Māuruuru again to all who joined in our fundraising efforts for Dance Against Discrimination with Huraiti Mana that took place July 13, 2020, virtually. So appreciative and honored to have shared space and time with all of you.
Together in our combined efforts of generosity and love have raised OVER $900 for Black Women's Blueprint! And donations were also made to The Okra Project. We almost doubled our original goal of $500! Manuia! May we continue, together, in serving our underrepresented, marginalized, and targeted communities. Huraiti Mana for Black Lives Matter. All who have joined us are welcomed as our 'ori sisters, 'ori brothers, 'ori siblings & fēti'i. For Huraiti Mana, once we dance together, we our 'ori family, always. Huraiti Mana welcomes you, thanks you, lifts our hands up to you. E fa'aitoito! Centering: A reminder of why we’re here. Source for Black Women’s Blueprint honoring Black Women lost to violence WE CONTINUE TO SAY HER NAME
May these women and too many more, rest in love, in peace, in eternal remembrance. May no further women ever suffer what these women have suffered. May no further young girls ever have to face the world with fear. May we end violence against Black women and girls, today, now, and forevermore.
'Ia ora na! I am Kalei'okalani Matsui, Ra'atira a Ha'api'i of Huraiti Mana, our Polynesian Dance Troupe based in Seattle, WA. Leaders in the 'ori community, Leolani Gallardo and Christine Apa from Pupu 'Ori Te Aho Nui (based in California) began Dance Against Discrimination, a movement encouraging dance instructors to host donation-based virtual classes to raise funds for organizations lifting up Black lives. As a survivor myself of sexual violence, a daughter of a strong Black woman, and a mana vahine seeking to create a greater difference in this world for women, I chose an organization empowering Black Women and survivors of sexual assault. My initial search led me to the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, which listed Black Women's Blueprint as a culturally specific resource.
Join Huraiti Mana as we raise funds to support Black Women's Blueprint (BWB), an organization that fights to end sexual violence against Black Women and Girls. BWB's purpose is to take action to secure social, political and economic equality for Every Black Woman in American Society now. Event: 'Ori Tahiti workshop Date: Monday, July 13, 2020 Time: 6:00 - 7:30PM PDT How-to Register Online
You MUST register by 7/13/20 at 4pm PDT to ensure you receive the zoom info before class! Link in bio! (If you don't have a gmail address, please email us huraitimana@gmail.com) *To donate to Black Women's Blueprint:
You may also support another activist organization of your choice that is actively fighting racism or a nonprofit that is supporting Black lives If you have any issues with this form please DM @huraitimana on Instagram. Remember, you do not have to participate in the dance workshop itself, but we would love to have you participate in raising funds together, for the cause! Also, I will be able to send a link of the class recording so you can participate later! Fa'aitoito! How Māui Captured the Sun
. In old Hawai'i, the nights were long, and the days were short. Days were so short, that fruit did not have time to ripen and the kapa clothing did not have enough time to dry. Led by the fierce women in his family, Polynesia's favorite demigod, Māui, embarks on a journey to slow the sun's descent across the Hawaiian sky. Join 'Anakē Kalei of Huraiti Mana along with Story Time @winglukemuseum as she shares with us her performance rendition of, "How Māui Captured the Sun." . Enjoy this mo'olelo and more in young toddler board book editions distributed by Bess Press. These board books are available as gift sets at the Wing Luke Museum online Marketplace. Sold while supplies last. Email marketplace@wingluke.org for more detail. For more stories and dance by 'Anakē Kalei, check @huraitimana IG videos! Huraiti Mana hosted a Stay At Home lei-making workshop after a month of closures that continue through the COVID-19 pandemic. To connect together and celebrate community, while also promoting safety for all our huraiti, we hosted an online lei workshop with supplies found in-home! Traditionally made using lā'ī or ti-leaf, we created haku lei po'o (woven with three-ply braid, worn around the head) with paper bags & trash bags! Though we didn't have the ease of in-person teaching to learn this new skill, many of the huraiti completed their first-ever haku lei! We shared in many mo'olelo of lei-making, the stories behind the traditions, and shared in oli (chants). E ho'omaika'i, congratulations to everyone who joined and challenged themselves creatively & artistically during this time. A hui hou! Until we meet again!
We had an incredible time hosting our dear friend from Tahiti, master Hirohiti Tematahotoa as a part of Huraiti Mana's Workshop Series! Hiro worked tirelessly with a never-fading smile through an entire weekend of non-stop 'ori! We welcomed dancers from across Washington including Renton, Whidbey Island, Seattle, Everett, and even some from Cali! To all our PNW 'ori sisters and feti'i, we thank you for sharing your time with us in our studio, supporting our goals to continue connecting with each other and contributing what we can to the amazing Polynesian Community here. We extend a sincerest māuruuru to Hiro for sharing his incredible wealth of knowledge and passion of his people, his culture, his language, and dance. Hiro is so full of life, never-ending creativity, and contagious laughter. We are so fortunate that he was able to make a visit to Seattle in his long journey across the world this year. Hiro, you are welcome back in our homes any time!
