About this Event
Hosted by the Mayor's Office of Culture and the Arts in partnership with Puʻuhonua Society, this Wahi Pana experience will commence at Native Books at Arts & Letters where Carl F. K. Pao will lead a special printmaking workshop. The storytelling continues as we venture afoot on a walking tour of Fort Street, where his tile mural Ke Kānāwai Māmalahoe is located, transforming ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i into a visual language using a coded alphabet.
- Saturday, October 10
- 11am - 2pm
- ** Limited spots available! Free event, open to all. Please register by Friday 10/09
Carl F.K. Pao’s tile mural uses a coded alphabet, sharing mo‘olelo that inspires viewers to pause, reflect, and connect with their kuleana (responsibility) to land and community. The mural draws from Ke Kānāwai Māmalahoe (The Law of the Splintered Paddle), established by King Kamehameha I in 1797. Rooted in a story of protection and compassion, this law calls for safety and respect for all, symbolizing compassion and justice.
E nā kānaka,
e mālama ʻoukou i ke akua
a e mālama hoʻi i ke kanaka nui
a me ke kanaka iki;
E hele ka ʻelemakule, ka luahine
a me nā kama a moe i ke ala,
ʻaʻohe mea nāna e hoʻopilikia.
Hewa nō, make.
[Oh people,
Honor thy god;
respect alike [the rights of] people both great and humble;
May everyone, from the old men and women to the children
Be free to go forth and lie in the road
Without fear of harm.
Break this law, and die.]
The original name of the Fort Street area was Kou. The intersection of Alakea and Merchant Streets is called Kauanonoula, named after the famous chief Kauanonoula. She enjoyed playing kōnane at Kou, which is where Fort Street is located today. Her kōnane board was crafted from kou wood gathered near Kapiʻolani Park, featuring small squares marked with dog teeth inlays at the corners. This story provides insight into the area’s naming, reflecting the hana leʻaleʻa (pleasurable happenings) of chiefs like Kauanonoula and her male companion, Honokaupu, playing kōnane. The romantic phrase, “Huhuhui aku nā maka i kou,” which means “We will see each other’s faces at Kou,” originates from this context, symbolizing the twisting and torment of love, similar to the Kou tree.
Read the full research document on Kou, Kekuanohu, Fort Street by Ka‘imina‘auao Kahikina and Ke Kānāwai Mamalahoa by Kauwila Mahi at wahipana.com.
Event venue & nearby stays
Native Books at Arts & Letters, 1164 Nuuanu Avenue, Honolulu, United States
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