Hui Mo'olelo: Hui Makua
Our Legacy of Story Gathering
A brief summary of the trends and values driving our work.
Since our inception, Maui Public Art Corps has focused on Deep Listening as a form of community service. Our work began with a realization that public art is only successful when it acts as a mirror for the community’s own stories. By partnering with the County of Maui, cultural consultant Sissy Lake-Farm and hundreds of additional partners in recent years, we have transitioned from "making art" to safeguarding moʻolelo. We do this through a program entitled Hui Mo‘olelo.
The trend in our collaborative work has moved steadily toward intergenerational healing. From our initial project with Leilehua Yuen, to the Lei Pua ʻAla project’s focus on inclusion, to the Hui Moʻolelo: Lahaina efforts following the wildfires, we have seen that the act of telling a story is a path to resilience. This latest cohort continues that trajectory, honoring the Hawaiian cultural value of hoʻoilina (legacy), the understanding that we are the bridge between the wisdom of our ancestors and the potential of our descendants.
A brief summary of the trends and values driving our work.
Since our inception, Maui Public Art Corps has focused on Deep Listening as a form of community service. Our work began with a realization that public art is only successful when it acts as a mirror for the community’s own stories. By partnering with the County of Maui, cultural consultant Sissy Lake-Farm and hundreds of additional partners in recent years, we have transitioned from "making art" to safeguarding moʻolelo. We do this through a program entitled Hui Mo‘olelo.
The trend in our collaborative work has moved steadily toward intergenerational healing. From our initial project with Leilehua Yuen, to the Lei Pua ʻAla project’s focus on inclusion, to the Hui Moʻolelo: Lahaina efforts following the wildfires, we have seen that the act of telling a story is a path to resilience. This latest cohort continues that trajectory, honoring the Hawaiian cultural value of hoʻoilina (legacy), the understanding that we are the bridge between the wisdom of our ancestors and the potential of our descendants.
Hui Mo'olelo: Hui Makua Session 1 (2/20/26)
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Hui Mo‘olelo: Hui Makua Session 2 (2/27/26)
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Hui Mo‘olelo: Hui Makua Session 3 (3/6/26)
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A) About
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Stories of Place and Promise: Our 8th Hui Moʻolelo ("gathering of stories") cohort is in collaboration with Hui Makua, a community of parents, grandparents, and families dedicated to the gift of the Hawaiian language. This cohort is an invitation to celebrate the beauty and the kuleana of raising our children within a rich cultural legacy. Our focus is twofold: we seek stories deeply rooted in a Maui County sense of place, and we invite you to "Phone the Future." In addition to honoring where we have been, we want to speak faith into our future; telling our keiki exactly what we hope for them and the world they will inherit.
Our Core Intentions: This partnership serves three primary goals rooted in the spirit of community service:
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The Moʻolelo is the Treasure: In public art work, we often focus on the physical installation. However, for this cohort, we are grounding ourselves in a core principle: the story is the treasure. By recording your talk-story, you are contributing to a living archive that safeguards local knowledge. While these recordings often provide inspiration for future public art projects, the story itself is the primary outcome. These voices ensure that any future celebrations of place through our work are guided by the authentic experiences of our families. We welcome stories rooted anywhere across Maui County, including Lānaʻi, Moloka‘i, and Kahoʻolawe, and are particularly focused on Wailuku, Hana, Lahaina and Pāʻia for 2026 project work.
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What's Ahead
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Why It Matters
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B) Hui Makua Cohort
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Kalapana Kollars, Hawaiian Cultural Programs Director, Lahaina Restoration Foundation
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Kahu Kili Namauʻu, Director, Pūnana Leo o Maui
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Kaleo (Jazmynn) Kekoa
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Kumu Kaʻō
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Melia Mattos
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Pūlama Collier
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Self-Video Story Submissions
Haʻawina assigned in Session 1; DIY's are encouraged to participate as well!
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C) Talk-Story Format
Our process was designed with the help of StoryCorps DIY best practices and further guided by long-standing cultural practitioners, historians, and community leaders including oral historians Kepā and Onaona Maly, artist Leilehua Yuen, and past Hui Mo‘olelo facilitators Kalapana Kollars, Anuhea Yagi, Sissy Lake-Farm and Kaliko Storer.
