Tom Hiona at Honolulu Academy of Arts, 1939.

Shown With Hawaiian Drums

Tom Hiona, hula master, who is in charge of Hawaiian dances at the Hawaiian Festival to take place Thursday evening at 8 o’clock at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. Continue reading

Tom Hiona opens halau, 1947.

TOM HIONA

WELL KNOWN TEACHER Of Hula to Open Studio on March 1

One of Hawaii’s best known teachers of the hula and directors of hula dancing, Tom Hiona, will open a new studio March 1. the studio is located at 1914 Kahai St., Kalihi.

For the past 15 years, Tom Hiona has been a leader in teaching both ancient and modern hula dances. He will instruct classes in all types of hula, including the following—pahu or drum dances, the olapa, uliuli or rattle gourd, puili or bamboo, iliili or pebble, ka kalaau or tapping sticks as well as modern dances. Continue reading

When will the women of Hawaii gain suffrage? 1917.

WOMEN WILL BE ALLOWED TO VOTE

London, May 22—Before the onset of this frightening war in Europe, in England there was great opposition to the wish of women to have the right to vote; but today, there is consideration to give British women in England voting rights, and there is a bill before the British Parliament to give suffrage to women. Continue reading

More Hokulea past, 1975.

Keaulana: ‘It was beautiful.’

First cruise proves craft a humdinger

By BUNKY BAKUTIS
Advertiser Staff Writer

After the dust had settled from the day’s ceremony and the crew relaxed around beer coolers and luau food, Buffalo Keaulana, one of the two steersmen for the sailing canoe’s maiden voyage, summed up the brief cruise: “It was beautiful.

“It (the canoe) turned real easy. And when the paddling was right and the canoe was moving, it was a breeze to handle,” said Keaulana, who has been practicing sailing a smaller version of the double-hulled canoe this past year in preparation for the Tahiti trip.

SOME OF THE PADDLERS for yesterday’s ceremonial cruise into Kaneohe Bay also sung the craft’s praises. Continue reading

Early days of the Hokulea, 1975.

Canoes blessed, voyaging society tests the water

By BRUCE BENSON
Advertiser Science Writer

At least a thousand people sat silent on the beach yesterday, watching a Polynesian canoe-blessing ritual not seen since the days of Kamehameha.

Then with hoots and hollers from the crowd, a hundred hands tugged on the lines to send a spanking-new double-hulled canoe down the ways and into Kaneohe Bay. After some two years of dreaming, the Polynesian Voyaging Society was afloat.

The society is a nonprofit group made up of everyone from just average folks to highly skilled artisans and scientists and they are all pursuing the same goal:

To attempt to send the 6–foot canoe launched yesterday to Tahiti and back next summer, using the methods and tools of the Polynesians who first sailed to Hawaii more than a thousand years ago. Continue reading

Hokulea! 1975

Photo by Robert B. Goodman for Polynesian Voyaging Society

Not since Kamehameha…

The place is Kaneohe Bay; the date, 1975. But not since the days of Kamehameha has such a Polynesian canoe-blessing ritual been seen in Hawaii. The occasion was yesterday’s launching of a double-hulled craft which the Polynesian Voyaging Society will attempt to sail to Tahiti and back next summer. For more pictures and the story, see Hawaii Report on Page A-3.

(Star-Bulletin & Advertiser, 5/9/1975, p. 1)

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Sunday Star-Bulletin and Advertiser, Page A1, March 9, 1975.