HUI MOʻOLELO


​The word hui translates to club, association, joint ownership, team or to congregate. The word moʻolelo means story, myth, legend and history, and is derived from the words "moʻo" and "ʻōlelo", or the succession of speech, as stories of the Hawaiian people were traditionally passed down orally.

Click the image for a 5-minute overview of our Hui Mo‘olelo program partnership with the Maui Historical Society and the County of Maui. >>>
Through Hui Mo‘olelo (“gathering of stories”), an annual cohort of storytellers is trained through a series of free, community workshops. Upon completion, participants are paired with an intergenerational partner to generate a site-specific story that is audio-recorded. The audio excerpts become the basis for annual requests for artist proposals by professional artists, in which they interpret a recording as a work of public art in collaboration with community members. Proposals are selected by a community panel, followed by an intensive learning and cultural exchange that is rooted in specific places throughout Maui County.

The Hui Mo’olelo program has been recognized for its outstanding contribution to the local community, stemming from past National Endowment for the Arts grant projects that include Wailuku’s SMALL TOWN * BIG ART initiative and the County of Maui Public Art Master Plan. 
Carol Ball & Erin Wade
​Coach Earle Kukahiko & Kaliko Storer of Lāhainā
​• Full Recording HERE (Bonus Video)​
​• Excerpt HERE
​• Animation coming soon!
​Louis Garcia III & Kaliko Storer of Lāhainā
​• Full Recording HERE (Bonus Video)​​
• Excerpt HERE
​• Animation coming soon!
Reverend Gensho Hara, Lāhainā Jodo Mission & his daughter, Yayoi Hara
​• Full Recording HERE
​• Translated transcript HERE (*Excerpt highlighted on page 5 & 6)
​• Animation (one) (two) and (three) coming soon!
Abraham "Snake" Ah Hee, Lahainaluna Class of 1964, Lopaka White, Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission and Myrna Ah Hee, Lahainaluna Class of 1980
​​​• Full Recording HERE
​• Excerpt #1 HERE
• Excerpt #2 HERE
​• Animation coming soon!
​​• Mural coming soon!
​Tom Fujita, Lahainaluna High School Class of 1962 & Dean Tokishi, Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission
​​• Full Recording HERE
• Excerpt HERE
• Mural (one) and (two) coming soon!
Teva Medeiros, Lāhaināluna High teacher and his Grandfather Timothy Medeiros Sr.
​• Full Recording HERE
• Excerpt HERE
​​• Animation coming soon!
Theo Morrison, Executive Director, Lahaina Restoration Foundation & Erin Wade, Planning & Development Chief, County of Maui 
​​• Full Recording HERE
• Excerpt​ HERE
• Mural (coming soon!)
Scott Fisher, Director of ʻĀina Stewardship at Hawai'i Land Trust & Kim Thayer of Mauna Kahalawai Watershed Partnership 
​• Full Recording HERE
​•​ Excerpt HERE
•​ Sculpture HERE
Uncle William Garcia, Jr. & Pualani Enos, UH Mānoa Matsunaga Institute for Peace
​• Full Recording HERE
Uncle “Gaby”  Gouveia & Pualani Enos, UH Mānoa Matsunaga Institute for Peace
​• Full Recording HERE
 ​• Excerpt HERE
Bruce Uʻu & Nohe Uʻu-Hodgins of Hawaiian Canoe Club, Ho'aloha Park, Kahului
• Full Recording HERE
​• Excerpt HERE
Joyce Kawahara, Kahului Elementary (and more!) & Dean Tokishi, Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission
• Full Recording HERE
• ​Excerpt HERE
​Jeanette Nalani Kaauamo of Wailuanui & Lopaka White, Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission
​• Full Recording HERE
​• Excerpt HERE
Kevin Gavagan, Assistant Director of Engineering at Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea and and his daughter, marine biologist Kukui  Gavagan
​• Full Recording HERE
• ​Excerpt HERE
•​ Animation HERE
Andrew Chin, ukulele instructor at ʻĪao Intermediate School and his stepfather, artist Michael Takemoto
​• Full Recording HERE
​• ​Excerpt HERE
•​ Animation HERE
Musicians Anthony Pfluke and Kevin Brown
​​• Full Recording HERE
​​• Excerpt HERE
•​ Animation HERE
Jennifer Freeland, Behavioral Health Specialist · Hawaiʻi State Department of Education & her father, Haines Burt Freeland
• Full Recording HERE
​• Excerpt HERE
​• Animation coming soon!​
Anuhea Yagi, Student of Hawaiian Life Ways + Hōaka Delos Reyes, expert in the field of stone-on-stone carving (kālai pōhaku)
​​• Full Recording HERE
​• Excerpt HERE
•​ Animation HERE
Hōkūlani Holt, PhD, Kumu Hula, Pāʻū O Hiʻiaka, Ka Hikina O Ka Lā, University of Hawaii Maui College + Cody Pueo Pata, Kumu Hula, Halau Hula ʻo ka Malama Mahilani
​​• Full Recording HERE
​• Excerpt HERE
•​ Animation HERE
Kahoʻiwai Belsom, Attorney + Jocelyn Romero Demirbag, Ed.D., Director of Development, Maui Nui at The University of Hawaii Foundation
​• Full Recording HERE
​• Excerpt HERE
​• Animation HERE
Michael K. Nāhoʻopiʻi, master lauhala weaver and Executive Director of Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission + Kelly McHugh-White, Maui Public Art Corps
• Full Recording HERE
​• Excerpt HERE
​• Animation HERE
Soon Yai Amaral, Elder kamaʻāina of Lānaʻi + Diane Preza, Kamaʻāina of Lānaʻi
​• Full Recording HERE
​• Excerpt HERE
• Animation HERE
Anthony Pacheco and his father Henry Eskaran, Jr., Kamaʻāina of Lānaʻi
​• Full Recording HERE
​• Excerpt HERE
• Animation HERE
Dean Del Rosario, Kamaʻāina of Lānaʻi + Shelly Preza, Executive Director, Lānaʻi Culture & Heritage Center
​• Full Recording HERE
​• Excerpt HERE
​• Animation HERE
Annadele Yahiro + Michael Bursack, Docents for Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House / Maui Historical Society
​• ​Full Recording HERE
​• Excerpt HERE
​• ​Animation HERE
Sally Ann Delos Reyes, Water-woman + Lopaka White, Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission
​• Full Recording HERE
​• Excerpt HERE
• Performance art HERE
Kekoa Enomoto, ʻAhahui Kaʻahumanu and Chairwoman, Paʻupena Community Development Corporation + Kauwela Bisquera, General Manager, Queen Kaʻahumanu Center
​• Full Recording HERE
​• Excerpt HERE
• Mural HERE
Frank De Rego, Maui Police Commission, Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce, Maui County Climate Action Resiliency Planning Advisory Committee + ​Wallette Pellegrino, Former Host of "Preserving Our Recollections”
​​• Full Recording HERE
​• Excerpt HERE
Coach John McCandless (aka Johnny Mac) + Dean Tokishi, Ocean Resources Specialist, Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission
• Full Recording HERE
​• Excerpt HERE
​• Animation HERE
Sissy Lake-Farm + Lopaka White talk story about Hawaiian Canoe Club
​​• Full Recording HERE
​• Excerpt HERE
Roselle Bailey, Kumu Hula, Ka’Imi Na’auao O Hawaii Nei Institute + Anuhea Yagi, Student of Hawaiian Life Ways
​• Full Recording HERE
​• Excerpt HERE
​• Paintings HERE
• Animation HERE
Gordon Bailey, Kumu Hula, Halau Wehiwehi of Leilehua + Sissy Lake-Farm, Kumu Hula, Hālau Makana Aloha O Ka Lauaʻe 
​• Full Recording HERE
​• Excerpt HERE
• Animation HERE
Clifford Naeʻole, Cultural Advisor at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua + Hōkūao Pellegrino, Nohoʻana Farm
​• Full Recording HERE
​• Excerpt HERE
• Animation HERE
​• Mural & Dance HERE
Kalapana Kollars, Hawaiian Cultural Programs Director, Lahaina Restoration Foundation + Wallette Pellegrino, Host of ”Preserving Our Recollections” 
​• Full Recording HERE
​• Excerpt HERE
​• Paintings HERE
• Animation HERE
Lopaka White, Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission + Kepā Maly, Cultural Historian & Resource Specialist, Executive Director of Lānaʻi Culture and Heritage Center
​• Full Recording HERE
​• Excerpt HERE
•  Animation​ HERE
​•  ​Mural HERE
Dean Tokishi, Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission + Skippy Hau, Aquatic Biologist, State of Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources
​• Full Recording HERE
​• Excerpt HERE
• Animation​ HERE
Nani Fay Paglinawan, Women Helping Women lifetime achievement awardee + Pualani Enos, UH Mānoa Matsunaga Institute for Peace
• Excerpt HERE
•​ Mural HERE
•​ Animation HERE