NOTES:
If you opt to work with Maui Public Art Corps as recording technician, you only need to show up with your questions/ prompts and perhaps a small makana for your partner, if you feel compelled to bring one. If you opt to DIY, you'll additionally need to follow each step listed in the "interview day" pdf below (READ). Let us know how you and your partner feel most comfortable!
Through our collaboration with StoryCorps, all talk-story recordings are published to our StoryCorps Archive and preserved at the American Folklife Center (AFC) of the Library of Congress, ensuring their availability to future generations. These recordings are processed and securely stored by StoryCorps before being transferred to the Library of Congress for long-term preservation. You can access these interviews through archive.storycorps.org/user/mauipublicart and archive.storycorps.org/user/stba. By participating, we are contributing to a growing national archive that reflects our diverse voices and experiences.
TIPS
How to Participate: DIY Storytelling
We understand that life as a parent is a balancing act. If you cannot join our formal cohort sessions, we invite you to participate through our DIY Storytelling track. This is an open invitation for families to record their own connective moments at home.
To ensure your voice is preserved clearly in our public archive, please follow these simple steps:
- Complete Hui Mo‘olelo workshop series led by Sissy Lake-Farm, through which participants create their own micro-storytelling presentation (Past samples)
- Work with Maui Public Art Corps to schedule the best date & time to meet with your intergenerational talk-story partner at Lokahi Pacific, located at 1935 Main Street in Wailuku on the second floor (elevator on site/ guest parking in the rear), which is available Tues - Fri between 10 AM - 4 PM through March 6, 2026. If you prefer to record elsewhere, we can lend you our sound equipment.
- Each talk-story partner should pre-select 4-5 of the "Sample Questions & Prompts" below, or create your own prior to your scheduled recording. Feel free to go “off-script” and ask follow-up questions. Our goal is to gather, honor, and amplify stories rooted in Maui sense of place — connecting past, present, and future through deep listening, intergenerational dialogue, and community trust.
- Once settled into the recording space, note your starting time. In consideration of "bio breaks" and continuity, we have learned that 40-minutes is an ideal length of time to aim for. Please silence all phones. Now we'll/ you'll click record. Start by stating your name, age, the date, and the place where you are - and let your match do the same. Then begin with your list of prompts.
- When pau, sign the consent forms & be sure to capture a photo of the two of you together to send to us with your recording.
NOTES:
If you opt to work with Maui Public Art Corps as recording technician, you only need to show up with your questions/ prompts and perhaps a small makana for your partner, if you feel compelled to bring one. If you opt to DIY, you'll additionally need to follow each step listed in the "interview day" pdf below (READ). Let us know how you and your partner feel most comfortable!
Through our collaboration with StoryCorps, all talk-story recordings are published to our StoryCorps Archive and preserved at the American Folklife Center (AFC) of the Library of Congress, ensuring their availability to future generations. These recordings are processed and securely stored by StoryCorps before being transferred to the Library of Congress for long-term preservation. You can access these interviews through archive.storycorps.org/user/mauipublicart and archive.storycorps.org/user/stba. By participating, we are contributing to a growing national archive that reflects our diverse voices and experiences.
TIPS
- Let silence work—give time for reflection.
- Ask follow-up questions when something sparks curiosity.
- Keep focus on place + person + cultural context.
- Thank your partner sincerely at the end, and share how their story will be preserved.
- Engaging participants with respect (READ)
- The interview day (READ)
How to Participate: DIY Storytelling
We understand that life as a parent is a balancing act. If you cannot join our formal cohort sessions, we invite you to participate through our DIY Storytelling track. This is an open invitation for families to record their own connective moments at home.
To ensure your voice is preserved clearly in our public archive, please follow these simple steps:
- Format: We accept .mp3 or .m4a files.
- Environment: Find a quiet, "soft" room (with rugs or curtains) to minimize echoes. Avoid wind, background noise or interruptions. (We like to use a hand written "recording in progress" sign, where useful)!
- Consent: Every voice on the recording must have a signed Maui Public Art Corps Release Form.
