Grow Aloha: Koaiʻa

We asked Keanuenue and Lali what makes koaiʻa unique.

“The biggest difference between koaiʻa and, let’s just say koa–the easiest thing to say would be koa floats, koaiʻa don’t,” said Keanuenue. “It’s a really dense hardwood and it’s a lot more curly. And the curls are closer together because it grows so much slower than koa.”

The beautiful pieces they create are ethically and sustainably foraged from trees that have died. The wood they harvest are often remnants of what were once flourishing forests. For E Ola Ana, it’s not just about crafting something pretty for people to wear—it’s about respecting and honoring the legacy of these trees.

“That’s something we hope people understand is, this is not just about going into the forest and harvesting wood because you know you can make something out of this plant.” said Lali. “There’s a protocol for the practice. There’s a process for the practice. Me not being from here, my homeland and my indigeneity is connected to the mainland. So when I came here, I understood from that indigenous perspective to be mindful and to ask questions. Then someone that has the knowledge, a kupuna or a teacher, can teach you. For example, when we walk into a forest, what many people are accustomed to seeing is something that grows fast, like an aspen tree. But when you come here, the size of the tree does not designate its age. It could be hundreds of years old and be so small in diameter. But you wouldn’t know that if someone didn’t share it with you.”

Added Lali, “We want to approach things with reverence because from what I understand and what I’ve learned, many of these plants are kinolau. There’s a story behind a lot of these plants. They’re elemental, deeply connected to a people and place.”

Even if you’re unfamiliar with koaiʻa, there’s a lot to learn just from the name alone.

“Even just in the word koaiʻa, there’s “koa” and there’s “iʻa.” That’s because they would make fish and shark hooks from koaiʻa,” said Keanuenue. “You donʻt want to make a fish hook out of koa, it’ll break. It’s soft. In old Hawaiʻi koa was used for canoes, surfboards, and storage vessels because it’s a hardwood but it’s still light enough where it’ll float. If you made a surfboard out of koaiʻa you would put it in the ocean and it would sink to the bottom. It doesn’t make a good surfboard but it’s so nice and hard and dense that you could even catch sharks with it. It’s one of those woods that takes such a nice polish because of its density. If you’re making something that you don’t want to break, make it from koaiʻa. ʻIhe (spears), pololū (long spears) were made from koaiʻa. It was an important wood in the making of weaponry especially for people out in Kohala.”

We asked Keanuenue and Lali what it’s like working with koaiʻa and other native woods.

“One thing I’ve learned is that you have to be haʻahaʻa (humble) with the wood,” said Lali. “The wood is going to show you what it wants to be. It’s going to show you the shape it wants to take and the form it wants to take. And if you try to make it into something else, it’s going to pop you in your head (laughs). It’ll hurt you because it carries its own energy.“

Added Keanuenue, “A lot of the main focus especially when we’re working woods is, don’t mess up the wood. We make sure that when we harvest we’re harvesting right, and so you don’t get as much material to work with. You’ll have a few inches of diameter to work with and just a few feet, length wise. And so it’s really precious. Use the grain to its advantage so that you can see and appreciate its natural beauty. And koaiʻa is beautiful. It’s just as beautiful as koa but it has more of that red mahogany color to it.”

“It’s so pretty,” added Lali. “It has a lot of grain, and it looks different depending on the part of the tree, where you’re harvesting from, how old it is. It can completely change color and the grain can be so curly.”

Added Keanuenue, “Oftentimes it grows in windy areas, and so the tree is constantly being pushed down and having to grow upwards, pushed down and having to grow upwards. And so these pressure bends in the wood are just naturally there.”

The woods that Keanuenue and Lali work with are much more than just materials. They are living connections to ʻāina.

“The more you work with these plants you understand they’re really living. They’re living on land but they’re living when we hold it, because it carries generational information,” said Lali.

“The pieces that we make are meant to be heirlooms,” added Keanuenue. “You’re not buying a $20 pair of earrings that you can just lose or break. These are pieces that, if properly cared for, you can pass down to your kids and they can pass down to their kids.”

“As part of our process, when we harvest, we ask permission from the plant,” said Lali. “If we are granted permission, only then do we bring it back with us. It’s cut into smaller pieces and shaped, and sanded in seven different stages, then polished. The wood is treated with respect.”

“We also do not want to perpetuate just selling things off the ʻāina,” added Lali. “It’s important, as an art form, as an expression of your genealogy, as an expression of perpetuating your culture, to make sure that we’re doing things in an honorable way. And so through the whole process, even the finishing process, it’s not dipped or varnished–it’s buffed. Then when you wear it, the oils from your skin help protect and preserve the piece.”

“The pieces are meant to be worn,” added Keanuenue. “They’re not meant to be kept in a box. If you keep it in a box and never wear it, it will turn back into ʻāina. But if you wear it, it’ll last. The pieces are made to be pili (close) with your body.”

For E Ola Ana, education is a key part of their mission.

“We try to educate people so that they understand the connection of the wood to the ʻāina and to the Hawaiian culture,” said Lali. “This is not just a flat piece of wood that you got from Home Depot. This wood is deeply connected to a culture and to generations of people. It’s so much more than just a piece of wood.”

At a larger scale, they hope to see a growing awareness and appreciation for Hawaiʻi’s native plants and their vital role in keeping culture alive.

“Education is really important for people who are not from here,” said Lali. Often times we might look at a landscape we’re not connected to and say, “oh, I see a bunch of houses on this hill, this looks like a great neighborhood.” I would like to encourage people to walk in a native forest. Walk in a native forest with someone who’s educated so you can learn and understand why these plants and trees are important to the environment here. A lot of the plants here are having to be regrown and repopulated. We’re having to designate areas for it, like many indigenous cultures around the world. With the erasure of these native plants we’re also erasing the culture. But in repopulating these plants, we’re re-enlivening the culture. We’re reconnecting and repairing connections with the culture. So if a person isn’t from here and they own a piece of property or they own a few acres, they would be helping themselves and helping the community by understanding the importance of repairing these relationships.”

We asked Keanuenue and Lali what their hopes are for the future of koaiʻa.

“It would be awesome to be able to walk in a koaiʻa forest,” said Keanuenue. “I like to walk. I like to go for walks. I like to go far. I can go for a walk in an ʻōhiʻa forest, I can go for a walk in a koa forest. The other equivalent to that would be a koaiʻa forest. Or even a loulu forest for that other landscape. Koaiʻa is not being planted as much as it should be. It’s not being noticed as much as it should be. With the dry land plants, a lot of the time all they need is no ungulates. You take out the pigs, you take out the cattle, you take out the sheep and goats, all of a sudden baby sandalwood starts coming up. Baby koaiʻa starts coming up. All these young wiliwili start to grow. And all it takes is removal of the ungulates.”

“I personally would like to see more koaiʻa planted in people’s neighborhoods,” said Lali. “If you’re going to build a neighborhood, that’s fine, but let’s plant some trees. What native plants grow or used to grow in your area? Plant those plants. I hope to see a future for Hawaiʻi where you drive past a neighborhood and instead of just saying ʻoh my gosh there’s so many houses,ʻ you can go, ʻwow, there’s a lot of koaiʻa there!ʻ So we’re creating a new story where we’re cohabitating with this natural existence.”

Interviews were edited for clarity and length. Artwork by Carly Lake.