Hale Pili Blessing
A Traditional Hālau Waʻa Blessing
Friday, 03/21/25 at Waipao
Ka oki ana o
ka piko o ka hale
The cutting of the naval string of the house.
Hālau waʻa and Hale Pili are more than just physical structures; they are cultural piko, places where ancestral knowledge, traditional values, and collective intentions are embedded in pōhaku (stone), lā‘au (wood), ‘aho (cord) and lau (leaf).
Perpetuating Hale Building and Community Stewardship
A newly constructed hālau waʻa, a traditional Hawaiian canoe house and learning space, was blessed on March 21 in Mākena. Built under the guidance of master builder Kuhikuhi Puʻuone Francis “Palani” Sinenci and his hālau of practitioners, the structure represents a milestone in preserving Native Hawaiian architecture and cultural knowledge.
Named “Hale Pili,” the hālau waʻa was funded by the Mākena Golf & Beach Club and honors the advocacy of long-time genealogical descendants who continue to push for community gathering spaces. Following a series of community workdays in partnership with Kīpaipai Maui and the Aloha Mākena Foundation, the structure now transitions from its builders to the stewardship of Mākena Golf & Beach Club’s ʻŌiwi Resources & Stewardship Department.
The blessing ceremony brought together cultural practitioners, community members and lineal descendants of the Mākena area. Attendees heard remarks from Maui Emergency Management Agency Director Amos Lonokailua-Hewett and a representative for Mayor Richard Bissen. The event concluded with a traditional Hawaiian meal in celebration of the blessing. The completion of Hale Pili reflects the intention of Aloha Mākena, providing a vital indigenous space that honors and supports the generational families of Mākena as they continue their stewardship of the area’s unique environmental, cultural and spiritual heritage.
The transition of Hale Pili from the builder to its stewards will also be a recognition of the training completed by the Mākena ʻŌiwi Resources & Stewardship team. The individuals on this team have participated in every step of the hale-building process, empowering them with the embodied knowledge of how to care for this hālau waʻa into the future.
