Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 27, Number 1, 1 Ianuali 2010 — On Lānaʻi, a dream realized [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

On Lānaʻi, a dream realized

Cultural center to celebrate opening

By Kepa Maly n 1987, members of Lāna'i's eommunity, concerned that changes on Lāna'i would lead to the loss of cultural identity, historical resources and Lāna'i's unique lifestyle, formed agreements with Castle & Cooke, the Trustees of the Office of HawaiianAtfairs andthe state Depart-

ment of Land and Natural Resources Historic Preservation Division, whieh included the development of a eommunity museum/heritage program. Initial work on museum and cultural awareness programs began shortly after the 1987 agreements. The Lāna'i Culture and Heritage Center (Lāna'i CHC) opened as a community nonprofit entity on Oct. 1, 2007. Since opening, we have

hosted more than 11,000 Lāna'i residents and visitors in programs of the heritage center. In 2008, recognizing the importance of the heritage program on Lāna'i, Colette Machado and fellow Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs provided the Lāna'i CHC with a generous grant to initiate planning, design and construction of a larger facility to house and share Lāna'i's rich cultural legacy and care for the growing collections. The community vision of opening a quality facility in whieh to share Lāna'i's history and care for a diverse collection of artifacts and historical resources has eome to life. We invite you to join us at the front of the old Dole Administration Building on Jan. 16, 2010, at noon, to celebrate the opening of the new Lāna'i CHC exhibits and archives. The celebration will start off with a blessing and be followed by tours of the new facilities; Hawaiian, Filipino and Japanese folk music and dances; and a taste of foods from Lāna'i's community. We will also dedicate the new Kapiha'a Interpretive Trail along the leeward coast of Lāna'i as a part of the day's events. Kapiha'a is an ancient village site set aside as a preservation area. A rich interpretive experience has been created at the site, with funding from the Hawai'i Tourism Authority/County of Maui, Lāna'i Archaeological Committee, Hal

Hammatt and Cultural Surveys Hawai'i, and the Lāna'i CHC. HERITAGE COLLECTIONS The Lāna'i CHC is home to a rich collection of Native Hawaiian artifacts - many donated by families with Lāna'i ties, and others eollected on Lāna'i in 1921-1922 by Kenneth Emory, now on long-term loan from Bishop Museum to the people of Lāna'i. The collections also include many things reflective of the diverse cultures of Lāna'i, with items from the ranch and plantation days of our island home. We also care for a large eolleetion of plantation-era photographs and records, covering the lives and history of Lāna'i's people. These resources - a community asset - are preserved to ensure that present and future generations remain eonnected to our island heritage. For information, eall 808-565-7177, email info@lanaichc.org or visit lanaichc.org. ■ Kepa Maly is the executive director ofthe Lāna'i Culture and Heritage Center. Grand opening Offers tours, ethnic folk music and dance, food and more. Noon Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010 Free

The Lōna'i Culture and Heritage Center is home to the island's rich cultural legacy, including a Hawaiian eolleehon. A grand opening is planned for Jan. 1 6. - Photo: Courtesy ofKepa Maly