Hawaiian Week: Finale

I would like to comment on my experiences for the last part of my trip, which was to Hana, Maui. My husband and I have traveled there before and loved it. It is on a side of the island that is a bit difficult to get to. Either you need to drive a winding, mountainous road, or fly a small plane to get there. It is a lovely, chilled community on the eastern coast that is inhabited by mainly Hawaiians. This is highly unusual for Hawaii. Most communities are vastly populated by other ethnic groups than the original Hawaiians. There is basically 1 hotel in Hana, again run mainly by Hawaiians and that is where we stayed. We got to be friends with a few of the lovely people. What was shocking to find out was that there is a movement in Hawaii to save the Hawaiian tradition of songs, dances, stories, and culture because for 80 years in the 1800′s, the native people of Hawaii were forbidden to celebrate their cultur,e and many aspects of their way of life were lost. At the hotel in Hana, the culture is celebrated through dance and music, which is definitely helping to restore their traditions. We especially were enamored with CJ Helekahi, a Hawaiian musician.
Check out this video of him singing and he has a wonderful CD in iTunes, Ka Mahina.