by Leilehua Yuen
Making kaʻ ā (thread) and kaula (rope) is an important cultural art that gets little recognition these days. In times past, the art of the kaula was functional, metaphorical, and bound together many aspects of Hawaiian culture.
I originally learned to make kaula from dry lāʻ i, dry leaves of Cordyline fruticosa. It was a handy way to make a temporary rope from an easily-available material. In my childhood, tī was found growing in almost every garden, and the long leaves fell daily and needed to be cleaned up, so they were always handy to make rope from when needed.
Years later, I was working at Puʻ uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park as a cultural demonstrator. Rose Fujimori took me in hand and taught me about traditional Hawaiian cordage.
There are many materials which can be used for making kaula and kaʻ ā. Among them are: lāʻ ī, olonā (touchardia latifolia), niu (Cocos nucifera), ule hala (Pandanus tectorius), ʻ ahuʻ awa (native Hawaiian Carex and Cyperaecea), and hau (Hibiscus tiliaceus). Each type of material has its own strengths and weaknesses.
