The Shaka is Hawaii’s Iconic GestureIt symbolizes Aloha and a “Fear not, go for it” attitude. But while it’s known the world over, the origin, evolution and meaning of the Shaka remain a mystery – until now. Learn More Want a Cameo? Credits? SWAG? Help Us Tell...
How to Throw a Perfect ShakaImagine taking the stage at a Shaka Contest. Will you get boo’ed off as an clueless haole (foreigner)? Knowing the backstory behind the Shaka gives rhyme and reason on how to throw a perfect Shaka. Learn More Want a Cameo? Credits?...
Hamana the HeroCirca 1910, Hamana Kalili, a La‘ie, Oahu resident, lost three fingers while working at the Kahuku Sugar Mill. Despite his handicap, Hamana went on to become a seminal Kupuna (community elder and source of wisdom) living up to his name, Ha-Mana,...
A Slice of Life in La’ie, Hawai’iTo date, we have recorded interviews with La‘ie Kupuna, who, as children, knew and learned from Tutu Hamana. These rich, heartfelt accounts give first-hand insight as to who Hamana was and what life was like through La’ie in the 1900s....
A Buddhist BackstoryThe gesture was not called “Shaka” until the mid-1960s. According to former plantation workers in Hawai’i, the word derives from Japan’s “Shaka Buddha,” whose hand gestures (mudra) mean “fear not” and “acceptance and salvation.” Learn...
