For generations, Hawaiians have looked to ka Mahina (the Moon) as a guide for daily life, using its cycles to determine activity patterns.
The Hawaiian lunar calendar consists of an approximate 30-day cycle, in which each day has its own name and is reserved for specific tasks such as planting and fishing, and activities are even prohibited on certain dates.
This ʻike kūpuna (ancestral knowledge), traditionally passed down through generations, continues to be shared through the Hilo-based business Kaulana Mahina, which refers to the position of the moon.
Founder Haunani Miyasato has helped perpetuate Hawaiian lunar knowledge through educational materials, workshops, and Hawaiian moon calendars that are accessible to all.
As a mother, former early-childhood educator, and Native Hawaiian, Miyasato was inspired by the moon after enrolling her four keiki in Hawaiian immersion school. To support their journey in learning ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, she enrolled in classes through the University of Hawaiʻi Hilo’s Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language.
She told HPR that a class called Ka Nohona Kaulana Mahina, led by Kumu Henani Enos, opened her eyes to the importance of the moon.
“This class was all about the moon and how it related to all aspects of our lives,” she said. “After I took that class, I knew I just learned so much information that if I didn’t use it, I was going to lose it.”
Miyasato compiled her homework together, researched old newspapers, and consulted with cultural practitioners, fishers, and farmers about how the moon influenced their way of life to create her first kaulana mahina, or moon calendar, entirely in Hawaiian.
"There already were English moon calendars, but I was like, if this is a Hawaiian concept and my kids all speak Hawaiian, then where is the Hawaiian moon calendar in Hawaiian, so I really just made it for them,” Miyasato said.
After hanging her kaulana mahina up in her home, her personal project soon expanded to printed copies for friends and Instagram followers who wanted to display one in their homes.
"Because my background is in teaching and so many people would ask me questions about this on Instagram, I wondered if I could build a curriculum around this and teach the teachers how to build a curriculum around the mahina,” she explained.
Kaulana Mahina now offers professional development workshops for adults, where participants from schools, organizations, and communities can learn foundational ʻike about the moon from a Hawaiian perspective to share through classroom lessons.
“The moon is so closely related to so many aspects of our lives, sometimes we just don't know it,” Miyasato said. “But once you understand it, then you’re like, ‘Oh, that makes sense.’ So it's helping them incorporate it into their daily life, so they can live it, learn it, and then feel comfortable teaching it."
Beyond the kaulana mahina, Miyasato develops other educational resources, such as palapala ʻāina (land documents) and puke (books).
“My children's books are really where my creativity can take off, and I love the research side,” Miyasato shared. “Whenever we make a children's book, it’s research first and then putting it together in these bite-sized pieces. These are big concepts that most adults don't even know, and we’re breaking them down to a preschool or kindergarten level.”
She hopes to continue writing and publishing books to support children learning the Hawaiian language.
“If you are a parent who has decided to put your child in a Hawaiian immersion school, and you wanna have a library of Hawaiian books for them, there are 80 books that are all in Hawaiian, on the shelves for children eight years and under,” she said. “And that is the same books they're going to read in their classroom and at home, so how boring is that?”
Her goal is to create more books in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi that are accurate and fun for keiki.
“We’re trying to put in the work so that we have more resources for our keiki,” she said. “Books are timeless; you can pass them on to your kids and grandkids, and that’s really what I’m trying to build.”
Find Kaulana Mahina products on their website or Instagram to see the latest product developments and drops.
