Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 30, Number 10, 1 October 2013 — An outpouring of lei for Liliʻu [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

An outpouring of lei for Liliʻu

One of the most meaningful Hawai'i Forgiveness Day offerings was the eommunity lei-making that took plaee under the guidance of kūpuna fromthe Hawaiian civic clubs and other community organizations. "To make a lei requires that we enter a peaceful state of mind together, that we concentrate, use our hands and fingers well, listen and leam carefully," organizer Meleanna Meyer told participants at the Forgiveness Day event. "These are the same skills we need to have to make progress on our path to understanding, forgiveness and the queen." "When complete, presenting a lei to someone is an expression of pure aloha. It unites us with a tradition many generations deep in this land. When you eonsciously make lei, you are transformed from within." Starting in August, community groups throughout Hawai'i and the continent began a ti-leaf lei making campaign, culminating Sept. 1 at 'Iolani Palaee with the joining of all the individual lei into a community "lei of peaee." The community lei was offered as a ho'okupu to the queen and encircled the palaee during the 'Onipa'a 2013 celebration of her 1 7 5 th birthday sponsored by Hawai'i Pono'I Coalition, OHA and others. There were enough lei to circle the palaee three times, with many more individual lei placed around the palace's moat. Later, portions of the lei were removed and presented at the Mauna'ala royal mausoleum, and the ahu and kupuna iwi mound on the palaee grounds. Portions of the lei were to be offered to the Peaee Day Hawai'i celebration in Pearl City in September. And In October, Queen Lili'uokalani will be honored at a major peaee event in Beijing, China, according to lei organizers here. "If all these leis are made during this month, and we have all this great mana (spiritual power), that will be the gift," said Meyer. "And the bonus will be to share all of this." — Mary Aliee Ka 'iulani Milham

Community members made ti leaf lei for the queen at Forgiveness Day and other gatherings in Hawai'i and on the continent. - Photo: Aliee Silbanuz