Kumu and Instructor Biographies
VICTORIA HOLT TAKAMINE, KUMU HULA
Intermediate Adult/Keiki kahiko and Advanced adult `auana class
Aunty Vicky is the founder and kumu hula of Pua Ali’i ‘Ilima, founded in 1977. She is a lecturer at the University of Hawai`i and Leeward Community College. She has served as a judge at Merrie Monarch for the last 8 years.
Aunty Vicky co-founded and serves as president of `Ilio`ulaokalani, a coalition of traditional practitioners committed to protecting their Hawaiian customs and traditions. She is also co-founder and president of KAHEA: The Hawaiian Environmental Alliance, a coalition of Hawaiian and Environmental organizations committed to protecting the natural and cultural environment of Hawai’i. Vicky is co-founder and Executive Director of PA`I foundation on O’ahu which sponsors the annual Hapa Haole Hula Festival on O’ahu and Las Vegas.
ROBERT CAZIMERO, KUMU HULA
Advanced adult kahiko and `auana class
In the 1970's, Robert Cazimero was instrumental in the resurgence of Hawaiian music and culture. That resurgence began a career that almost thirty years later is stronger than ever. Musician, composer, kumu hula...his work in all of these areas is well-known throughout the world. Robert is a Grammy-nominated, Hoku award winning musician and composer with sibling Roland as the Brothers Cazimero. He is the kumu hula of Na Kamalei, a halau he founded over 30 years ago. Halau Na Kamalei won the overall trophy at the 2005 Merrie Monarch Festival.
LEIALOHA LIM AMINA, KUMU HULA
Advanced adult `auana, Oli and Intermediate kahiko class
Leialoha Amina is the kumu hula of the Nä Lei O Kaholoku along with her sister Nani Lim Yap. Their parents were instrumental in nurturing their children with Hawaiian music and hula that would eventually lead their family to form the renowned Na Hoku Hanohano Award winning traditional Hawaiian musical group, The Lim Family of Kohala.
Her mother Mary Ann Neula Lim was her first teacher as well as her Aunt Margaret Kaleolani Moku. She was taught by other great Kumu Hula such as Iolani Luahine, George Naope, Darrel Lupenui and Edith Kanaka'ole.
Since starting the halau in Waianae, Oahu in 1979 it has since moved to the Big Island of Hawaii where she has been a participating judge of the Merrie Monarch Hula Competition as well as competitor. In 2004, Nä Lei O Kaholoku was awarded the top honor of Overall Merrie Monarch winner. Leialoha is an avid researcher of Hawaiian history and culture. Through one of her mentors Pilahi Paki, she was given and teaches and lives the philosophy of Aloha shared with her. It is the philosophy of Nä Lei O Kaholoku.
CHARLES MANU`AIKOHANA "Manu" BOYD
Kahiko`auana/haku mele/`oli class
Manu Boyd is a `uniki graduate of Robert Cazimero’s Halau Na Kamalei and is the kumu hula of Halau o ke A`ali`i ka Makani whose wahine won fifth place in kahiko and 'auana at the 2005 Merrie Monarch Festival. Manu served as the public information director for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and was a commissioner for the State Foundation on Culture and Arts. Currently he is the Cultural Director for the Royal Hawaiian Center in Waikiki. Manu is the leader, composer, vocal arranger and `ukulele player of Ho`okena, a Grammy and Hoku nominated group in Hawai’i who celebrated their 20th anniversary.
PAULETTE KAHALEPUNA, MASTER FEATHER ARTISAN
Hulu/Featherwork
Paulette Kahalepuna has been practicing the ancient Hawaiian art of feather lei making for thirty years. Inspired by her mother and teacher, Mary Lou Kekuewa, better known as the “feather lady,” she originally took up the art of feather lei making as part of a Hawaiian Studies project in high school at Kamehameha Schools. Paulette has since gone on to lead feather lei making workshops around the world. She has served as manager of The Bishop Museum’s Atherton Halau, construction consultant of Kahili making, as well as feather lei and cape, and the cultural extension preservation for art with Kamehameha Schools.
In 2000, she received an honor for cultural preservation in the art of hulu through the Hawai’i Historic Foundation. Exhibits of her unique art form have been seen at The University of Hawai’i Art Gallery, the Honolulu Academy of Arts, and throughout 2005-2007. Paulette served as one of Hawai’i’s featured artists in the “Changing Hands” exhibit, sponsored by New York’s Museum of Arts and Design, which traveled all around the U.S. Paulette opened a feather shop providing supplies and classes with her parents, Paul and Mary Lou Kekuewa, and she is the author of two books.
LORNA PACHECO
Lauhala weaving
Aunty Lorna was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and is of Chinese, Hawaiian and English decent. Her Tutu (Angeline Naukana Kealoha-Taylor) was pure Hawaiian. She quilted with Hannah Baker and taught her the same. It wasn’t until Tutu passed in 1974 that Aunty Lorna learned she was a lauhala weaver at a very young age. She was always fascinated by the beautifully woven hala but it was only then that she truly desired to learn weaving. Finally in 2000, her husband gave me a hat class with Aunty Gladys Grace and the rest, as they say is history. She fell in love with Aunty Gladys and in love with hala.
KALOKU HOLT
Ukulele
Kaloku has been playing music professionally for several years. Playing overseas, on the mainland, and in Hawai`i with a variety of musicians has allowed him to expand his knowledge and experience with creating music. Writing and composing his own songs has brought another dimension to his understanding of it all. Besides being the 2005 winner of the Hapa Haole Hula Festival in the Vocal Division, with his brother, Kaloku was the 2007 winner of the kani le'a (musical) division of Mai Kahiki Mai in Federal Way, Washington. He is the nephew of Kumu Hula Vicky Holt Takamine.
DR. BOB CROMWELL AND TRACY FORTMANN, NATIONAL PARK RANGERS
Kanaka Village Tour
Dr. Robert J. (Bob) Cromwell has been an archaeologist with the National Park Service since 2000. Bob grew up in Oregon and has always been fascinated by history, and while on various elementary school field trips to places like Champoeg and Fort Vancouver, he became enamored with the stories of the 19th century settlement of the Willamette Valley by French Canadian trappers of the Hudson’s Bay Company. This led to studies in History and Historical Archaeology at Oregon State University, and attained a M.A. in Applied Anthropology with an emphasis in Historical Archaeology. After working as a contract archaeologist for various firms throughout the nation, and a two year stint working for Delaware State Parks, Bob attended Syracuse University where he successfully his Ph.D. in 2006.
Tracy Fortmann is a career National Park Service employee, and has worked at the Washington D.C. headquarters office, at Golden Gate National Recreational Area in San Francisco California, Jewell Cave National Monument in South Dakota, and at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. She has been Superintendent at Fort Vancouver since 2000, and has been instrumental in leading the partnership efforts between the managing agencies of the Vancouver National Historic Reserve, while at the same time increasing the National Park's efforts at: preserving and interpreting cultural resources, increasing educational programs and outreach efforts to non-traditional park users.