Thursday Night at the Center: Collette Akana Book Presentation – “Hānau Ka Ua” (Hawaiian Rain Names)

Collette Akana Book Presentation – “Hānau Ka Ua” (Hawaiian Rain Names)

Thursday, February 16 | 7pm at Volcano Art Center Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village

Hānau Ka Ua is the fullest record of Hawaiian rain names & their lore to date, drawing on oral tradition & literature, including approximately three hundred ‘lelo Hawai’i primary sources from the nineteenth & twentieth centuries containing chants, songs, laments, & narratives.

The author will discuss the process of researching the book,  share descriptions of winds & rains from early nineteenth & twentieth century Hawaiian language newspapers & perform hula & mele which mention various winds & rains.

Every place has a rain and wind. Every rain and wind has a name. Do you know yours? Join us on a hula- and music-filled journey across the archipelago to learn about the hundreds of rains and winds our kūpuna named, how and why they gave these names, and to celebrate this rich, living legacy of traditional knowledge. Our journey begins with the rains and winds of Kīlauea.

Refreshments and pūpū will be served. The book Hānau ka Ua: Hawaiian Rain Names—a compilation of more than 200 rain names and examples of their use in mele, moʻolelo, and ʻōlelo noʻeau—will be available for purchase and author signing.

7:00–8:00 p.m. presentation

8:00–9:00 p.m. book signing and hula workshop

This presentation is part of a once-a-month Thursday evening series at the Volcano Art Center, focusing on art, Hawaiian culture and our environment. The series is intended to inspire, enhance our art and life experience and foster community connections. Free; however, a $10 donation is suggested.