Helpful Links & Background

​From 2021 to 2023, artist Leilehua Yuen led workshops for our SMALL TOWN * BIG ART program that cultivated a Maui storyteller network and captured stories embedded in a Maui sense of place. This work helped to create a new foundation for public artwork design. Armed with Leilehua's teachings as well as best practices from a wide range of storytelling and oral history experts, the Hui’s intention is to capture an authentic moment of connection through stories that are embedded in a Maui County sense of place. As participants complete the Hui Mo’olelo workshop series, each are paired with an intergenerational partner for an audio-recorded talk-story that captures these connective moments for potential artistic interpretation. Representing a wide range of special places and stories, the recordings are available for your research, enjoyment, memory or inspiration. Please enjoy. 
  • Storytelling Pilot Project (PAGE)
  • Leilehua Yuen project (PAGE)
  • Self-recorded cohort member stories (LINK)
  • Hui Mo‘olelo & Lahaina (BLOG)
  • DIY Tutorial for Participants (LINK)
  • 2024-2025 NEA Grant Announcement (Maui Now)
  • Arts & Resilience Event (Lahaina News)

Workshop Recordings

  1. 2021 Workshop #1 LINK (4/28/21) | Workshop #2 LINK (5/20/21) | Workshop #3 LINK (6/2/21) | Workshop #4 was an in-person event at the Bailey House in Wailuku (7/18/21)
  2. 2022 Workshop #1 LINK (4/28/22) | Workshop #2 LINK (5/5/22) | Workshop #3 LINK (5/13/22)
  3. 2023 Workshop #1 LINK (5/27/23) | Workshops #2 & #3 were facilitated offline 
  4. 2024 Workshop #1 LINK (6/21/24) | Workshop #2 LINK (6/28/24) | Workshop #3 LINK (7/5/24) | Wellness with Aloha LINK (7/12/24)