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MOST RECENT POSTS
David Hannemann Remembered as a Legacy of Love
The Polynesian Cultural Center wishes to acknowledge the recent passing of Tausilinu’u David Hannemann (fondly known as Uncle David) who passed away in October of this year. This article is meant to honor Uncle David the way he would have wanted it – through the love of his ‘ohana at the Polynesian Cultural Center. We hope you enjoy this tribute to a very special member of our team.
Adventure Tips for the Polynesian Cultural Center
1. Prepare for rain Bring a rain parka or umbrella (or purchase one at one of our many stores). We are on the windward side of the island and can have showers on the sunniest of days. It’s what makes us clean and green! Rain can last a handful of minutes or throughout...
Spam Musubi in Hawaii: Recipe, Origins & Cultural Significance
Spam, that strange meat loaf from a can, has become so popular in Hawaii that they actually keep it in locked shelving at the grocery store. It is no surprise that the beloved meat has found its way to the top of a musubi. Musubi comes from the Japanese rice ball...
Fijian Coconut Oil Demonstration: Process, Tradition & Cultural Significance
“The [coconut] oil is something we still use until today in different parts of Fiji for a lot of things in our culture — cooking, body lotion, medicine and healing wounds among them. For example, our people mixed it with charcoal and used it to help tattooing heal...
MOST POPULAR POSTS
How to Rain-Proof a Samoan Fale
Rain Proofed Living Q: What did the Samoans who traditionally lived in open-sided fale or houses do when it rained heavily? A: Centuries ago the old Samoans figured out a way to weave a series of pola or “blinds” made from coconut-leaf fronds that were...
Hula Dancers Today: Preserving Tradition with Grass Skirts
Grass Skirts, or Not? So-called “grass skirts” have always been a misnomer; however, Hawaiians and other Polynesians have traditionally used strips of natural fibers, barks and other materials to create various skirts and adornment. The purpose of such skirts, beyond...
PART III – Pearl Harbor and WWII Histories from La’ie: Mixing It Up in La’ie
SEGMENT III: Mixing It Up In Laie In Part 3 of our series of Laie during World War II, we learn from the recollections of Laverne Pukahi, Joe Ah Quin and Gladys Pualoa Ahuna about how the locals entertained themselves, what it was like to be surrounded by numerous...
Roasting Turkey, Polynesian Style!
* Cooking by underground oven, or "Imu" is a distinctly Polynesian practice, and boy is it delicious! (Picture courtesy of Mark Weims) Last week I introduced how much turkey is loved here on the islands. This week I would like to showcase how that plays out during...
PART II – Pearl Harbor and WWII Histories from La’ie: The Military Takes Charge
In Part 2 of our series of La’ie during World War II, we learn from the recollections of Laverne Pukahi Joe Ah Quin and Gladys Pualoa Ahuna how martial law, declared immediately following the Japanese attack that brought the US into World War II, affected the local...
Kolipoki’s Tonga Memories: Stories, Insights & Cultural Heritage
About 60 years ago it took a young Mormon missionary from Idaho more than three months to travel from the Intermountain West to the remote northern Tongan island of Niuatoputapu. There, Elder John H. Groberg — known as Kolipoki, the Tongan transliteration of his last...
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