- Borrow Gear: You can borrow our professional Movo PM20-S smartphone mic system for a "plug-and-play" experience. Simply plug the connector into your smartphone's audio port and clip the microphones to the speakers. Open your "Voice Memos" or "Voice Recorder" app. Always perform a test recording first: Record 10 seconds of "testing, 1, 2, 3," then unplug the mic and play it back to ensure the audio is crisp and clear. When pau, send Release Form + a photo of the two of you together + your audio recording to Kelly White to include in our public archive.
How will recordings be used? By participating in Hui Mo‘olelo, you allow us to carefully archive, edit, and share your story through our website, social media, and educational outlets so that your voice can inspire both current artists and future generations. Through our partnership with StoryCorps, all talk-story recordings are preserved in the StoryCorps Archive and housed at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, where they become part of a permanent national collection. Each recording is securely processed by StoryCorps before long-term preservation, ensuring that Maui’s stories are protected and accessible to future researchers, historians, and community members.
Sample Questions & Prompts
- When you close your eyes and think of home on Maui, what are the first sounds or smells you encounter?
- Is there a specific tree, rock, or stretch of water that feels like a family member to you?
- What is a "hidden gem" of your town that tourists never see, but defines the place for you?
- How has your favorite Maui County place changed since you were a child?
- If this land could speak, what story would it tell about your family?
- What was the moment you decided to choose a Hawaiian immersion path for your family?
- What is your favorite word or phrase in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi that doesn't have a perfect English translation?
- How does speaking the language of this land change the way you move through it?
- What has been the most challenging part of this journey, and what keeps you committed?
- Describe a moment where you heard your child speak or chant and felt a deep sense of "rightness."
- What is one value that you hope is "bone-deep" for your grandchildren?
- If you could send a "voice message" to your family 100 years from now, what would you say?
- What is a struggle we face today that you hope is a distant memory for the next generation?
- What do you hope the coastline (or other area of your choice) of Maui looks like when your keiki are elders?
- What "old way" of doing things do you hope your children never forget?
- How has the Hui Makua community supported you during the "wackadoodles" seasons of life? ;)
- Who is a person in your community who represents the "heart" of your place?
- What does "success" look like for the next generation of Maui families?
- How do we take care of one another when times are hard?
- What is a story of hope you want to plant today so it can grow for the future?
D) Project Timeline
- 11/26/25: Sissy, Anu and Kelly meet (in-person) to brainstorm on Hui Mo‘olelo next steps, evolution, and cohort #8 recommendations
- 12/22/25: Sissy, Anu and Kelly meet (via Zoom) to review cohort #8 (Hui Makua) values, connection to Ho‘omau (before/ during/ after), needs from a public art program (public funding + grants) standpoint, and prospective Hui Mo‘olelo Zoom schedule
- Jan 2026: Anu proposes Hui Mo‘olelo: Hui Makua to Ho‘omau chairs and makua; Kelly & Sissy to support with any Q&A/ context requirements
- 1/28/26: Sissy, Anu, Kalapana Kollars and Kelly meet to reaffirm focus on intergenerational knowledge sharing, cultural preservation, and honoring place through a shift from “storytellers” to “story gatherers.” Gathered narratives may be integrated into park-based “art of play” projects in Hāna, Lahaina, and Wailuku as well as a “phone the future” booth at Ho‘omau to authentically carry Indigenous lineage forward in public spaces.
- 2/4/26: Sissy & Anu present program at UH Maui College during Pūnana Leo o Maui weekly gathering
- 2/11/26: Sissy, Anu and Kelly meet to review recruitment progress (app/ survey + Hāna huakai), possible story prompts from the Pūnana Leo o Maui weekly gathering, and underscored the importance of DIY participation.
- 2/18/26: Team meets to finalize agenda for session #1 as discuss confirmed cohort participants
- 2/20/26: Session #1 (11 am - 1 pm) of three 2-hour Zoom sessions led by kumu Sissy Lake-Farm (Maui Public Art Corps' Hui Mo‘olelo program) + supported by Anu Yagi (Hui Makua) + hosted by Kelly White (Maui Public Art Corps + County of Maui Public Art Program: deck) | WATCH
- The session served as a foundational orientation, where participants discussed the program's mission to gather intergenerational recordings as the inspiration for future public art projects. Through a structured story prompt exercise, the cohort explored the preservation of Hawaiian identity and language, contrasting the historical trauma of cultural suppression with the modern revitalization efforts led by the Pūnana Leo immersion schools. The contributions emphasized a wealth of ancestral knowledge and the importance of archiving personal anecdotes to create a digital legacy for future generations. Ultimately, this gathering functions as a sacred space for vulnerability, bridging individual experiences of family and place to strengthen the collective cultural landscape of Maui County.
- 2/25/26: Team meets to discuss session #1 and plan for session #2; reminder that artist call will be released on 3/10 (talk-story recordings for this call DL: 3/6)
- 2/27/26: Session #2 (11 am - 1 pm) | WATCH
- In today's session, Anu helped guide the group into the intentional storytelling practices of the Hui Mo‘olelo process, framing stories as “time ships” that carry values across generations and sharing a moment witnessing Pūnana Leo children instinctively embody cultural knowledge while watching Moana in Hawaiian. Pūlama offered an expansive philosophical framework, reminding the group that language is an expression of one’s mauli (essence) and encouraging participants to move beyond narratives of cultural deficit toward the resilience and knowledge they already carry, while also reflecting on the energetic balance of giving and receiving within ʻike traditions. Sissy Lake-Farm grounded the session historically, sharing the evolution of the Hui Mo‘olelo program and the origin story of her own name received through her father’s dream at ʻĪao. Melia Matoss reflected on the intergenerational legacy of the Pūnana Leo movement within her family and the joy of witnessing her son’s cultural identity grow through language. Kaʻo described how ʻike and language live within everyday family life, sharing a story of her son using a pū to call chickens and explaining the layered meaning of his name. Kalapana spoke about the active practice of language through everyday talk story in the community and reflected on his own name as an inheritance passed down through family lineage; a time capsule of knowledge entrusted to him. Together, stories illustrated how Hui Mo‘olelo can become a living archive of ʻike, relationships, and cultural continuity.
- 3/2/26: Deadline for RFP talk-story recordings (Cohort members may complete their intergenerational recordings after this time; this is simply the deadline to be included in this specific public art project RFP, which will be live from 3/10-4/7/26)
- 3/6/26: Session #3 (11 am - 1 pm) | WATCH
- The final session was an intimate exploration of memory-based storytelling as a tool for cultural reclamation and intergenerational connection. Central was the principle that “everything is interconnected”. Sissy recounted her children’s respectful engagement with the Egyptian exhibit at the Met and the inclusive evolution of royal court pageantry at Kula Kaiapuni, highlighting how these practices model historical values for future generations; Anu reflected on the “Phone to the Future” booth, the creation of a 1983 Pūnana Leo storybook, Pūnana Leo children’s embodied learning while watching Moana, and acts of kōkua during a trip to Hana; Melia shared reflections of her young son’s early mastery of Hawaiian language concepts, and her leadership journey with Hōʻike Hana Lima; and Kalapana demonstrated artifact restoration, celebrated alumni connections at the printing museum, and performed the symbolic “everything everything dance”, emphasizing the ongoing interweaving of culture, community, and intentional practice. These contributions underscored how active engagement with language, tradition, and storytelling not only honors the past but charts a living roadmap for future generations.
- The final session was an intimate exploration of memory-based storytelling as a tool for cultural reclamation and intergenerational connection. Central was the principle that “everything is interconnected”. Sissy recounted her children’s respectful engagement with the Egyptian exhibit at the Met and the inclusive evolution of royal court pageantry at Kula Kaiapuni, highlighting how these practices model historical values for future generations; Anu reflected on the “Phone to the Future” booth, the creation of a 1983 Pūnana Leo storybook, Pūnana Leo children’s embodied learning while watching Moana, and acts of kōkua during a trip to Hana; Melia shared reflections of her young son’s early mastery of Hawaiian language concepts, and her leadership journey with Hōʻike Hana Lima; and Kalapana demonstrated artifact restoration, celebrated alumni connections at the printing museum, and performed the symbolic “everything everything dance”, emphasizing the ongoing interweaving of culture, community, and intentional practice. These contributions underscored how active engagement with language, tradition, and storytelling not only honors the past but charts a living roadmap for future generations.