ʻOhuʻohu Maunakea i ka Laʻi

Enjoy reading the manaʻo behind Pono Fernandez’s feather work in one of our Kūkulu exhibits!
•
So honored to have some of my feather work showcased in this Kūkulu exhibit for Maunakea—the lei hulu made for @kulaiwimusic and a kāhili featured in the @sevensunstheband music video. Mahalo piha to Aunty @puacase for the opportunity. Palena ʻole ke aloha iā ʻoe.

Sharing a reflection about this series called ʻOhuʻohu Maunakea i ka Laʻi:

The concept for this series of lei was born on the slopes of Maunakea. On August 20th, 2019, my kāne and I took the first flight to Kona stand as aloha ‘āina against the building of TMT. By that point, this had become our regular routine—balancing work and family life and holding space on Maunakea. That morning, we had a quiet moment between musical performances under the entertainment tent after morning ‘aha. As a featherworker, I had learned that the energies, sounds and stories surrounding a feather maker are woven into the lei as it is created. As we had packed for Maunakea the night before, I wanted to create lei in the presence of the Mauna. Knowing I couldn’t bring my supplies, I opened my heart to be filled with inspiration for the designs of these lei. My hope for these particular lei was to capture the energy of the Maunakea movement—the bravery and dedication of our people standing in love for our ‘āina, as well as the strength and beauty of the mauna itself.

The colors and mana‘o revealed themselves to represent balance, duality, ao and pō. The set of five lei were made in two pairs—a kāmoe and a poepoe in each of the same design. The fifth lei is a hybrid, utilizing both kāmoe and poepoe techniques, a style which I am calling lei wili lehua.

While there was always an undertone of tension and the unknown, our time on Maunakea was filled with a sense of peace, community, kuleana, ceremomy, and deep aloha for ‘āina. To behold Maunakea standing in the calm in her full glory, regally cloaked in the misty colors of sunrise is truly a gift. I hoped that when these lei hulu are worn, we are transported back to that place, steadfast in our purpose of sharing the mo‘olelo of our people and advocating for ancestral knowledge as the foundation of how we walk in this world.
📷 #3-8: @keliigrace