Kauluhiwaolele Maui Fiber Arts Conference recognizes the multiple ways we utilize Hawaiian plant material. Leaves, bark, sedges and roots are just some of the fibers used to weave, twill, twine and knot into precious creations. Kauluhiwaolele speaks to the esteemed groves from which we gather the fibers to fashion our traditional crafts and the increasing practice of these precious arts in Lāhainā. The pū hala (pandanus tree) is celebrated as an important part of every Hawaiian family in our woven mats, pillows, baskets and the sails that brought our people on canoes across the Pacific. ʻIeʻie is an endemic woody, branching climber (Freycinetia arborea) which is made into the finest baskets, fish traps, and as a sturdy framework for other crafts. Kōkō is the practice of knotting sennit to create nets and calabash net-carriers. Kapa is cloth made from the bark of the wauke (paper mulberry) plant.

The conference will consist of four days of intense instruction in these weaving crafts by 20+ of our kumu (master practitioners) from throughout Hawaiʻi. Ceremony and protocol set the tone for learning, sharing, and fellowship enhanced by panel discussions, huakaʻi, mini-workshops and an event dinner. Local favorites will be served at the culminating celebration, and students are encouraged to wear or display items they created throughout the conference.