Weaving Hīna'i Workshop

The requests for hīna'i have been growing as more families choose traditional birthing and burial practices. Woven hīna’i are used to safeguard 'iewe (placenta) or iwi kupuna (ancestral bones) as part of burial traditions. To insure hīna'i are available to our Pacific community who choose traditional burial practices, itʻs important to build-up weavers from within those communities. These accelerated cultural courses will focus on ancestral knowledge specific to pūhala in conjunction with developing the actual skill of ulana lauhala (traditional weaving). Participants will learn mele (a song expressing intention and asking permission), mo'olelo (stories, history), hua 'ōlelo (Hawaiian words), protocol, and gathering practices. Each participant will weave two hīna'i, transforming ancestral wisdoms into woven pieces.