Hi'ohia

Hi’ohia will document and preserve the knowledge of contemporary Native Hawaiian kapa practitioners through a culturally governed digital repository and virtual exhibition. Project activities will include recording oral histories of ten master kapa practitioners from across Hawai’i, documenting their work through photography, and developing metadata describing their techniques, materials, and design traditions. The materials will be organized in a digital platform accessible to community members and the public, designed to reflect Indigenous knowledge protocols and community review processes. Project outcomes will be a structured, practitioner-controlled record of their work and knowledge that can be shared with apprentices, fellow practitioners, and the broader kapa community while respecting cultural governance principles.