Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 2, Number 4, 1 ʻApelila 1985 — Kailuan Perpetuates Canoe Building [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kailuan Perpetuates Canoe Building

Have Youths, Koa Logs; Need Space

Joseph Kepa (Stew) Kalama of Keolu Hills in Kailua is a full-blooded Hawaiian who speaks the language fluently and is considered by many as a master craftsman in the art of eanoe building.

He is quick to admit there are other eanoe builders in Hawaii, pointing out, however, these people build them commercially, using modern tools and equipment. Kalama, who more readily answers to Stew (a name he acquired while an Army eook), explains that he builds canoes because it is an art and very mueh a part of his Hawaiian culture. "I am a Hawaiian and why shouldn't I eonhnue building canoes like my ancestors did?" he questioned. "This is a lost art that is not being passed on to our younger generation. This is sad," Kalama explained. He has been working with young men and women since 1953 when he and Henry (Heinie) Gramberg, among others, founded the Kai Oni Canoe Club. Kalama has served as eoaeh, advisor, custodian and father confessor. Over that span of time, Kalama said he dabbled in eanoe building "off and on." It was after he lost a eanoe during the 1966 Molokai to Oahu ehannel race that he became serious about building his own eanoe. The lost eanoe belonged to his unele, Charles Mokuohai. In 1967, he built the Kana'iaumoana. This was followed by the Nai'a whieh he completed in 14 days in Orange County, Calif. The Nai'a now rests in his cramped extended garage along with three others "under construction." One is a classic opelu fishing eanoe U»HicH BHdnQed to his grandf3thgt whieh is reported to be 110 years old. Koa logs, Kalama estimates, run about $6,000 and a koa eanoe sells in the vicinity of $36,000. His canoes are built along specifications of the eanoe racing associations. The logs for his five canoes all eame from Kona where i K. lama learned eanoe building from his grandfather and great grandfather Kekeina. Only two canoes are in racing form while the other three are in various stages of eomplehon, including the 110-year-old "youngster" slated for restoration. While it is a widely known fact Kalama has worked with youths and adults in eanoe paddling since the founding of Kai Oni, very little is known or heard about his work with kids and eanoe building. For many years now he has had a number of youths at his house learning the art of eanoe building, including the paddles and ama. "They do a beautiful job with the paddles and I'm proud of them," Kalama proudly declared as he showed Ka Wai Ola O OHA some of the products of their labor. "I get all kinds of kids — dropouts, turned off, drugs, hard heads. You name them and chances are I've had them," Kalama says. In some cases, he points out, "parents are to blame. They don't pay attention and they don't care. Some of them think we're baby sitters. I would take them all if I had space but I just can't accomodate them." Enter the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Human Services Specialist Sam Holt. Kalama sought out Holt to ask him if OHA could help him get more working space. He wants to continue what he's doing and more. Kalama is quite enthused about establishing a learning and cultural center. In addition to eanoe building, he'd like to teach them how to fish, garden and make opelu nets. It could also be a center for Hawaiian arts and crafts. Unlike most requests to OHA, Kalama's does not inc!ude a dollar amount although he realizes there are bucks involved in land. "If OHA ean do something and get space for us, we'li make the improvements and build the center. It will be like a cultural living park where everyone ean enjoy it," he enthusiastically declared. "Right now I ean only handle seven to 10 kids at a time at my house. Even then it is very tight. Presently I only have kids from Kailua I want to include Waimanalo and Kaneohe but not enough room," he iamented. He already has a potential sight for his project and this is where he hopes OHA ean kokua him. Kalama wants permission to use that little plot of land and this is where his current situation stands. Kalama used to be a welder at Pearl Harbor until iead

poisoning negated that career. He drove a school bus for a while and then became a tour driver with Hawaiian Scenic Tours. Asked how he kept up with club expenses for Kai Oni, Kalama answered that they hold two laulau sales a year and realize enough to pay the insurance, take care of dues and a few incidentals. His wife, Shirley Ann, works for Amenean T rust Company of Hawaii. They are the parents of four sons and four daugh-

ters, including Howell (Chinky) Mahoe, Walton Mahoe, Joseph Jr. and David Kalama and daughters Kehau Mahoe, Duane, Nohea and Pua Kalama. All are involved with the club, eanoe building and the hula. Chinky has his own halau. Kalama is proud of Walton's recent promotion to chief petty officer in the U.S. Navy where he is currently home-ported at Pearl Harbor. "I could sure take care of a lot of kids if I just had a little more space," Kalama mused.

I Kailua eanoe builder James I Kepa (Stew) Kalama proudI ly displays one of the padI dles his "kids" made and an ■ opelu net. Two finished I canoes and the hull of one I underconstructionarealso I visibie.