Oral History Finding Aid: Puluelo Park

Abstract

“Auntie Pulu” was a tall, stately woman from Kohala, Hawaiʻi Island. Her laugh could warm your heart, her commitment to hula and her students was inspiring, and her dedication to and love for her family was deeply grounding. Her parents moved the family from Kohala to Oʻahu when Auntie was still a growing young girl, but that foundation never left her. She established roots in Kailua, Oʻahu, and became one of the primary hula teachers in the growing and blossoming town on the Windward side. At HPS, we were fortunate to spend the last four years of her life with her in oral history sessions and public programs. We felt profound gratitude when she asked if we would document her final ʻūniki (graduation rites) on the island of Kauaʻi at Ke Ahu a Laka heiau in Kēʻē. We climbed the mountain alongside her students with our camera gear in tow to fulfill her wishes. From almost the beginning of our relationship, Auntie Pulu got it! Her rallying cry to her kūpuna peers, “Let’s get documented!” Her many hours spent with HPS up to the very end of her life was the most exceptional gift she could give her family, and she knew it. That’s love!