“Na wai ho‘i ka ‘ole o ke akamai, he alanui i ma‘a i ka hele ‘ia e o‘u mau makua.”
Who would not be wise on a path walked upon by my ancestors

These words first uttered by Liholiho when praised for his wisdom remind us to acknowledge the work and lessons given to us by our kupuna, and to recognize that our individual and collective accomplishments are based on the decisions and actions of those who came before us.

In this spirit we honor the lineage and legacy of my grandmother Kamaile Puhi Kane, born in Kokiki, North Kohala, Hawai‘i to Edward Kenao Puhi and Annie Kepale Poli`ahu on December 29, 1916. She was named after and was hanai (adopted) at a young age by her maternal grandmother Kamaile Makua`ole Keohuhu Poli‘ahu to help strengthen the bonds between the two generations.

The elder Kamaile often took her young namesake to Maui to visit her daughter (Gramma’s aunty) Lily Kekahuna. On one of these trips in 1924, the elder Kamaile fell ill and died. Instead of sending 8 year old Kamaile back to Kohala, her aunt Lily decided to hanai her and raise her along side her own children in Pa'ia.

Thus our journey begins…a point in time, a place on the sand. This journey begins in a plantation style house on the north shore of Maui, within calling distance of the sea, where my Gramma Kamaile was raised, and who subsequently raised her own nine children nearby. The place and people that helped lay the foundation for how I view the world and who I have become. The path walked upon by my ancestors.