Kamuela woman celebrates heritage by weaving lauhala
By Diane Ako
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HILO, Hawaii (KITV) — A Big Island woman practices the time-honored traditions of lauhala weaving. She says learning the craft also brings her closer to her Hawaiian heritage.
Kamuela resident Eileen DeMercer Lee is a Realtor by day and a lauhala weaver in her free time. As a Hawaiian, she asked herself, “If I came on a canoe and landed in Hawaii, what would my contribution to my culture be? I am not a farmer, I’m not a fisherman. I am not a hula dancer, but I’m a weaver.”
It’s a skill that comes naturally to her so she believes her ancestors were weavers. The Kamehameha Schools alumna picked it up in midlife after the demands of life subsided. “Now that I’m becoming an empty nester, I find I’m a kupuna in training, and this is something important to my heart that I want to pass on to my children and my great grandchildren.”
Lee says she loves it. “It fills me, it fills my soul, and I feel complete in my culture as a Native Hawaiian woman. And in these days, it is a skill and a craft that pulls me away from the craziness of the world.”
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