Kahilu Exhibits presented a virtual exhibition and live wa’a (canoe) carving event at Kahilu Theatre with Alika Bumatay and Alexis Ching in honor of Alika’s late father, Kāhuna Kālai Wa’a (master canoe carver) Raymond Bumatay, on December 8 & 9 and 15 & 16 from 10am-4pm. This event was the continuing process of carving a replica inspired by the outrigger canoe Queen Kapiolani gave to the Smithsonian in 1888. The process was started by a group of women canoe carvers led by Ray and Alika Bumatay at the 2019 Merrie Monarch festival. The program was sponsored by the Recovering Voices program of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center and Smithsonian American Women History Initiative and will be continued during these sessions at Kahilu Theatre.

All photo credits: Dino Morrow