Ke Alahou, Volume I, Number 1, 1 November 1979 — KA LEI Reviews by Marie A. McDonald [ARTICLE]

KA LEI

Reviews

by Marie A. McDonald

Photographs and Illustrations by Roen McDonald. Topgallant Publishing Co. 845 Mission Lane, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813^978, first printing 187 pages. $35.00 (cloth) Some,of my fondest memories of growing up were spent learning the basic skills of arts and crafts as one of the youngsters hauled off to the City and County's summer fun programs. Perhaps ,to the delight of- my parents, these' a programs lasted aīl year, but to my delight one of the instructors there was Marie McDonald. To the eyes of a child she has always been a formidable iady having such a beautiful, distinct a_nd eommanding voice, and to those of us left iinder her care we never did anything to displease her lest she would become angry. How foolish we were, because what remains are on!y memaries of her words of eneouragement an(ipraise to the solitary and deformed !umps of clay, the painted and semi-glazed bowls or lopsided lel Those words were the most precious, words one could hear aftergiving one'sbest efforts. So, Mrs. McDonald, as one of your children, thank you again for letting us become so creative, I return these words not solely due to the past experiencesrbut because your work deserves to be p'raised. I ean think of no one else who has worked so hard to bring out the skill and jOy of the arts and crafts, esp£tially /e/ making. Now, after so many years we allean enjoy this craft through the pubīication of K&LEI. . .. This book consistsx>f two parts: "Leis of the Pplynesian ■PeriQ.d ,> and "Leis of the Gontemporary Period." Both permanent (shell and seed) and temporary (fresh flower and leaves) types of leis are presented in these two chapters. A brief historical setting begins eaeh chapter andlhis is followed by eaeh typ£ of lei of that peripd, The Jeis are described by Hawaiian, or scientific name and then description of the" t%nt ormateria! usedisgiven. A g"enera! description of the manner in whieh the lei is constructed is provided along with personal reflections of that particu!ar Jei or planl. These stories also reveal Marie McDonald tobe a masterof "weaving" stories as mueh as leis. They are enjoyable and

are told as if you had known her for a long time." "I asked Harry about some very small leafed _ maiie. I remembered that, many years ago, my mother wrapped a fragrant, yellow freesia lei with a single strand of maile with tiny leaves. Harry smiled and nodding his head he said, 'I show you. iau iniriVgrows down at a - lower elevaHon and it's drier there. In April and May, after the rains that maile ean be ' stripped easy, but now it's 100 dry and the nmile is too brittle. I shgw, you anvway.' "Still many years later I made a mental comparison of this mai7e the maile I had gathered at Kaup?s Gap in t'he crater of Haleaka!s on Mau'i. the maile. I had often gathered in Ihe Wai'anae range on O'ahu . Whieh of these did lprefer? Inevercoulddecide. Eaeh wasbeautifu}, ~ but the adventures, and (he people, that vvere associated.wiiih my maile e : xpenences were far more beautifu|." . There are also two sections entitled "The Lei Making Methods" and *The Myths and Legends of Leis " The additional illustrations, done by her daughter, Roen, ai;e clear and undērstandable. Another reader described KA LEI as a"re,cipe book and that analogy is intriguing. Her book is as informative, descriptive and we 11 pi etured as a well done how-to-do-it book of thegreatest chefs. —Yet, the analogy goes beyond such superficial appearances. She reasons thisbook to be a gift of continuity from onl" generation to another; becauseof the lei. l*ve begun to discover what was my mothers ahd her forebears'. what js mi.n.e and what will be my chi|dren*s Heritage." • This element is what makes the best of family eook books so cherished and so jealously guarded,. However, this attitude is not, Marie's. My recollections of how the lei has: influ/ eneeii my life are not unique stories; Anyone who has been born or has grovvn up or has eome to live in Hawai'tis influenced by the it;i in mueh the same mantler as I ean probably tēll countless more stories. And this is ihe real signif.i.cance of ' the lei īt has univ£rsāl appeal lt will survivē anv and aD rultural change. for there wi!! always be People who will enjov and need itsT>eautv to express regard for others and self " • * - Enjoy and Absdrb :" MNC