Keep an eye out for our next workshops coming up at the end of May! If you'd like to hear first about our workshops, please email us at huraitimana@gmail.com. "We should not be defined by the smallness of our islands, but by the greatness of our oceans.We are the sea; we are the ocean. Oceania is us." -Epeli Hau’ofa
Mahalo to Tongan and Fijian anthropologist and writer Epeli Hau'ofa for his words of wisdom about who is defined by and who defines Oceania. The Pacific Ocean is the largest in the world, and our peoples navigated it in its entirety, populating all the many islands our peoples call home. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at the Seattle Aquarium, sharing about the sea life of Hawai'i's waters and our people's intrinsic relationship to ka moana. We began the Hawai'i Weekend celebration with sharing our favorite mele 'auana at the Seattle Aquarium after-hours party and then moved into the weekend with storytelling and kamali'i (youth) hula workshops. Keiki shared of the meaning of the aloha spirit and how hula is not a representation of a story but rather that it is the story itself - your kino becomes the elemental vessel of Hawai'i. How special for us to have this opportunity to dance hula of home, share about home, and connect to our home, right here in our second home in the Pacific Northwest, right here in Seattle. No matter where we are, we always keep one foot always on the sand. I was so happy and blessed to be connected again with my 'ori sisters, bonded forever by our time together in Ma'ohi Nui of O'ahu and now each a Ra'atira of our own groups across the continental U.S.: Angie Jackman of Teva Oriata in Oregon, Agnes Manuma of Ali'itasi Productions in Utah, and myself Kalei'okalani Matsui of Huraiti Mana in Seattle. I was last reunited with my past leader and Ra'atira Agnes competing together at Ori Fest back in March. Now, over the long November Veteran's Day weekend, Teva Oriata hosted Agnes Manumā and her husband Matt Manumā (my 'ori brother!) as they lead private one-on-one classes and group classes in drumming, Siva Samoa, and 'Ori Tahiti.
Each Ra'atira, my 'ori sisters, also shared wisdom & advice regarding their struggles and successes in each leading her own group. With us each step of the way, our loving ipo, our sweethearts, and our most dedicated dancers. We are here, growing our communities, giving everything we can to a lifelong journey of cultural learning and sharing. The mana was strong with us all together in Teva Oriata's beautiful studio. Huraiti Mana is excited for opportunities to host Teva Oriata and Ali'itasi Productions coming in 2020 - stay tuned to hear more! A sincerest māuruuru to Agnes Manumā for her amazing skill and knowledge -- I owe my dance style and strength to her. Māuruuru to my 'ori sister Angie for inviting Huraiti Mana to Oregon, opening up her home and studio to us, giving her wisdom and growing our community immensely. We will all see each other again, soon! E haere mua! Our Huraiti joined an 'Ori Tahiti workshop with Leloani of Te Aho Nui. Based in California, Leolani visits Seattle annually to share in an 'Ori Tahiti workshop with the many Pupu 'Ori across Washington. We were so happy and fortunate to be able to participate this year and can't wait for more opportunities in 2020! Also, keep watch as Huraiti Mana will for the first time be hosting 'Ori Tahiti workshops throughout 2020. More posts to come, soon!
Mahalo nui loa to Wing Luke Museum and all the folks in Community Programs and Exhibits who made this partnership possible! Kalei'okalani, Ra'atira of Huraiti Mana is one of the four featured artists in the Wing Luke Museum's Shining Through, Reflections of an Oceanic Future, the Pacific Islander exhibit currently open until November 10, 2019. In connection with the exhibit, Kalei'okalani hosted a second fresh lei-making workshop with The Wing in the Native Hawaiian tradition of lei wili papa, wrapping lau and pua (flowers and leaves) to a base. The event was sold-out to a room of amazingly kind-hearted, invested, hard-working, and sweet first-time lei weavers! Lisa made the incredible lei wili pictured above - her first lei! I am so incredibly proud of everyone who joined us - the stories, the questions, the mana, and the aloha. The mana and aloha was palpable, the lau and pua fragrant. We hope to continue offering lei-making classes with different techniques, materials, and styles in the future. To learn more about lei-making, please let us know at huraitimana@gmail.com. We'll be sure to contact you for any future opportunities. To view more lei by Kalei'okalani, visit our Fresh Flower Lei-Making page.
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