MEDIA RELEASE

Families with students in Waimea Middle School are invited to a first-ever Ohana Makahiki Festival. which runs 9 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Nov. 17 to learn about voyaging and the foods Polynesians brought with them to Hawaii, lupe (kite) making and makahiki games and how these connect to the past and present – including their ties to science and cultural and environmental learning.

This family fun day of discovery will be held in Waimea Middle School’s Malaai Garden and fields and each participant will be given a “passport” booklet that encourages them to visit each of the discovery stations.

Makahiki Games, which will be staged on the soccer field under the direction of kumu Keala Kahuanui. Everyone will be invited to try their hand at the various Makahiki games, which were traditionally held at this time of year.

WMS students are learning them in PE classes and some students also are participating in an after-school training program hosted by Ka Moku o Keawe Makahiki in preparation for the islandwide Championship Tournament on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013 in Waimea.

Makahiki games fall into two categories – Skill Games and Strength Games.

Skill Games include Konane (a form of checkers), Ulumaika (disk rolling), Moa Pahee (dart sliding), Ooihe (spear throwing), Kukini (foot racing), and Huki Ma Ka Papa (one-on-one tug-of-war while balancing on a beam).

Strength Games include Hakamoa (one leg held up with hand as opponents try to force the other off balance or out of the ring), Uma (arm wrestling from a prone position), Pauma (standing arm wrestling to unbalance the opponent), Pohaku Hooikaika (stone toss) and Hukihookahi (one-on-one tug-of-war), and Hukihuki (tug-of-war with six-person teams).

Lupe (Kite) Making for the whole family, which will be staged on the field. Families will learn about how kites have been important to many cultures around the world including the Polynesian voyagers.

They will make and take a kite home and will then be invited to join in flying kites together at the Makahiki Championship Tournament in January 2013.

Waimea schools, families and community also will fly their lupe on the day the Hokulea voyaging canoe sets sail on its four-year round-the-world voyage in mid-2013.

Canoe Foods will be shared at stations in the Malaai garden, including coconut, kalo (taro), sugar cane, maia (banana) and ulu (breadfruit). Cultural practitioners will talk about how to grow and prepare these foods and samplings will be provided.

Also, participants will be introduced to several voyaging games and activities complementing lessons WMS students are learning in science, math and social studies.

At the end of the program, everyone who has gotten their “passport” stamped at each of the stations will be given something delicious that was grown in the Malaai Garden to take home.

The program is free.

— Find out more
www.WaimeaMiddleSchool.org