Na Meakanu O Laka O Hawai'i, hula halau of Ke Po'okela Cultural Foundation, received several awards at the Third Annual E Hula Mau Competition held at UC Irvine Labor Day Weekend 1997.

The dancers were not the only ones to share in this feeling, this feeling of true aloha spirit. The dancers respected and appreciated the gracious efforts of Kiele, Kapili, Aunty Pumehana, Aunty Gwen, Natalie, Mahiehie, Aunty Vivian, Kapua, Aunty Dee, Anolani, Aunty Momi, Jerry, the Caluya Ohana, and many others that made the stress and sweat of the countless practices seem like child's play.

Our ho'opa'a Keoni and Le'o brought the kahiko to life through their chanting and pa'i. The melodic voices and music of Horace Dudoit, Glenn Smith, and Max Sanchez gave our 'auana the final touch it needed to capture the attention and inspire the audience. Kaulana checked each head movement and uwehe right up until the final call (even after staying up until 2am ironing malos!).

Organization and preparedness was a major key to the success of this "retreat", this weekend of halau bonding. Koalani provided us with the peace of mind that our day's itinerary was planned to perfection, our rooms were ready, the musicians were ready (including their air and accomodations), and that we only had to worry about ourselves, our costumes, our adornments, and to dance.

The entire weekend was long overdue. Not from the standpoint of the competition, but more from the goals of Na Meakanu O Laka O Hawai'i: To instill in each student a foundation of values that are significant to the Hawaiian culture:

Ho'ihi		respect
Malama		caring for one another and the enviroment
Ho`oponopono		openly discussing problems and forgiving
Na`auao		wisdom
`Onipa`a		firmness
Aloha		love

These values enrich us in all areas of our lives, giving us a clear understanding and appreciation of our cultural heritage. These values and more are the teachings of our source, our reason for being haumana of Na Meakanu O Laka O Hawai'i. Through all the months of stress, all the weeks of pain, all the days and nights of sweat, all the hours of preparation, all the miles of duties, we come together day after day, night after night, to share the suffering not only for the love of hula but for the light that we are drawn to, Aunty Mohala Valentin-Reese. It is through her strength, her wisdom, her caring, and her love that we remain in this halau. We dance her style, her kaona, and her mana'o. We are grateful for allowing us to share in her knowledge and guidance. ....ka'imipono