Kaholoku‘i “ free poi! U pound um”
Kaholoku‘i is the root of our community activation
Kaholoku‘i’s vision is to return Hāloanakalaukapalili (our ancestor, the kalo (taro) plant and foods made from kalo) into the home through inspiration, information and practice. Complete 12 workshops and you will be able to make your own poi for free, forever! Kaholoku’i is customized to your community or organizations schedule and is dedicated to creating opportunities for youth ages 8 and up to make poi on a regular basis.
Since the inception of Kaholoku’i in September of 2009 over 2000 people have had the opportunity to fine tune their ku’i’ai skills in a fun, ohana based workshop.
In 2010 we are working on a monthly “ku’i no na Kupuna” event at local Kupuna homes on Oahu. Our first one was a great success at Lunalilo Home in August. Let us know if you have connections or are interested in attending or sponsoring a kupuna night.
Kaholoku’i would like to start a ku’i club in your High School! Link up with other high schools’ ku’i clubs, attend kalo workshops and festivals throughout the islands, make your own boards and stones and much more…
What is Kaholoku‘i?
During the full 12 part workshop, participants will be actively engaged in lessons that will cover the life cycle of Hāloa from his origin, to farming, harvest, preparation for ku‘i ‘ai (mashing of cooked taro), current issues threatening taro, and protocols related to consumption and storage.
This project is great for individuals ages 8 and up, families (less than age 8), community and private organizations that are committed to serve as a resource for their own community (residential, business, educational, etc) on Hāloa and ku‘i ‘ai, as well as perpetuating the consumption of pa‘i ‘ai and taro products within their home.
Measurable Objectives
Objective 1: Participants will be able to explain the story of Hāloa including genealogy, physical features and the growth cycle of kalo.
Objective 2: Participants will be able to cook and clean kalo.
Objective 3: Participants will be able to ku‘i (pound) kalo and mix into poi.
Workshops
Optional 15-20 minute presentation on:
1: E Ola Hāloa (Hāloa lives!)
2: Hāloa ke kalo (Hāloa the taro plant)
3: Ma‘ema‘e ka hana (The work is clean)
4: Ka mo‘olelo o Poi – The story of poi
5: Beneficial Bacteria! Lactobaccillus is good for me and you.
6: Na lau O Hāloa – Taro varieties.
7: Ke ku’i o ka ‘āina – different styles of pounding kalo.
8: Ho‘omo‘a ke kalo – The Kalo Cooking Process
9: Ke kānāwai nui o ke ahupua‘a – The laws of the land that feeds.
10: Ka ‘ai me ka i‘a – Fish and poi
Benefits of Kaholoku’i
- Create the “ono,” the taste and appreciation for pa‘i‘ai – most people have not eaten this ancestral starch made traditionally for over 100 years. Through the participation of Kaholoku‘i, you will be able to see, taste and experience the difference between machine made and hand pounded taro made into poi/pa’i ‘ai.
- Ma ka hana ka ‘ike – in the work is the knowledge. Each session will have 2 hours solely dedicated to ku’i (pounding time). The only way to get better is to keep doing it!
- Waiwai versus value – by understanding that making your own, you can make it healthier, last longer, for less money than purchasing commercially made poi.
- Ulu ka po’e, ulu ka ‘āina – the people grow so does the land. We need new farmers in every community.
- With over 100 Hawaiian varieties, kalo can grow in every community. Educated poi consumers, will raise the expectations of what is being farmed. Growing the value to the farmer for the raw taro, thus creating more revenue for farmers. If farmers can make money growing taro, more taro will be grown.
- We need to show that farming sustainably the way our ancestors did is not only more profitable, but truly sustainable.
If you, your family, community, organization or business is interested in the workshop, please contact us for more detailed information.
Contact us:
- Phone: (808) 542-1326
- Email: eat@manaai.com
Aloha Daniel!
On behalf of the Kamehameha Schools Class of 1974 may I tell you how much we enjoyed being a part of the Family Day at Lunalilo Home with you on Saturday, August 28th. Many of us were able to experience pounding poi for the first time. It was awesome! The poi was ono and I hope you enjoyed the meal that we prepared – “it’s all about the POI!”
Mahalo,
Coreene
Aloha kaua e Coreene,
It was our pleasure to spend a wonderful evening with the Kupuna of Lunalilo and your classmates. How lucky you folks are to have such a motivate alumni! Lets do something again. Mahalo hou for the ono mea’ai we went home and ate again.
Malamalama,
Daniel & Ohana
aloha…..will you ever be having workshops on Kaua`i? i think this would be a great opportunity for my students. you are doing a great job!!!
Aloha kaua e Tiana, You are the second request in the last few weeks to do something on Kaua’i. Where are you on Kaua’i? We will be there for the kalo conference at Waipa from October 15th – 17th. Maybe if not too late we could plan something? Please give me a call if you have any ideas.
Malama,
Daniel + ohana
Aloha Daniel,
Would you consider coming to the mainland to offer a workshop?
Aloha Lehua,
We could totally do a workshop in America. Last year we did two demo’s one in Las Vegas for their hoolaulea and the other at the Smithsonium in Washington DC for Hawaii day. To do a really go workshop we would like to do at minimal two days.
Please give me a call 808 542-1326 or email me at eat@manaai.com
I live in Mililani. Would like to learn more about poi making & use the poi pounders from my mother-in-law. What is my next step?
Aloha a hui hou – Peter Materre
Aloha Daniel. I LOVE what you’re doing! Is there anyway you can notify me the next time you give any workshops on the eastern seaboard? I would love to attend. Thank you for your dedication to your culture, your people, your land.
