Kupuna –Elder, Grandparent, Ancestor, Relative or close friend of the grandparent’s generation. Kūpuna, plural of kupuna.
Kūpuna in ancient Hawai`i as well as today’s society are respected and regarded as valuable treasures of knowledge for their vast years of experience. Often seen as the mentors and masters of the loina Hawai`i (Hawaiian Values) and Lawena Hawai`i (Hawaiian Character).
Kūpuna were the ideal kumu (source, mentor, and teacher). Their wisdom were given unconditionally for the purpose of perpetuating the customs and traditions as taught to them by their kupuna. It is a generational transfer of knowledge from elder to child. This exemplifies the ALOHA, compassion that one has for one another.
Kūpuna themselves would never allow their lives of learning to sit idle, nor did they consider themselves paramount to life itself. Kūpuna also believed that everyone are haumāna regardless of age and years of experience. “One is never too old to learn”.
On Friday April 17, 2015 Kualoa Ranch HI opened their cattle gates and invited the Windward District Hawaiian Studies Kupuna Program to workshop entitled Ho`olauna Kualoa, which gave the kūpuna a firsthand experience on the rich cultural history that comes with experiencing Kualoa.
One of such activities they experienced was the making of a lā`au Lomi (Lomi stick) using the guava branches gathered from Ka`a`awa valley.