Kumu John Keolamakaʻāinana Lake

26 OCT 2024
As heavy rains fall upon Oʻahu nei, on the cusp of the Hoʻoilo [Hawaiian winter wet season], I offer this chant to Lono:

E Lono ʻālana mai Kahiki
He p**e kū kēia iā ʻoe, e Lono
E Lono-lau-ʻai-nui
E ua mai ka Lanipili, ka ua hoʻoulu ʻai
Ka ua hoʻoulu kapa
Popo-kapa, Wai-lehua a Lono i ka lani
E Lono e
Kuʻua mai, kōkō ʻai, kōkō ua, ulua mai
Hoʻoulu ʻia mai ka ʻai e Lono
Hoʻoulu ʻia mai ka iʻa e Lono
Ka moʻomoʻo kīheʻaheʻa palaʻā e Lono
ʻĀmama, ua noa.

O Lono, offering from Kahiki
This is a prayer uttered to you, o Lono
O Lono-large-taro-leaf
Bring hither the Lanipili rain, the rain that grows crops
The rain that grows tapa crops (wauke, māmaki, etc)
Popokapa & Wailehua rains made by Lono in the heavens
O Lono
Release to us, [from the] food net, the rain net, confer growth
Grown here are the vegetable crops, o Lono
Grown here are the protein sources, o Lono
Tapa basts dyed streaked by palaʻā ferns o Lono
Completed, kapu lifted

Hauʻoli lā hānau i ka lewa lani, e kuʻu kumu!

08 SEP 2024
Reprising here a short oli kāhea that Ohu Gon III composed for Kaʻala, to provide some examples weaving elements of what we experience in our visits there. Ever since our halau first visited Kaʻala with Kumu Lake, we have felt a special pilina with that sacred mountain.

Milimilia ka ʻili e nā lima makuʻe o Kaiona
ʻili neʻe nei i ka nahele
me nā kolokolo o ka lau ke alani
Na ka lani ia lau, ʻaʻala o Niolopua
Pua puka hiʻi lani i ka limu uli o uka
A no uka hoʻi au e nā wahine noho mauna
He hoa kaʻana, he kahu kini akua
E hoʻi mai!
Our skins are fondled by the brown hands of Kaiona
as we tunnel through the forest here,
like leafminers in the alani leaves
Reserved for chiefs is the alani leaf, fragrance of Niolopua
A flower nestled, held in the moss of the uplands
And to the uplands I return o women residing on the mountain
A sharing companion, a guardian of the god-multitude
I must return!

NOTES: The trail through the plateau of Kaʻala is narrow, and the branches and foliage are constantly brushing against our skin, it is like tunneling through the dense foliage, like the scribbled pale marks of the small insects that tunnel through the leaves of alani (Melicope species), whose leaves are fragrant, and were used to calm the aliʻi if their sleep was troubled. The goddess of sleep is Niolopua. The flower of the alani emerges out of the stems, often poking through the thick dark epiphytic mosses that cover the branches of all growing things in the cloud forest. The women of the uplands here refer to both Kaiona (patron goddess of Kaʻala) and Niolopua who was just mentioned, but also evoke the epiphytic ferns called wahine-noho-mauna (Adenophorus spp). Their presence is to be welcomed, among the uncountable living manifestations of the gods that are found in the wao akua.

13 AUG 2024
When I underwent ʻūniki under Kumu John Keolamakaʻāīnana Lake in 2003, I was gifted a lama seedling, and now, over 20 years later it is still a sapling only perhaps 10 feet tall. It took SO long to get as tall as it has, even after I put it in the ground. Nonetheless, I am so proud of it, and one day, I hope to stand in its shade like this...a big lama tree in the Waiʻanae Mountains.

05 AUG 2024
Mahalo to our awesome loiloi for the Papa ʻŪniki ʻUlu of Hālau Mele: Kumu Sissy Lake-Farm, Kumu John Kuʻuhoamele Cuban, Kumu Kuuleilani Reyes, Mo'olono Kanani Harlytte Kahana-Reid, and (not shown) Kahuna P**e Kalama Cabigon. The official portrait and the relaxed. ♥️🌿

The Voices of Truth video interview with Kumu Lake:

Keeping The Old Ways Alive-A Visit With Kumu John Keola Lake http://VoicesOfTruthTV.com - For over four decades Kumu Lake has shared his knowledge of Hawaiian language, hula and chant. An incomparable wellspring of kno...

One of the joys of my station as a kahuna kākalaleo is the blessing of homes of friends and ʻohana. Giving a good start to the occupation of a new domicile is an important milestone.

Mahalo to Kumu John Keolamakaʻāinana Lake for teaching us the p**e for blessing of land, structures, and people, and taking us along to assist in many of your blessings before sending us out to conduct those blessings without you physically present. You are always with us in spirit, mau ā mau.

22 JUN 2024
Last night I had a very interesting dream about my kumu, Kumu John Keolamakaʻāinana Lake. He was in a very prestigious office (room 32) in a university, with glass walls and beautiful interior, and was on the phone, advising someone on the drumbeats and word timings for Kaulilua i ke Anu Waiʻaleʻale. I was waiting outside his office for him to finish his phone call, but just hearing his voice talking and chanting was a joy. I woke up to birds singing and the wind moving through the trees outside, so never had a chance to knock on his door and greet him. Maybe next time!

Another soaking wet hālau portrait from the Commemoration of the Battle of Nuʻuanu 27 APR 2024. The rain made it cleansing and memorable!

Family, Friends, Supporters.

It is with a heavy heart that this message is needed. It has come to the attention of this page, many have invoked Kumu Lake's name, image, and teachings as a form of validation for the protection of Mauna Kea. As one could easily cherry-pick their opinions from his body of work, we will never know how Kumu Lake would address current events. What we do know is Kumu Lake was an educator, mentor, kahuna, protocol master, and diplomat. He protested against the status quo and disrupted opinions of what it means to be Hawaiian. His skillful leadership built bridges, not roadblocks, and his battlefield was the classroom desk and conference room table. He was an advocate to the environment and ally to the sciences. Kumu Lake's influence reached across industry and country, serving the people of Hawai'i as ambassador and role model for our Lāhui.

There is no doubt that his influence reverberates through the air above Mauna Kea, as he was teacher and mentor to people on both sides of this issue. Selfishly, our hearts yearn for his wise words one more time, in hopes that it will sooth the growing wound that divides us today. In his absence, as with many of our long-past kupuna, we must carry the weight of their unfinished work. A decade after his passing, our problems are no longer his to solve, so we humbly ask everyone to refrain from including him in such contentious dialogue.

It is with certainty, any actions that create divisiveness among Hawaiians and the community-at-large will begin to undo the life's work of our beloved Kumu. In his absence, may we all find the courage to rise above the impulse and anxiety of these difficult times. Mahalo for your cooperation, unending love, and support. –– IWI