Malama pono.
LeAnna
aloha it’s good to see that youre still in the game of poi. keep the dream!!!!! aloha
If you plan to do a workshop in So. Cal. this year, when and where would that be? And do you know of where to obtain taro for poi in the So.Cal. area and what kind.
I would absolutely love to know when this happens if it does. We just moved to California and desire to stay connected to our Hawaiian culture. Please can you email me if you do come here.
i was wondering if you guys did this on other islands like kauai? im pretty sure the keikiokaaina would love to learn how to pound their own poi. i personally worked at makaweli poi mill for two years. have never tasted hand pounded poi. all poi i eat is machine made. i would love to learn how and give the keikis a chance to know their roots n culture please let me know
is there anyway i could learn here in Missouri how to make poi ?
we can get tuna and I grow t-leaf for Lau Lau and some foods we get in Joplin at an oreintal store. Igrow dry land tarro .
Rita
Aloha it was so awesome to see the article in this Sundays paper. I am interested in getting information about your community pounding days. Myself along with a few others took a class from Uncle Earl Kawaa and we learned and made our own papa kui ai and papa kui pohaku, and we are so eager to do more with the tools we made. please let us know when you have more workshops or anything we could participate in.
opps I ment pohaku kui ai. not reading what i typed till after.
Aloha mai kakou,
My name is Nick. I’m 24 years-old, from Baltimore, Maryland. I moved to Hawai‘i 5 years ago to start college at HPU. I was introduced to Haloa a few years ago when I went on a school trip to work in the lo‘i kalo at Ulupo Heiau. I had such an incredible experience that day, that I have been hooked on kalo ever since. With the lo’i as a living classroom, and Haloa as a teacher, I’ve been able to discover spirituality and connect w/ the ‘aina in ways I never knew was possible. Much of my college education has been devoted to learning about Hawaiian language, culture, and history and I believe it has helped me become a better, more grounded person.
I met Daniel last fall when he visited my anthropology class to talk story and share the mo’olelo of pa’i'ai. My entire class was shocked to hear that this most sacred food could not be legally sold to the public. With our food security and taro farming industry caught in the vulnerable condition that it’s in, Daniel’s story was the tipping point that inspired me to become activated. I reached out to him, and he welcomed me into the Legalize Pa’i'ai ‘Ohana. It was a humbling experience working with so many impassioned individuals in a long and successful legislative battle. When the dust finally settled from the legislative campaign, I decided I wanted to learn how to ku’i ‘ai and help perpetuate the consumption of traditionally-made pa’i'ai and poi.
This summer I’ve been attending Kaholoku’i once a week at Daniel’s home in Kane’ohe. When I first started, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing and, to be honest, I felt like a kook. But, with Daniel guys’ help and direction, I’ve been able to drastically improve my ku‘i skills and technique these past couple months. Each week I get faster and more confident with everything, from cleaning the kalo to wrapping the ti leaf, and I’m able to turn out pa’i'ai that is always ‘ono and “smooth as butter.” I’m becoming more and more ma’a of the interaction between the different kinds of pohaku and papa ku‘i ‘ai with the different varieties of kalo. I still have much to learn and improve (and always will), but each time I pick up the pohaku I feel that I get closer and closer to connecting with the traditional rhythm of ho‘opoha.
Sharing pa’i'ai with my friends and family has been the best and most rewarding part of learning to ku‘i ‘ai. When I bring pa’i'ai home, I’m lucky if I get a few bites! But it always feels good to see the smiles and to hear the “mmmmmm!” sound from people who try the pa’i'ai for the first time.
The next step for me is to learn how to make my own pohaku and papa ku‘i ‘ai. My ultimate goal is to become a self-sustaining ku‘i practitioner and to be able to eat traditionally-made poi on a daily-basis. This upcoming school year at HPU, we are opening up a mala ‘ai on campus and starting weekly ku‘i workshops for students. Hopefully by next year, we’ll have the opportunity to participate in the full, closed-loop, sustainable cycle of taro-to-poi production.
For anyone reading this, I hope you will become inspired to pick up the pohaku and perpetuate the spirit and tradition of ku‘i ‘ai, and to fight for our food sovereignty here in Hawai’i. If you’ve been thinking about it, I strongly urge you to reach out to Daniel and his ‘ohana. Their ku’i workshops are very welcoming and ‘ohana-style, and you will be able learn and work at your own pace. The tradition of “ma ka hana ka ‘ike” truly comes to life in kaholoku‘i. In my experience, ku‘i ‘ai isn’t something you can just learn-you have to practice it! And practice it a lot! Daniel and his ‘ohana can help give you the direction, the tools, and the opportunity to get started down the path.
Mahalo nui loa,
Nick
Aloha Daniel! In 2000, I left the islands, after living there for 30 years, to move to Washington State. Being an island girl, I had always enjoyed my Hawaiian food, especially laulau, lomi & poi! Purple, which is what I thought the color of poi was.
Though I loved it, I knew nothing of what poi really SHOULD BE. How can I ever go back?
Last month, we came home to visit and was offered the opportunity to make pai’i'ai through a mutual friend, Trevor. The short history lesson was informative. It made me want to learn more about the history of Poi or Pai’i'ai making. Thank you for welcoming me and my family into your home. Teaching us the basics of pounding pai’i'ai. You make it look effortless. Your act of generosity by sharing your personal poi “bowl” while we munched on dried salmon! How was the smoked salmon? Ono? Eh, anytime you like trade let me know! Thank you for the once in a lifetime experience! Aunty Mary, up in Washington =)