Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 34, Number 6, 1 June 2017 — JOSEPHINE KAUKALI FERGERSTROM WEAVING a LEGACY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

JOSEPHINE KAUKALI FERGERSTROM WEAVING a LEGACY

By Marques Marzan

>• Ulana lau hala, pandanus plaiting, has an enduring lineage in Hawai'i. It was brought to our shores centuries ago by Polynesian settlers and continues to be a vibrant part of the loeal landscape of these islands. Starting in the 1990s, a handful of master lau hala weavers, hke Josephine Fergerstrom, consciously decided to share their knowledge publicly, establishing organizations with the sole purpose of perpetuating this art form. With encouragement from friends and supporters, she was able to begin two lau hala groups of her own, Ulana Fau Hala O Kona and 'Ohi Fau Hala, both based in Kona, Hawai'i. Josephine Kaukali Fergerstrom was born in Kealakekua on 10 December 1926, and later raised in Kahalu'u, Kona by her parents, Herman and Elizabeth Ka'ilikini. She grew up with hala trees in the yard and leamed at a young age how to prepare the leaves for her mother's weaving. Her mother wouldn't let her weave, only elean lau hala. When she was 7-years old, she visited her paternal grandmother who taught her how to weave pāpale (hats). After inspecting and approving her work, her grandmother told young Josephine to tell her mother to let her help with the weaving and not just with the cleaning process. From that point on, she was able to help her mother weave to support the family. Aunty Josephine, as she is affectionately called, is a generous supporter of loeal orgaSEE FERGERSTRŪM ON BACK PAGE

Photo: Marqnes Marzan

) FERGERSTROM

CONTINUED FR0M INSIDE nizations, weaving pāpale and otherlau hala products to support community events and to raise funds for various programs. Her seltlessness has been recognized both locally and statewide, having received the 2009 Hōlualoa Foundation for Arts and Culture's Ua Mākaukau Loa Award and being named Living Treasure of Hawai'i by the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawai'i in 2011. Even with her many accolades, she remains a humble and

sharing person, willing to teach anyone interested in learning. She is a major source of inspiration in the lau hala weaving community of Hawai'i and epitomizes aloha in every way. Aunty Josephine's students ean attest to the joy she brings to weaving occasions. Her laugh, smile and stories are unforgettable. The love and happiness that fills the room because of her presence is a quality that many of her students strive to emulate. She is looked upon as a role model by multiple generations of weavers, numerous circles of friends, family and eommunity members alike. Mueh like the number of pāpale she is estimated to have made in her lifetime, well over 27,000 at this point, Aunty Josephine is amazing indeed. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs' Nā Mamo Makamae o ka Po'e Hawai'i: Living Treasures of the Hawaiian People Award is an honor she certainly deserves. ■