In November, Uncle Kimo Adams and Aunty Tuti Kanahele introduced myriad ways for workshop participants to start integrating lāʻau lapaʻau into their lives.

Native plants play an important role in Hawaiian culture. They are used to make lei, weave cloth, and lāʻau lapaʻau—the traditional practice of physical and spiritual healing through the use of plants. This fall, ELP and ʻAhahui o Hawaiʻi (Hui) partnered with Ka Ulu Lāʻau to provide the WSRSL community with Native Hawaiian plants—including commonly used plants for lāʻau lapaʻau, Indigenous and endemic ferns, and flowering plants such as ʻilima and ʻōhiʻa lehua. With the overwhelming support of students, faculty, alumni, and community members, ELP and Hui raised over $2,000 in proceeds which will support WSRSL students and the Nā ʻAikāne o Maui Lahaina Cultural Center.

On November 18, Uncle Kimo Adams of Ka Ulu Lāʻau hosted a plant workshop in Hale Aʻo at Windward Community College (WCC) to demonstrate the biocultural value of Hawaiʻi’s native and canoe plants. Aunty Tuti Kanahele, a native of Niʻihau now residing on Oʻahu, kicked off the workshop in the WCC māla by describing her first introduction to lāʻau lapaʻau, the practices of her kūpuna (ancestors). In ancient Hawaiʻi, ʻōlena (turmeric) was used in medicine, religion, and as a yellow ochre-colored dye for kapa. Aunty Tuti demonstrated how she makes ʻōlena ʻwai (turmeric tonic)—washing, drying, and peeling the rhizomes of the ʻōlena plant, before blending it with lemon juice and Hawaiian chili peppers. Aunty Tuti also shared several ways to incorporate ʻōlena in home cooking—ʻōlena bread, ʻōlena marmalade, candied ʻōlena, ʻōlena pickles, and ʻōlena fried rice.

Mahalo nui to Ka Ulu Lāʻau for their support and a big mahalo to all of the folks who participated in our native plant fundraiser this year!