Na Keiki O Ko Kaua Ohana A Ma Ke Laie 

Aloha, it means hello, goodbye, and love. This word is not only a greeting, it is a way of life. Hawaii is known as the state of Aloha. The spirit of Aloha is can be found in the small north shore town of Laie. Laie represents the spirit of Aloha because of the places to visit, the history, and the community. First Laie represents the spirit of aloha by all the different places to visit. Aloha is a way of life so the first place to visit is PCC.

PCC stands for The Polynesian Cultural Center. This is a place that takes you all around Polynesia in one place and takes you back into times of how the Polynesians lived, work, and survived. The performances are entertaining and memorable.

One of these performances is the unforgettable new addition called The Huki. “Huki is a very unique canoe celebration,” said Delsa Atoa Moe, PCC vice president of cultural presentation. “It’s very different from anything PCC has done in the past.

We’re not focusing on the individual cultures as much as we are on the ocean and how it pulls us all together. We also use this theme to tell the story of Laie and how the Polynesians came together in this place”. Another place that represents the spirit of Aloha is the Brigham Young University of Hawaii. The Church of Jesus Christ established BYU-H in Laie, on the 21st of July 1954 , . Then in January of 2012 BYU-Hawaii Made the U.S.News lists for best colleges and least expensive private colleges and universities. October 11, 2013, The Hokule’a, Hawaii’s famous double canoe came to hukilau after a tour around the world.

Right here is where the history of this town a people can be found by the kahunas and at the Hukilau. Also, The Hukilau is a special part of the spirit as the trials that happened here. There is a song that was written by a popular songwriter named Jack Owen who came and wrote this song, then released a song in 1948 and was called The Hukilau Song. It was loved and later sung by other artists and it goes like this. “What a beautiful day for fishing, The old Hawaiian way, and the hukilau nets were swishing down at old Laie Bay. Oh, we’re going to a hukilau.The huki, huki, huki, huki, hukilau. Everybody loves the hukilau. Where the laulau is the kaukau at the big luau. We throw our nets out into the sea and all the ‘ma’am come swimming to me. Oh, we’re going, to a hukilau.A huki, huki, huki, huki, huki, huki, hukilau.”

This was written and played as an origin of familiar gestures ubiquitous to the state of Hawaii in Laie for the locals. Hukilau means the process of pulling the ropes of a fishing net that was woven with leaves along the outside, in from the sea. But long before Hukilau wasn’t always Hukilau. There is a story of a chapel fire, it is one that kapuna kekela miller knows well. The chapel was built in 1881 and was moved to Mormon temple prominence on a slight hill not far from the ocean. An oil lamp was believed to may have started the blaze that destroyed it in the ’40s. “There were no fire trucks. You could see it burning for miles,” Kela said. Laie is a town that was acquired by Mormon missionaries in 1864 and was settled by a Hawaiian Mormon colony. The Laie Hawaii Temple is where the highest rise of the Mormon church can be performed and was built in 1919 on a Hawaiian site called the “city of refuge”.

The word puuhonua means a sanctuary for the pursued.PCC was a project of the church, but it is Laie’s main tourist attraction famous for their luau. The second place to visit is the Laie Hawaii Temple. The town of Laie has had its presence and history in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than 150 years. The legacy and the people who sacrifice and had remarkable faith, including those in the latter-day apostles and prophets. Today it is home to a vibrant Latter-day Saint community, the temple, Brigham Young University of Hawaii, and PCC. Most original structures and facilities have either been lost over time or efforts that been made to mark the sites that were those chapters of the LDS historical unfoldments. and mark the sites where those chapters of LDS historical events unfold.

Ohana is one part of Aloha and the community of Laie represents it well. Laie is a small town located between Hau’ula and Kahuku. It is a predominantly Mormon community. Another natural thing that the locals like to do is jump off laie point aka vanilla point. It is a prominent lithified dune jutting out into the ocean. Two other lithified dunes are Kukuihoolua and Mokualai which locals believe that a mo’o a shape-shifting lizard who was killed by a warrior that cut his body into 5 pieces and threw them into the sea and the head as Laie point. Also, the others that are spread in the ocean. Continuing in ancient Hawaii laie means ie leaf and ie means climbing pandanus: Freycinetia Arborea. Although Laie point is a great place to start the main one is Laie Elementary School.

The time is here for our school to hele mai as one. “ We really all the parents together to get the event going,” said Toilolo. This event is held by Laie Elementary School which consists of fun activities and performances from the locals and the keiki o laie from kindergarten through sixth grade and older ranging talents of all kinds. Although Hawaii is famous for continuing its cultural heritage throughout the years, it was nice that they include different styles and forms of dancing.“I liked the fact that the guitar was apart from the regular hula dancing that you always see. It shows the different kinds of talents the kids possess,” said Jeff Facer. From the perspective of the youth at the school that the carnival was a great fundraiser and activity that was entertaining. Hunter Hitz, a 4th grader said “I think the rock wall is probably the coolest because you get to jump down the whole thing.”The older graduating student that year also enjoyed the festival.

Three 6th graders, Jessie Percell, Patso Tapusoa, and James Fuluvaka said their favorite carnival activity was the jail. “It’s the best thing because you pay one ticket and the bodyguards go and get the person you point out,” they said. The end is near as the spirit of Aloha has been pondering on. But it also means that it’s not the end the spirit either grows or dies depending on the world with it distraction and temptation. As now you know that the spirit of Aloha is represented by Laie because of the places to visit, the history, and the community.Also Mahalo nui no ka helu helu ana i keia.