A forty five-foot lengthy slide standing 15 to 20-feet excessive awaits Huge Island residents and guests of all ages within the historic Hawaiian sport of heʻe hōlua, or lava sledding.
The Pāhoa Lava Zone Museum, a nonprofit geared toward educating guests by way of accountable stewardship of decrease Puna, partnered with cultural practitioner and hōlua knowledgeable kumu Keone Kalawe to modernize the apply of hōlua by making it safer with astroturf and moveable for occasions.
The hōlua venture is a component of a bigger mission to regenerate the Puna’s economic system by way of Hale Hālāwai O Puna – a brand new cultural and entrepreneurial group hub that can give guests higher entry to Puna’s tradition, creativity and genuine experiences rooted locally, mentioned Amedeo Markoff, principal officer of the Pāhoa Lava Museum.
“Hale Hālāwai O Puna is for all Hawaiʻi cultural practitioners to share the artwork kinds they produce with guests, whether or not its carving waʻa, lei making, poi pounding, hula dancing, or hōlua sledding,” Markoff mentioned. “This shall be a chance to teach guests, so after they exit they donʻt develop into an issue after which the group can the make the most of the facility of economic system they carry with them.”
The 2018 Kīlauea decrease East Rift Zone eruption and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has induced a ripple impact on Pāhoa’s economic system as a result of lack of trip leases, agricultural land and the fish trade with the disappearance of the Pohoiki boat ramp.
“We now have the identical quantity of infrastructure, however there are a lot of individuals shifting to Puna and downtown Pāhoa hasn’t seen optimistic advantages from it,” Markoff mentioned. “I feel the county has seen the necessity to assist us restore the economic system.”
The brand new hub additionally shall be useful to the cultural practitioners in Puna.
Final week, the Hawaiʻi County Council voted to switch $10,500 in contingency aid funds from Hawaiʻi County Councilwoman Ashley Kierkiewicz to the Division of Analysis and Improvement Tourism for a grant that shall be used to fund the hub, which is able to educate by way of cultural practices and promote financial alternative from tourism.
“Native Hawaiian communities need a resurgence of apply and delight with tourism, and this reimagining of tourism will present the group how it may be completed in a regenerative and sustainable approach, with practices distinctive to the decrease Puna space, just like the hōlua sled,” Kierkiewicz mentioned.
With assist from county funds and a grant from the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, Hale Hālāwai o Puna will launch with a cultural mākeke (market) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Could 3.
“We needed to do a big group hui with members of the county to get this venture off the bottom and present what these occasions may seem like by way of Hale Hālāwai, which is greater than a market,” Kierkiewicz mentioned. “This is a chance to prioritize what’s essential to the individuals of Puna and provides cultural practitioners, artists, and small enterprise house owners the chance to thrive.”
A number of the demonstrations that shall be featured in the course of the hub’s launch occasion embody, heʻe hōlua, carving waʻa, lei making, pounding poi, ingesting ʻawa and hula dancing.
Heʻe hōlua was a type of recreation sometimes practiced by aliʻi (ruling class), however was additionally completed in honor of the goddess Pele, who was revered for her skill to hōlua. The sledding act — then and now — is steeped in protocol, together with oiling papa hōlua (sleds) and riders with kukui nut oil and typically laying down mats of pili grass or ti leaves to clean and add friction to sluggish the trip.
“The concept is to encourage tourism on our phrases, in a approach the group helps,” Kierkiewicz mentioned. “Generally our guests will not be conscious of what they’re entering into and the way particular these locations are that many locals frequent.”
Finally, the hope is to ascertain a basis of tourism in Puna that’s “respectful, equitable and round, so success is reinvested into the group,” Kierkiewicz mentioned.
The primary occasion on Could 3 additionally will commemorate the seventh anniversary of the 2018 eruption with an Activate Puna city get together and night paina (live performance) from 4:30 to 10 p.m. The entry payment is $10, with all proceeds supporting the cultural mākeke and future city events.
After the launch of Hale Hālāwai, the Pāhoa Lava Museum will host two extra cultural mākeke in June and have plans proceed internet hosting the locally-focused marketplaces, cultural celebrations, group conferences, instructional workshops and city events within the dynamic gathering place of downtown Pāhoa.
