This past weekend on Sun., April 7, Ka Pu’uhonua Hawaii Club celebrated their third annual Lu’au: Aloha Ke Akua. 

Lu’au’s are a long standing tradition that first appeared as early as 1850. Since then the term has come to represent a traditional Hawaiian party in which people feast on Native Hawaiian meals such as poi, poke, kālua puaÊ»a and other tasty cuisine. Along with stuffing yourself full of delicious foods, lu’au’s also invoke lively music, vibrant dancing, and of course, good company. These are the keys to a successful, extravagant lu’au.

These events are often held as a celebration on special occasions. They have become a stage in which hula dancing, chanting and storytelling have found new lives. Lu’au’s are a way to ensure that old traditions continuously flourish in today’s modern world. They are a testimony to the rich Hawaiian culture and a celebration of all of the good things that the islands have to offer.

Concordia’s Ka Pu’uhonua Hawaii Club lu’au was no exception! The club put on a beautiful traditional dance performance, and celebrated with plenty of delicious food and a multitude of fun activities.

Senior and member of Ka Pu’uhonua, Isabella Johnson said, “The Hawaiian club’s goal this year was to make our tickets the most affordable they’ve been… tickets this year were only twelve dollars. A lot of our funds came from spam musubi fundraisers that helped reduce the cost of ticketing.” 

While Ka Pu’uhonua was not fundraising for any particular organization, the lu’au was indeed a dedication. “The lu’au was dedicated and in honor of those affected by the Lahaina, Maui fires last fall,” said Johnson

The Lahaina fires in Maui devastatingly took a place on the list of top ten deadliest wildfires in the United States. Ka Pu’uhonua wanted to do something special for the people of Maui that were tragically affected by this natural disaster. 

At the lu’au, there were a variety of games and entertainment. There were trivia games, raffles with prizes for the lucky winners and a game known as “gimme gimme,” that all accompanied the lu’au. There was also, of course, beautiful dancing and music performed by a local college band known as “Pots n Pan.” 

There was a crafts table where attendees could color their own slipper or surfboard shaped keychain. The lu’au also had an origami station set up for people to create beautiful paper animals. 

According to Maleah Kanayama, member of Ka Pu’uhonua, the dances were “choreographed by one of the freshmen named Tyna Romoff, who does professional Polynesian dancing.”

“We had popular snacks from Hawaii that my parents brought and everyone could make their own little goodie bags,” explained Kanayama. 

Ka Pu’uhonua worked hard to put on the incredible event and looks forward to hosting another lu’au next year. You don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to either celebrate your own culture or get the chance to immerse yourself in Hawaiin culture at Ka Pu’uhonua’s annual lu’au! 

Tags: Clubs and Organizations

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