Sharah Myers - My story is about Hannah Kauila Richardson, the fifth of six children born to James Kauila and Lucy Piikula Apiki. Hannah’s family moved from the Maunalei/Keomuku side to Koele, where her father worked for the ranch. On weekends, she and her family would return on horseback to Maunalei to help her grandparents. This story is about her memories. I wanted to tell Hannah’s story because it is a good story and because I think people need to know about what happened with dead bodies in the past. In this story, you learn about the herbs they used for medicine, how they prepared dead bodies, and how they made coffins for burial. I thought it was very unique and interesting. My painting is of the church at Keomuku. I chose to paint this particular church rather than another church because it is a part of our past that is still here today. Also, it could have been where the church services were held in the olden days. It may have been built with any kind of lumber, just like the coffins in this story.

Gisselle Aguilar - My story is about Aunty Mamo Fernandez and her life down at Kaumalapau Harbor. She is a local who lived at Kaumalapau Harbor as a young girl. Aunty Mamo is a kind and funny friend. She is also a very talented woman who does lots of arts and crafts. She makes beautiful leis for others.
I will be telling Aunty Mamo’s story about life down at the harbor. Aunty Mamo used to go camping with her friends. Some of their activities included making boats, skate cars, and tree houses. I chose this story because I thought it was fun and entertaining. What I liked best about this story is that Aunty Mamo was able to have fun with limited resources because she knew how to be creative. This is a good story to tell because it helps us understand how life used to be.
My painting is of Kaumalapau Harbor because that is where the story takes place, and I think it shows the beauty of the harbor.

Janna Amby - I will be telling Ernest Samson Richardson’s story. The third child of George and Mary Richardson, he was born in 1910 in Lahaina, Maui. I will share his memories of the early days in Lahaina. I chose this story not only because it is funny, but also because I think it teaches a valuable lesson—not to take money for granted. Back in the days, a quarter was considered a lot of money. This story tells how Ernest made money as a young boy by picking mangos and coconuts. My painting is of a boy in the fields waiting for people to ask him to climb and pick mangos. It also shows cars on the road where people have stopped to look for mangos. The setting where the story takes place is Lahaina.

Samson Aki - My story is about Ernest Samson Richardson, the third son of George and Mary Richardson. His father was a cowboy who worked for the Pioneer Mill Company, a sugar plantation in Maui. In 1926, Ernest Richardson moved to Lanai to work for the Hawaiian Pineapple Company. Ernest was a family man who learned to hunt for food as well as how to salt meat. This story tells how he made money on the ranch so he could buy canned goods and poi. By listening to this story, you’ll get the idea that it wasn’t easy back in the days when you had to do things old-school style. This story makes me hungry every time that I read it because the food sounds great. I think that’s the best way to prepare food, old-school style. For my artwork, I photographed Sharks Bay because it kind of blends in the old with the new. The island gives you a sense of connection to the old Hawaiian ways, just like salting meat and eating poi. It brings me to a sense of why it’s great being Hawaiian.