HONOLULU (KHON2) – This weekend, it is all about moʻolelo.
That is our stories, our tales, our traditions, our history.
All of that will be in the spotlight this Saturday, Oct. 18, at Windward Mall for the first-ever event known as Nā Moʻolelo Hawaiʻi, which is actually serving as a fundraising event for a non-profit known as Paepae o Heʻeia.
To find out more about this, we are here with the lady who has put together Nā Moʻolelo Hawaiʻi for the first time, Billie Gabriel.
Being that this event is all focused on storytelling, what can we expect this Saturday?
“Well, what you can expect is a lot of fun, lots of activities for kids and adults, but also moʻolelo,” says Gabriel.
“We all have stories to tell, so what we want to do is give the families an opportunity to come here and express some of the stories through their art.”
We see mask decorating, but what else will be happening on Saturday?
“We are also going to have a high school competition,” says Gabriel.
“There are three finalists, Farrington, Roosevelt and Saint Louis High Schools. So, they are going to be in a competition showing their moʻolelo by building it, building it this way.”
And we also have some master storytellers who are going to be a part of this event as well, so you are going to want to purchase those tickets before it’s too late.
We are talking about master storyteller Uncle Lopaka Kapanui, Moses Goods, you may have seen him on Chief of War, and even Keliko Hoe from this side of the island, and the stories that they get to share, I feel, are so invaluable.
I want to introduce Hiʻilei Kawelo and Keliʻi Kotubetey, who are part of Paepae o Heʻeia, the founders of the organization.
Hiʻilei, this event that this is fundraising for, tell us a little bit about that.
“Yes. On Saturday, December 13, our event is called Moʻokuapā and we are going to be celebrating ceremoniously through hana the completion of the restoration work of Heʻeia fishpond, so 25 years in the making, restoration will be done as of December 13, 2025,” says Kawelo.
“We are trying to get 2,000 people from our community come out and put the finishing touches on the last 300-foot section of the fishpond wall.”
Keliʻi, for you, when we are highlighting moʻolelo in this event, highlighting moʻolelo from your history as a fishpond, I can only assume the moʻolelo goes back significantly in history.
What is the significance of this event for you?
“Absolutely. We are so excited to share stories, not only this Saturday here at Windward Mall but also at our event in December,” says Kotubetey.
“Our loko iʻa is 800 years, the tradition of Hawaiian aquaculture goes well over 1000 years, 1500 years, and there are so many stories, so many memories, so much ʻike that has been handed down by our kūpuna, and the moʻolelo help to carry that ʻike. It helps to carry all of that excitement, and so we are going to bring that forth both this Saturday and in December. Stories are the way our history and knowledge has been passed from the past to today, and we will take it forward into the future.”
Again, this is all about moʻolelo.
It is this Saturday right here at Windward Mall in Kāneʻohe.
It is called Nā Moʻolelo Hawaiʻi, a fundraising event for Paepae o Heʻeia.
It will start at 10 a.m. all the way to 3 p.m.
You are going to want to buy your tickets to those storytelling sessions and get some of these mask kits as well.
For more information on Nā Moʻolelo Hawaiʻi, click here.
For more information on Paepae o Heʻeia, click here.