I made this website not only to serve as a portfolio for my creative practice, but as a means by which to share resources. I believe strongly in making public information easily accessible to our communities. Below, you will find a curated selection of digitized books, articles, and websites, including projects and publications of my own.
For recent updates including calls to action, events, and workshops, please visit my Linktree or Instagram.
I highly recommend this living document which lists people and organizations to support and follow, including Kanaka ʻŌiwi creatives and local activist groups doing invaluable community work.
KAPA RESOURCES
“Specimens of Hawaiian Kapa” is a collection of 95 folios compiled by antiquarian Don R. Severson in 1978. Each folio contains a book outlining the history of kapa and several samples of historic kapa, cut from larger sheets. I have digitized three copies that exist in local institutions.
Nā Leo o Kapa: this zine (self-published booklet) is a compilation of quotes from oral history interviews conducted with cherished kapa makers between 2023 - 2026. This version is formatted for online or digital reading.
For a printable version, see: Nā Leo o Kapa. This PDF is formatted to be printed front-to-back. For printers that can only print on one side at a time, I recommend printing all odd pages first, flipping the pages over, and then printing all the even pages on the back. The pages can then be collated and folded/ printed along the middle.
Audio & transcripts of oral history interviews I have conducted, archived with the Center for Oral History at UH Mānoa. More interviews coming soon!
Full PDF of Ka Hana Kapa (William T. Brigham was a horrid, racist old white man, and he says some awful stuff in this book; however, there are aspects of this work that remain useful for kapa practitioners when you sift through the crap)
Research paper on using wauke (paper mulberry) as a proxy for understanding human migration
Books I have found invaluable in my studies on kapa, Hawaiian flora, and Kanaka-lāʻau relationships:
Tapa in Polynesia by Simon Kooijman (highly recommended as a kapa resource)
South Kohala Resource Collection: a list of websites and other materials that I curated, pertaining to the Kohala Hema (South Kohala) region. Topics include local flora, moʻolelo, ethnographic work, and music.
Starr Environmental: my go-to website for help with identifying local plants.
Native Plants Hawaiʻi: my other go-to for plant stuff. Note that their search function is broken and you will need to browse plants by name alphabetically.