lei lāʻī hilo features what I feel is a memory but one that is definitely not my own. One of the most common practices in Hawaiʻi that people know is how to make a lei (garland). In particular a tī leaf lei, using the lāʻī (tī leaves) of the tī or kī plant. The most common technique used to create this lei is called lei hilo. Hilo, while it is the name of my hometown, it is also a word that can mean “to twist” or “to braid.”

Despite having a plethora of tī leaves growing in our backyard, I was never taught this technique from any of my family members. I think that shows how disconnected we are from our ancestral roots. In the school system in Hawaiʻi, there are efforts to teach keiki (children) the Hawaiian language, culture, history, and more. Thus, I have participated in creating tī leaf lei in high school but I have never had the one-on-one experience of watching and learning from a loved one.