 2008 issue. I had to fight for it, though: The other editors found that image too conventional, a hair too magical, and if anything Mallams eschews pixie-dusted postcards of an idyllic, imaginal Hawai‘i.

I admit to being biased: I had been there, in the water with the photographer, Sergio Goes, when he captured that moment fifty feet below the surface, all of us holding our breath. I witnessed how diver and dolphin seemed to be in communication, if not communion, both with each other and the great blue mystery all around us. Goes died in a freediving accident only a few weeks after he shot that photo, gone home to the mystery that his camera glimpsed and preserved for the rest of us to witness.

So, sure, maybe it’s a little magical. But it’s all the other things, too: beautiful, timeless and perhaps like all the images we eventually chose, honest. hh