Kapa

In ancient Hawaii, kapa-bark cloth made from the wauke plant-was used for clothing, bedding, religious ceremonies, and many other purposes. Kapa-making is one of the most beautiful art forms in the Pacific. It has all but disappeared with the introduction of western cloth, but today, a small group of dedicated practitioners are reviving this ancient art. Let’s take a closer look and learn more about the artistry behind this wonderful Hawaiian tradition.

[@christineveazey4345]

This is so beautiful!! I love the colors, I love that it takes time to make this. Gives person a time to think about things, be part of nature and be in nature. This is really wonderful. I think Hawaiians are bringing back connection to Nature.

[@endemiccorrea8749]

maybe kapa could be treated with a synthetic bonder to protect the natural fibers thus preserving the cloth. It would be cool to make modern clothing out of it .

[@mythicalskyfox3431]

Yet tourist are the worst thing to happen in hawaii. They are so disrespectful of their culture !! Yet main source of money ..

[@dalani61]

As one of the featured kapa makers in this program, and as someone who was teaching weekly at the Disney Aulani Resort, Im happy to let you know that in my 25 years working with locals, tourists and people around the world, folks are actually very interested in the culture and love to learn about things like kapa. I teach hands on, and with a global perspective as Hawaii was one of many places that made bark cloth. People who work with textiles, design, natural dyes and native cultural arts are always excited about what they learn through kapa about Hawaiian history and culture. Tourists are not the necessarily the 'worst' thing that happened to Hawaii, but like so many other places that have an over reliance on tourism (hello Las Vegas and Cairo and pretty much the whole world!) there are, and will be because of COVID-19, better ways to control and manage it. Many many of our people are hurting because the industry is closed down right now, so how can we envision a better reopening and moving forward and meaningful jobs for our people?