golden skinned ladies with laughing eyes and thick working fingers, pick a feather cut, sew, pick a feather , cut sew

From the hidden spot on Maui where heaven meets earth, KeoKea is home to rosy cheeks and the famous pheasant hatbands. Pheasant were introduced app 1930 as a game bird for wealthy cattle and land-owners, the Paniolo wives were quick to utilize the feathers as the meat quietly went into the pot.

The ladies of Keokea have perfected the art of pheasant feathers on a flat band ie. lei humu papa – With every Hawaiian rodeo the famous Keokea hatbands spread across the State. As new young Paniolo wives relocated from Maui, they took with them the art of kolohala lei humu papa. Soon all Paniolo across the State were wearing them, including big boss man “Luna” – thus the Pheasant Hatbands became a status symbol.

“You were somebody if you wore Kolohala” -  “Every Chinese lady that I came in contact with had something to do with pheasants, I can’t think of one that didn’t raise pheasant and or sew lei. My mother’s family were farmers, Sundays consisted of loading up the Impala and taking vegetables all over Chinatown, gifting families or trading for different vegetables. Our family had 100 acres, we grew everything plus extra, it was more for ‘holoholo’. I would watch these round, golden skinned ladies with laughing eyes and thick working fingers, pick a feather cut, sew, pick a feather , cut sew ….. the other children would be chasing butterflies, I was mesmerized with the rhythm. Finally, one Aunty allowed me to try. Within ½ an hour or so, the Impala was packed up and gone to the next house to share. For me it was an opportunity to show my work to the next Aunty and learn from her. Four or five houses every Sunday, pick a feather, cut and sew. Blanche Hew, Eva Yap, Mary Yap, Florence Ching, Irene Chun, Aileen Chung, Mrs Lacar so many so long ago...."

“My mother married a rancher and the days of farming were gone. We now had cattle, horses, more chores, and brothers. Brothers that were required to hunt, to bring home food to the table - the entire family was skilled at bringing home food from the forest the ocean, the mountain. Pheasant pelts piled high in the hall closet, till brothers pestered to make them Kolohala lei.    Of course I had forgotten, my skills were never quite that good anyway. I made a few here and there into my 30’s.”

Jump ahead to 20^th century , there are  ZERO teachers and few practicing lei artists on Maui. I was asked by Kaunoa Senior center to become an Instructor…..