Haleakalā NP Seeks Cultural Practitioners for Kīpahulu Program

Hula hālau Wehiwehi O Leilehua performed “Nene,” written by kumu Gordean Bailey, and “Kīpahulu,” performed to music by Jeff Rasmussen during the recent event celebrating a new cultural brochure for the NPS on Maui. Photo courtesy Haleakalā NPS.

By Wendy Osher

Haleakalā National Park announced that it is seeking cultural practitioners for a series of cultural demonstrations that will be offered in the Kīpahulu District of the park beginning in mid-June 2014.

“Through support from the park’s non-profit partner, the Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association, an honorarium of $200 will be offered to each group of practitioners,” park officials said in a press release announcement.

The park plans to host cultural demonstrations between 1 and 3 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month, between June 14 and Aug. 23, 2014.

Demonstrations may include hula, music, or native crafts.

The announcement comes three months after the park unveiled a new cultural brochure featuring information on safety, driving, weather, hiking, swimming, plants and animals, activities, and cultural and natural resources of the region.

Park officials noted that no other brochure in the entire 401-unit national park system was written by community members in the native language of the community.

During that event, US Senator Mazie Hirono had commented, “The Hawaiian culture and the people who practice it are very much alive. Native Hawaiians come to Haleakalā to renew ties to their ancestors as well as to pass ancient traditions down to the next generation.”

Applications for the new cultural demonstration series are available at any Haleakalā National Park visitor center or online.

The deadline to apply is April 18. Successful applicants will receive a response by Friday, May 2.