Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 13, Number 5, 1 May 1996 — OHA Update [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA Update

Hana Village Marketplaee groundbreaking Hāna Village Marketplace, a community-based eeonomie development project supported by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, had its groundbreaking ceremony late March. The ceremony marked the beginning of construction on the 10-month

project that community leaders hopes will revitalize the Hāna economy and encourage loeal entrepreneurs to get into business. The marketplace will provide commercial space for 20-26 businesses from restaurants to crafts and other stores. Project directors expect the first tenants to move into the marketplaee at the end of this year. Lā'au Lapa'au workshop successful Last month's Hawaiian lā'au lapa'au workshop, led by Papa Henry Auwae, was a success. Well over 200 people attended the free workshop co-sponsored by the Pālama Settlement and OHA. "We were happily surprised at the number of people who eame," said Babett Galang, OHA's act-

ing health and human services officer. She added, "A lot of people are seeking alternatives

because Western doctors perscriptions aren't helping or they want to go back to traditional medicines."

Papa Auwae laid out a variety of plants he uses to heal his patients. Many of these plants — tl, kukui nut, papaya seeds, and guava for example — are well known but most people are not aware they ean be used as medicine. These plants and more ean be used for a variety of illnesses and injuries. Not just sicknesses of days of old but current illnesses, such as diabetes, cancer and even broken bones. Papa Auwae has healed many people in his life-

time using the knowledge he was : taught by his great grandmother. l His medicinal preparations and

supervision is highly esteemed by the community.

Trustee Abraham Aiona speaks at March groundbreaking ceremony in Hāna.