More Fun with Natural Dyes

Continuing on the theme of using natural dyes, this week's Makeke Kapolei featured dyes made of native and Polynesian-introduced plants.  For example. 'uki 'uki made a soft blue and 'olena made a bright yellow. We dyed t-shirts and other fabrics with these easy-to-make dyes, free of synthetic chemicals. If you want to learn how, feel free to ask us!

We've got a new video!

Here's a short video about Makeke Kapolei made by students at Kapolei High School's video production class taught by Victor Salazar. It features our market manager, Sayo Costantino, and others. Hope you like it!

http://youtu.be/IXZ0Fm3xMyU

It's almost Easter and time for natural eggs!

Today, thanks to the hands of many, we had a fun activity for kids and kids at heart. We dyed Easter eggs with natural dyes.  Blueberries, turmeric ('olena), hibiscus, and coffee were just some of the dyes we used.  Aren't these au naturale eggs beautiful?

Hula and aloha at Makeke Kapolei

Mahalo to the students of Halau O Ka'ululaua'e for performing at Makeke Kapolei!  We love seeing you perform to share your aloha with all of our customers.

Special thanks go to Kumu Mikiala Kanekoa for preparing her students so well!

Makeke Kapolei . . . where you'll always find smiling faces!

We just want to feature three of our cheery volunteers who come every week to spread their warm smiles and kind hearts.  Mahalo to Bella, Tiana, and Jewel for making everyday so bright at Makeke Kapolei.

Fresh kalo for sale!

We just had to show these freshly picked kalo (taro) corms grown by Kahumana Farms. These organically grown beauties will make some delicious poi or table taro, or whatever you want to make with them.  Yum!

Bonfire Pizza is the Bomb!

We're so happy to welcome Bonfire Pizza Company to Makeke Kapolei!  You know they're in town when you smell their freshly baked pizzas in their brick oven, which is brought direct to the market.

Their delicious pizzas are reasonably priced and super delicious. Just ask this little guy!

Ku'i Kalo Videos

Here are two videos of Anthony Deluze and his kalo demonstration at Makeke Kapolei (last October). His pa'i'ai was so 'ono!  Can't wait to have him back at the Makeke!

Learn to Carve Stone at the Makeke

We will feature kalai pōhaku, stone-on-stone carving, by Pokiʻi Magallanes of Waiʻanae. This cultural practice is used to create a variety of Hawaiian tools and art. Come on down to watch Pokiʻi in action and even try your hand at carving.

(photo courtesy of Hawaiialive.org)

The event will be on Thursday, Feb 7, 4-6 pm and is FREE and FAMILY-friendly, thanks to funding support from the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority administered by the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. This is our last event under this grant so please don't miss it!

A bit of background on our cultural practitioner:
Elton Magallanes, known to many as Poki`i, was born on August 19,1975 in Honolulu.  Poki`i is the son of Kenneth and Yvonne Magallanes, great grandson of William Humehume Kaniho and descendant of the Holoa`e priesthood.

Poki`i was raised in Wai`anae, O`ahu. As a child he was blessed with an innate talent of being artistically inclined.  From grade school to high school, he received numerous art awards at different mediums, ranging from acrylic and oil painting to photography and sculpting.

At the age of twenty, after surviving a few hurdles, Poki`i made a choice to immerse himself into his Hawaiian cultural self-identity.  He studied `oli (Hawaiian chant and protocol) under the late Kumu John Keola Lake.  Along his new path he discovered a hidden talent to carve wood and stone.

In 1999, Poki`i began his training in the disciplines, principles, and philosophies of Lua (Hawaiian martial arts) under `olohe Jonah Ke`eaumoku Kapu of Na Koa Kau I Ka Meheu O Na Kupuna.  Since then, Poki`i took a new interest in weapon making.  Another student of this class was master artisan Hanale Kila Hopfe.  Hanale took Poki`i under his wing as his apprentice carver.
 
As an apprentice carver under Hanale, Poki`i’s skills grew as a young up and coming artist.  In 2004, Poki`i was a featured artist at the Mamo Art Festival and was also recognized by the Pa`i Foundation as a Hawaiian artist.  Poki`i has been involved with many art events and hosted numerous implement making workshops.

Today Poki`i works as an educator at ALU LIKE, Inc., he is a co-founder of Ka Lima O Punana`ula, he is a Kumu Ha`a (Hawaiian `ai ha`a instructor) of Mua O Ule Hawa, and the Wai`anae Regional Representative of the O`ahu Island Burial Council.

Poki`i continues to expand his talents of carving as a freelance artist and is on a personal mission to preserve and instill the next generations with traditional cultural values and positive labor practices.

Let's BOKASHI!

Don't let your food scraps go to waste!  Turn it into a great soil conditioner fast and easy!  Made of natural ingredients with care and aloha by members of the Hawai'i Green Collar Institute, we are selling bokashi in quantities of  32oz ($5) and 64 oz ($8).  Larger quantities can be made available by special order.  

Using bokashi is really simple and we can teach you how. It takes only a few weeks to ferment and break down in the soil, and your plants will love it!

Come by Malama Learning Center's booth at Makeke Kapolei to check it out!

Kahumana's Got Organic Produce!

Welcome back, Kahumana Farm, to Makeke Kapolei!  We were so happy to see you with a wide variety of organically grown vegetables from the fertile soil of Lualualei Valley in Wai'anae. And those fresh eggs were gorgeous!

Lei Making Made Easy

Mahalo nui loa to Tevi Tolentino for making lei wili so easy to learn!  He brought beautiful clippings of ferns, juniper, and flowers from his home and taught our customers how to make wristlets and hair decorations. As they say, "so u'i (beautiful)!"

We hope you were able to join us for this free event made possible by a grant from the Hawai'i Tourism Authority and the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement.