Oahu Regional Transportation Plan

OMPO Home Page Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization Ocean View Center, 707 Richards Street, Suite 200, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 Phone: (808) 587-2015 FAX: (808) 587-2018 Parking Locations Near OMPO Bus Stop Locations Near OMPO What is OMPO? OMPO is updating the Oahu Regional Transportation Plan Click here to enter the ORTP Website OMPO Committees Policy Committee Citizen Advisory Committee Technical Advisory Committee OMPO Documents OMPO Staff Contact OMPO Aloha! Welcome to the OMPO website. OMPO News & Announcements (Want to get involved? View the Committee Meeting Schedule ) Posted January 20, 2006 : An island-wide community meeting has been scheduled at which the draft 2030 ORTP will be presented. Posted January 20, 2006 : The draft 2030 ORTP financially constrained plan project list is available for review and comment. Comments are due by March 15, 2006. Posted December 7, 2005 : A status report for fiscal year 2005 TIP projects that have been obligated as of September 30, 2005 is now available. Previous News and Announcements more than 60 days old can be found in the Archived News and Announcements page. Upcoming OMPO Committee Meetings Policy Committee: The next meeting is scheduled for January 13, 2006. The Policy Committee will meet at 3:00 p.m. in the City Council Committee Room, 205, 530 South King Street. This is a continuation of the January 5, 2006 meeting Citizen Advisory Committee: The next meeting is scheduled for January 18, 2006. Technical Advisory Committee: The next meeting is scheduled for January 19, 2006. Click Here for Past Meeting Agendas and Minutes Public Involvement Schedule & Decision Points View a timeline that shows how you can provide OMPO with your input into the Oahu Regional Transportation Plan , Transportation Improvment Program , and Overall Work Program . For more information about these documents, please go to the OMPO Documents page. You are vistior number since October 7, 2003. Counter powered by: This website was initiated by Dr. C. S. Papacostas as a communityservice on August 20, 1995.

Hawaiian Islands by Susan

KAHEA - The Hawaiian Environmental Alliance Calendar of Events Portraits of Life in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands by Susan Middleton and David Liittschwager 2/4 - 2/25 Maui Ocean Center 3/3 - 3/25 Kaua'i Community College Libary 4/3 - 4/28 UH-Manoa Hamilton Library 5/5 - 5/27 Molokai Museum* (tent) 6/1 - 6/30 Kahilu Theatre, Waimea (Big Island) 7/7 - 8/12 Wailoa Center, Hilo SAVE UH! STOP UARC!! KAHEA supports the community's effort to save our only public institution of higher education - the University of Hawaii - from being commandeered by the U.S. Navy through a secret military research program called a University Affiliated Research Center (UARC). It's not too late to join the effort! Send the UH Board of Regents a fax explaining why so many oppose a UARC at UH: UARC Action Alert . Read news coverage of the public hearing from the Honolulu Advertiser and Star Bulletin . To learn more about the issue, visit the Save UH/Stop UARC website. Mahalo! Wespac is subject of a request for investigation sent to the Department of Commerce's Investigator General: We fully support a federal investigation of Wespac for its mismanagement of public funds, violation of the public's trust, and continuing to allow overfishing in the NWHI. To learn more about reasons to support the investigation click here and visit www.scottfoster.org to review the actual report sent to the Investigator General. Winter Appeal 2005 Check out KAHEA's latest E-News Update here . Our website is currently under reconstruction. Please bear with us as we work to improve our site. Mahalo nui! Order our NEW Bumper Sticker! Email us at: kaheainfo@kahea.org Sign Our Petition to Protect the NWHI! Get KAHEA's Latest NWHI Brochure! (400k PDF) Hawaiian Monk Seals: On the Verge of Extinction! Sign our petition Help Protect the ‘Ïlioholoikauaua (Hawaiian monk seal) Help Protect Hawaiian Monk Seals: a new brochure ‘Ilioholo ika uaua On the Verge of Extinction (1.2MB PDF) Kids Save the Seal Brochure (881k PDF) Help us raise funds for the lawsuit by Mauna Kea Anaina Hou to protect Mauna Kea. 11" x17" photo with donations over $30. Email kaheainfo@kahea.org . Message Clarifying Royal Order of Kamehameha I, Role in Protecting Mauna Kea (142k PDF) Cruiseships Renege on Promise The Northwest Cruiseship Association pulled out of their "good neighbor" agreement with the state in September, chosing instead to be regulated by a much weaker regulation. Read their letter of withdrawal. Federal Bill Could Stop Cruise Ship Pollution. Find out more >> Maui County Task Force Calls for Limits on Cruise Ships (124k PDF) Honolulu Advertiser, Sept 7, 2005 Calling All Ocean Users: Report Mucky Water, Garbage, Oil, etc. Help be the Eyes for our Ocean! Downloadable form available here . (370k PDF) KAHEA's brochure on Cruise Ship Impacts in Hawai'i (300k PDF) Call KAHEA (808) 524-8220 to receive a free copy of our new DVD/VHS Endangered Waters: The Cruise Ship Industry in Hawai'i. Watch a clip (1.6MB, requires QuickTime) Last Updated: Jan 24, 06 | 4:39 pm

Hawaiian Food

Hawaiian Ethnic Food Glossary Ethnic Food Glossary A PARTIAL GLOSSARY OF ETHNIC FOODS THAT CAN BE FOUND IN RESTAURANTS, LOCAL GROCERY STORES, AND/OR AT ETHNIC FESTIVALS THROUGHOUT THE ISLANDS CHINESE | PHILIPPINE | HAWAIIAN | JAPANESE | KOREAN PORTUGUESE | PUERTO RICAN | SAMOAN | THAI | VIETNAMESE "Food is our common ground, a universal experience." James Beard Beard on Food (1974) CHINESE "A good breakfast is no substitute for a large dinner." Chinese Proverb Bao Ji: stuffed steamed or baked buns (manapua) Bird's Nest Soup: congealed bird saliva, cooked in chicken broth Black Bean Sauce: fermented black beans with ginger, garlic, rice wine and other ingredients Bok Choy: a mild-flavored vegetable similar to celery Char Siu: thick Chinese barbecue sauce of soybeans, honey, vinegar, tomato paste, chilis, garlic and other spices - used with grilled meats Chop Suey: literally means odds and ends - served with rice or soy sauce Chow Fun: wide, stir-fried noodle Chow Mein: stir fried meat or vegetables served over crispy noodles Chung Choy: preserved turnip Congee: rice soup or porridge Crack Seed: dried fruits mixed with salt, sugar and seasonings Dim Sum: dumplings that are steamed, baked, or fried (many varieties) Egg Rolls: deep fried mixtures of bits of pork, shrimp, and chopped vegetables in noodle wrapper Five Spice: a variable combination of Star anise, cinnamon, and other spices Fu Young: scrambled dishes Gai Kew: baked or stir-fried chicken breast Gau: sticky sweet rice cakes Har Kew: fried jumbo shrimp with mushrooms and mixed vegetables Hoisin Sauce: a thick sweet and pungent condiment of soybeans, peppers, garlic, vinegar and chilis Hong Choi: Chinese parsley (coriander/cilantro) Hor Fun: fried broad, thick rice noodles Hot & Sour Soup: made with thin pieces of vegetables or meats, hot pepper, and vinegar Hot Pot: foods cooked in a vessel of boiling broth at the table Jai: monks food - a vegetarian dish Jook: very bland rice soup (congee) Kew: large size chunks of chicken, shrimp, or steak Kung Pao: meat or tofu stir-fried with peanuts, mixed vegetables & chili peppers Li Hing Mui: preserved plum Lo Mein: wheat noodles similar to spaghetti Lung Har: lobster Lup Cheong: sweet, oily sausage Lychee: fruit with sweet, smooth flesh Mein: thin wheat noodle Mantu: plain steamed buns Mei Fun: thin rice noodles similar to vermicelli Mein: thin wheat noodles Mongolian Beef: sliced beef stir-fried with garlic, soy sauce, and scallions Moo Goo Gai Pan: fresh mushrooms cooked with sliced chicken Moo Shu: shredded vegetable mixture stir-fried with egg or meat in a rice pancake Orange Sauce: made from cooked orange rind Oyster Sauce: made from soy sauce, wine, starch and sometimes oysters Peking Duck: roasted duck breast in a pancake with scallions and hoisin sauce Plum Sauce: made from plums, bell peppers, sugar, vinegar, ginger & spices Pot Stickers: meat or vegetable-filled noodle dumplings Sa Cha: Taiwan sauce of shrimp, fish, peanuts, onion, garlic, chili peppers & spices San Shien: a dish with 3 major ingredients, such as chicken, shrimp, and beef Shrimp Toast: deep fried toast with shrimp, scallions and egg yolk Siu Mai: steamed dumplings filled with ground pork Soy Sauce: made from soybeans, wheat, salt and fermenting organisms Spring Rolls: deep fried mixture of pork, shrimp, vegetables, bean thread, wrapped in rice noodle Tofu: soft, moist soybean curd Tow Goo: straw mushrooms Water Chestnuts: crisp, bland edible tuber of an aquatic plant Won Ton: deep fried stuffed dough Won Ton Soup: pork dumplings floating in a salty clear broth flavored with herbs Wor Ba: indicates an item served over "sizzling" rice Yat Gaw Mein: thick, light-colored wheat noodles served in hot broth or a sauce Yu Hsiang: a sweet, hot, spicy garlic sauce Regional Cuisines: Cantonese: Southern Chinese cooking of Canton Province characterized by subtle seasonings Hunan: Northern regional cooking of Hunan Province - dishes are steamed, simmered, stewed or fried Mongolian: characterized by boiled meats, milk products, limited vegetables, absence of fish Peking: prevalence of wheat noodles, steamed dumplings, food wrapped in pancakes Szechwan: West-Central Chinese cooking characterized by dishes seasoned with hot chili peppers Chinese Restaurants on: Big Island | Oahu | Maui | Kauai Top PHILIPPINE "Eat until the lips protrude." Philippine Proverb Achara: pickled papaya Adobo: pork or chicken in a vinegar and garlic sauce Apritada: pork with pimento and garbanzo beans Bangus: grilled milkfish stuffed with vegetables Bagoong: pungent, salty shrimp or fish paste Balatong: mungo beans and pork Bibinka: coconut candy bars Bitter Melon: spiny gourd - definitely bitter Bunuelos: fried dumplings rolled in sugar Caldereta: goat stew made in a spicy tomato base Dinorado: reddish-colored mountain-grown rice having a nutty flavor Dinuguan: stew of park, pork blood, tuba, vinegar, and sometimes intestine Ginataan: salty vegetable soup made with mung beans, onions, coconut milk, fish, and fish paste Gisantes: pork, tomatoes and peas Halo Halo: dessert of coconut milk, ice, and fruits Kaong: seeds from palms, pounded into butter or boiled Kinilaw: raw tuna or other seafood prepared with tuba, vinegar, garlic, ginger and hot peppers Kare Kare: beef stew in a peanut broth Leche Flan: custard Lechon: roast pig prepared in the Filipino style Lumpia: appetizer similar to spring roll Menudo: a stew made with pork, tomato sauce, and vegetables Morcon: beef roll with sausage, eggs, carrots, and pickles Pancit: egg or rice noodles 'n stuff Patis: liquid fish sauce Pinacbet: vegetables with shrimp or pork Pinakbet: okra, string beans, tomatoes, shrimp paste simmered with fish or pork Pochero: chicken and banana stew Puto: steamed cup cakes made with sticky rice flour and coconut milk Sarciado: meat or seafood in tomato sauce Sinigang: white fish, shrimp or meat soup seasoned with horseradish Tuba: The fermented juice of the coconut palm flower Tupig: dessert of mochi rice flour and coconut milk Philippine Restaurants on: Big Island | Oahu | Maui | Kauai | Molokai Top HAWAIIAN "What you have, eat." Hawaiian Proverb Ahi: yellowfin tuna Aku: skipjack or bonito tuna Alaea: a type of sea salt containing reddish clay, rich in trace minerals Butterfish: black cod Chicken Luau: chicken cooked with taro leaf and coconut milk Chili Water: mild all-purpose condiment Haupia: coconut pudding Kalua Pig: barbecued pork, cooked whole in an imu (underground oven) Kaukau: a Pidgin Hawaiian word meaning food Kiawe: wood of the algaroba tree used in cooking Kulolo: taro pudding Laulau: pork, butterfish, beef or chicken wrapped in taro leaf and steamed in an imu (underground oven) Lilikoi: passion fruit Limu: seaweed Loco Moco: a fried egg on top of a hamburger on top of a pile of rice - all smothered in brown gravy! Lomi Lomi Salmon: cold diced salmon, tomatoes and onion Long Rice: cellophane noodles made from mungbean flour Luau: a Hawaiian feast, named for the taro tops served Mahimahi: dolphin fish (unrelated to the mammal) Manapua: Chinese-style filled steam buns Maui Onion: mild white onion, with sweetness similar to a Vidalia onion Moi: threadfish Naau: stewed beef intestines Ohelo Berry: bright red, similar to a huckleberry Ohelo: plant with edible berries Onaga: red snapper Ono: similar to mackerel or tuna Opakapaka: pink snapper Opihi: island limpets Paina: the ancient name for a Hawaiian feast also referred to as a luau Pipi Kaula: Hawaiian beef jerky Plate Lunch: a meal consisting of an entree and lots of starch Poha Berry: very tart, similar to a gooseberry Poi: staple starch of the Hawaiian diet, made from boiled taro root Poke: raw fish with seaweed and sesame oil Puaa: pig or pork Pupu: appetizer, hors d'oeuvre Saimin: ramen-like noodle soup of local invention Shave Ice: freshly shaved ice drenched in a sweet syrup - lighter and flakier than a snow cone Spam: Hawaii's favorite canned meat - the less said, the better Taro: a tuberous vegetable used to make poi Uhi: yam Uku: grey snapper Hawaiian Restaurants on: Big Island | Lanai | Oahu | Molokai | Maui | Kauai Our Luaus Index Top JAPANESE "He whose belly is full believes not him who is fasting." Japanese Proverb Ahi: yellow fin tuna used for sushi Amazu Shoga: pickled ginger, sliced thin Arare: crisp rice crackers seasoned with soy sauce Azuki: sweetened red or black beans Bento: a take-out picnic meal Daikon: a member of the turnip family (similar to radish) Edamame: whole boiled soybeans Fugu: raw blowfish with poisonous parts Furikake: a flavoring accent of seaweed, salt, sesame Harusame: cellophane noodles made from mung beans Hijike: seaweed leaves used in soups and salads Kamaboko: fish cake made from white fish Kanten: gelatin dessert made out of seaweed Katsudon: fried pork cutlet Kombu: seaweed processed as a cooked noodle Kuromame: black beans Maki-sushi: sushi items rolled up in seaweed Manju: sweet bean paste buns Mirin: sweetened rice wine Miso: thick fermented soybean paste Mochi: also called sweet or sticky rice (made into cakes) Musubi: rice ball wrapped in seaweed Nabeyaki Udon: wheat noodles in hot broth topped with vegetables & seafood Namasu: salad of vegetables in a vinegar sauce Nigiri Sushi: molded rice balls topped with raw fish Nishime: vegetables with pork or chicken Nori: dried, compressed seaweed Okazu-ya: "Okazu" means side dish - "Ya" means shop. Casual storefront restaurants serving carry-out foods that reflect the ethnic mix of the Islands Okonomi Yaki: an omelet or pancake with highly variable toppings Onaga: ruby snapper Panko: flour meal used for breading Ramen: slender wheat noodles in broth topped with meat, vegetable, or seafood flavorings Saimin: noodle soup Sake: rice wine Sansho: a ground spice from a type of prickly ash shrub Sashimi: thin slices of very fresh salt water fish Sekihan: rice and red beans Senbei: sweet rice crackers Shabu Shabu: meat and vegetables in a simmering broth Shiitake: large mushrooms with dark caps Shira Ae: vegetable and tofu salad Shoyu: a salty liquid flavoring made from soybeans (soy sauce) Shumai: small steamed dumplings Soba: slender buckwheat noodle Somen: thin and delicate rice noodles Suimono: clear fish stock soup Sukiyaki: meat, bean curd, vegetables cooked in soy sauce and sugar Sushi: cold vinegar rice garnished with raw fish Tako: octopus Takuwan: pickled daikon or turnip Tamari: an aged, fermented soy sauce Tempura: vegetables, meat, or seafood quick-fried in light egg batter Teppanyaki: style of dining where chefs cook food at your table Teriyaki: soy based, sweet and salty flavoring used on beef, chicken and other foods Tobiko: orange-reddish roe of the flying fish Tofu: white soybean curd Tonkatsu: breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet Tsukemono: pickled vegetables Udon: thick wheat noodles Umeboshi: very salty, sun-dried, long-aged, pickled sour plums Unagi: eel Wakame: dried seaweed reconstituted and used in salads or soups Wasabi: similar to horseradish but green and hotter Yaki Tori Kushi: chicken on a stick Japanese Restaurants on: Big Island | Oahu | Maui | Kauai Top KOREAN "Eating is Heaven." Korean Proverb Bulgogi: gingery barbecued beef Bap: steamed rice Bibimbap: rice and vegetables topped with grilled meat, chili paste, & fried eggs Chap Chae: stir-fried vegetables, meat, and noodles Chigae: hot soup or stew of various mixed ingredients Chop Chae: stir-fried noodles and vegetables with soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, sugar and meat Chun: vegetables, meat, or fish quick-fried in a light egg batter Daegu: codfish Dak: chicken Doenjang: fermented soy bean paste Gook: a broth-like soup with rice Kal Bi: barbecued short ribs marinated in a shoyu and sesame blend Kang Jang: flavored soy sauce Kim Chee: heavily seasoned pickled vegetables Kochu Jang: chili pepper sauce Kogi Guk: beef soup Kook Soo: noodles in broth with meat and vegetables Maeuntang: very spicy soup Mandu: stuffed dumplings, similar to won ton Naengmyon: cold buckwheat noodles Namul: salad of lightly cooked vegetables Nurm Juk: meat, kim chee, and vegetables on skewers Pul Goki: Korean-style barbecued beef Saengsun Chun: fried fish Sangchu Sam: rice ball with hot sauce Sinsollo: meats and vegetables in a broth Songphyun: pastry filled with bean paste Taegu: seasoned dried codfish Won Bok: pale cabbage Yak Kwa: deep fried dessert rolled in honey Yak Phab: dessert of sweet rice, nuts, seeds and dried fruit Yakiniku: style of dining where you cook food at your table Yook: beef Korean Restaurants on: Big Island | Oahu | Maui | Kauai Top PORTUGUESE "Food is an important part of a balanced diet." Portuguese Proverb Acorda: bread soup Arroz Doce: sweet rice Bacalhau: codfish cakes Braoas: round sugar cakes Broa: cornbread Bulo Do Mel: honey cakes Caldeirada: seafood stew Caldo Verde: kale and potato soup Feijao: beans Linguica: spicy pork and red pepper sausage Malassadas: sweet doughnuts - sans hole Morcela: blood sausage Pao Doce: sweet bread made with eggs and butter Peri Peri: a hot and sour sauce made of hot chili peppers, garlic, onions, tomatoes, horseradish, and lemon juice Pudim Flan: custard Sabula de Vinha: pickled onions Soupa de Feijao: bean soup Vinha D' Alhos: fish or pork in vinegar and garlic Top PUERTO RICAN "Food is the most primitive form of comfort." Puerto Rican Proverb Arroz Con Pollo: rice with chicken Adobo: simmered chicken or pork in a marinade sauce of vinegar, garlic, pepper, and chilis Bacalao: salted codfish Chicharrones: deep-fried pork skin Gandules: pigeon peas Lechon Asado: roast suckling pig Mofongo: mashed fried plantain with pork rind Paella: casserole of saffron-flavored rice, meat, seafood and vegetables Pasteles: banana paste and pork or beef wrapped in corn husk or ti leaf and boiled Pastelillos: fried ground beef turnovers Pescado en Escabeche: pickled fish Polvorones: a cookie Ponque: pound cake Recaito: mild green seasoning mixture made from peppers, cilantro, and garlic Sancocho: vegetable stew Serenata: codfish salad Sofrito: a thick sauce produced by sautéing a variety of vegetables, herbs, spices, then adding tomato sauce Sopa Borracha: sponge cake with rum sauce Puerto Rican Restaurants on: Oahu | Maui Top SAMOAN "Eat standing, eat walking." Samoan Proverb Esi Fafao: baked papaya stuffed with beef Palu Sami: taro leaves baked in coconut cream Pee Pee : coconut cream Poi Olu: breadfruit poi Povi Masima: salted beef brisket Taufolo: mashed breadfruit and coconut milk Top THAI "To eat is human, to digest - divine." Thai Proverb Bahmi: egg noodle made with wehat flower Banh: ribbon-shaped rice noodles Bhet: duck Blah: fish Bu: crab Gaeng: curry Gai: chicken Galangal: aromatic vegetable in the ginger family Geow: won ton Goong: shrimp Grapao: sweet basil leaf Gratiam: garlic Guay Tiew: fried flat rice noodles Gwaytio: wide, flat noodles Hoi Oab: steamed mussels Hom Pah: shrimp wrapped in fried wonton Kai Yat Sai: pork stuffed omelets Kana: the leafy greens of Chinese broccoli Kao: rice Karee: yellow curry Kati: coconut Keaw Nam: spicy wonton soup with pork and vegetables Kee Mao: noodles with fresh basil leaf Khai: egg Khiao Wan: green curry Khing: ginger Krung Gaeng Ped: pork and vegetable curry Lad Na: stir-fried rice noodles with meat and broccoli Larb: chicken salad with onion and lemon juice Ma-Muang: mango Med Ma-Muang: cashew nuts in a sir-fry Mee Krob: salad with fried noodles Moo: pork Muk: squid Nam Pla: fish sauce Nam Prik: hot sauce Neau: beef Phak: vegetables Phed: hot, spicy curry Satay: beef, pork, or chicken on skewers with peanut sauce Saparod: pineapple Sticky Rice: a dessert of rice and syrup with mango Takrai: lemongrass Talay: mixed seafood Tom Yum: spicy lemongrass soup with shrimp and meat Takaw: tapioca - coconut cream dessert Woon Sen: beanb thread Yum Nua: grilled beef salad with onions and lemon Thai Restaurants on: Big Island | Oahu | Maui | Kauai Top VIETNAMESE "Eating and mating are human instincts." Vietnamese Proverb Banh Pho: ribbon-shaped rice noodles Bo: beef Bun: thin rice vermicelli Cha Gio: deep fried spring rolls Ga: chicken Goi Cudan: summer rolls Goi-Ga: chicken salad Mien: bean thread Nam: water, broth, sauce, or juice Nuoc Mam: fermented salted fish sauce Pho: beef noodle soup served with sprouts, herbs, chilis, and lime Vietnamese Restaurants on: Big Island | Oahu | Maui | Kauai Top Then all around from far away across the world he smelled good things to eat so he gave up being king of where the wild things are Maurice Sendak Where the Wild Things Are (1963) Restaurants Cyberguide | Home Page Contact Us | Sponsor Join Us Form ©Ala Mua Hawaii 1997

Lanai Maui Hawaii's Big

Hawaii's Official Tourism Site - Travel info for your Lanai vacation Choose a Category Calendar of Events Accommodations Activities & Attractions Dining Golf Services & Information Shopping Transportation Travel Professionals Weddings & Honeymoons Free Visitors Guide Hawaii Travel Tips Sharing Aloha Choose an Island All Islands Kauai Oahu Molokai Lanai Maui Hawaii's Big Island Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 04 05 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 04 05 Help me find... Calendar of Events Accommodations Activities & Attractions Dining Golf Services & Information Shopping Transportation Travel Professionals Weddings & Honeymoons Free Visitors Guide Hawaii Travel Tips Sharing Aloha Alternate Search Home > Culture & History > Lanai Kauai Oahu Molokai Lanai Maui Hawaii's Big Island A place of deep cultural significance, Lanai boasts many historical sites, old fishing villages, and unique topographical features like the boulder-strewn Keahikawelo. In the center of the island, Lanai City features thoroughly and lovingly restored landmarks, including the lovely Lanai Playhouse and Theater and the charming Hotel Lanai, both dating from the 1920’s. A prehistoric mystery lingers in Luahiwa, where visitors will find 34 boulders featuring intriguing petroglyphs carved by ancient Hawaiians. : Ancient Art of Surfing : Interactive Hula Dancer : Find Cultural Events : Historic Places M EETINGS & C ONVENTIONS | T RAVEL T RADE R ESOURCES | M EDIA C OMMUNICATIONS Corporate Information | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | ©2005 Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau

Hawaiian Quilt Collection [

Collections - Special - North American Indian and Native Hawaiian About special collections North American Indian and Native Hawaiian Quilt Collection [ click here to see samples ] Native quilters in the Hawaiian Islands and on the North American continent have long used colors and designs distinctly their own to make quilts which function in ways both similar to other cultural groups as well as in ways that have specific tribal or pan-Indian meanings. Quilts have been used in nearly every Native community for everyday purposes such as bed coverings, shelter coverings, infants' swing cradles, weather insulation, and providing a soft place to sit on the ground. In some communities, quilts are also used to honor individuals, in ceremonies, and in a variety of activities that strengthen community life. Native peoples in the Hawaiian Islands and North America have always had many indigenous traditions of textile production and use; the materials and skills of quiltmaking had many precedents in these communities. When commercially-manufactured cloth and steel needles became available to native peoples, it was not surprising that, adept at similar craft forms, they quickly picked up quiltmaking. Native needleworkers continually combine or replace old materials and technologies with new. Finger-woven animal pelt blankets have been replaced by wool blankets and quilts, hides replaced by cotton fabrics, and awls and needles replaced by sewing machines and rotary cutters. The initial conveyance of quilting skills to Native peoples occurred in the nineteenth century with the establishment of mission schools and churches in Native communities. Numerous references in missionary diaries and letters, mission records and newsletters, and oral histories point to the substantial influence that Christian denominational mission churches and schools had in introducing quiltmaking to Native peoples. Through both formal instruction and in the context of affiliated women's social groups, missions promoted Euro-American domestic arts, including quiltmaking and other forms of needlework. Whether Mennonite missions on Hopi land, Mormon missions in Utah and Nevada, Quaker mission schools in Pennsylvania, or Catholic missions in frontier outposts, these Christian evangelical and educational efforts were instrumental in introducing and sustaining interest in these crafts. Within Native communities, quilts are often used to mark rites of passage or special occasions and to honor individuals for their special achievements or contributions. At naming ceremonies, quilts are given to friends and family in honor of the loved one being named. Students graduating from high schools or college are given quilts as a sign or recognition of their academic accomplishments. Athletes winning competitive events are given quilts for their physical achievements. Veterans returning from military service are honored with quilts to thank them for their bravery and personal sacrifice. Any one who has contributed significantly to his or her own, family's or community's well being is honored, either by being given a quilt or having quilts given away on their behalf. Production techniques (patchwork, appliqué, quilting, tied work), material preparation (batting, recycling cloth), patchwork patterns, quilting designs, and quilt names were shared among Native and non-Native quiltmakers. Yet choices of patterns, construction techniques, materials, and names often are tied to Native or tribal identity. Native artists adapt the beadwork, rug weaving, and basket weaving patterns of their cultural heritage of their own experience into their quilts. Color choices often reflect the Native quilter's close spritual ties to the natural world. Many times Native quilters, irrespective of their own tribal background, will select printed fabrics that incorporate Southwestern or pan-Indian imagery, such as eagles, running horses, or motifs from or resembling those of Navajo rugs. Of all the discrete collections of the MSU Museum's quilt collections perhaps the most important is the collection of North American Indian and Native Hawaiian quilts. Several museums have one or a few samples of Native quilts and a handful of museums have quilts specializing in the quilts of one culture or tribe (for instance Native Hawaiian or Lakota Sioux) but no other musuem in the world has a collection that not only represents the breadth and diversity of Native quilting in North Amercia but also is accompanied by documentary information resulting from historical and ethnographic research. There are a number of reasons why Native quilters have been so little known to those outside their families or communities and that museums have so few examples in their collections, but perhaps the chief reasons were that it is an art form that has appeared so extensively in everyday life and that it was primarily the result of indigenous cultural contact with outsiders. Considered commonplace and perceived firmly tied to a European rather than a Native artistic tradition, quilts, unlike other Native arts, were historically not collected or studied as items of ethnographic, aesthetic, or marketplace value. In addition, most quilts made within Native communities were made for everyday use; even those made and given in ceremonies were intended for everyday use. Thus, there are few extant historical quilts in either private or public collections. The first Native American quilt acquired by the Michigan State University Museum was one documented in a Michigan Quilt Project Discovery Day in 1985. The quilt, made c. 1920 by Margaret (or Anna) David, an Odawa quilter, from Peshawbestown, Michigan has distinctively Woodland Indian floral motifs in the corners and sides of a traditional Star quilt pattern. It was donated by a non-Native family who had acquired it from its maker. Subsequent research has uncovered five more quilts done in this style and has revealed that the quilter was probably affiliated with a group of women who quilted together in the basement of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Peshawbestown, Michigan, a community where Ojibwa and Odawa had long resided. Additional research by museum staff on Ojibway, Odawa, and Potawatomi quilting resulted in the collection of narratives, photographs, and quilts documenting the long-time engagement in quilting by many Native women in the region. Working in tandem with the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian, Atlatl (the national service organization for professional Native artists), and many tribal museums as well as quilters, collectors, and other scholars, the Michigan State University Museum staff continued to document Native quilting traditions throughout the United States and Canada. These efforts have resulted in the exhibition "To Honor and Comfort: Native Quilting Traditions" that toured to major museums across the nation, a smaller version of the exhibit that is touring to tribal museums, a publication, and the collection of well-documented quilts and related materials at MSU. -- by Marsha MacDowell [excerpt from Marsha MacDowell, ed., Great Lakes,Great Quilts. Concord, California: C&T Publishing, 2001] GLQC Home About GLQC Collections Exhibits Programs Publications Internships/Volunteers Quilt Index On–Line Newsletter Virtual Quilt Sponsors/Endowments Links Quilt Care Site Info Contact Us