Posted on: Friday, September 3, 2004

Hawaiian art on National Mall for festival

Advertiser Staff

Native Hawaiian artists will join participants from more than 50 Native American communities in the six-day First Americans Festival, starting Sept. 21 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

The festival marks the opening of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, the first national museum dedicated exclusively to Native Americans.

Calvin and Kawai Hoe will blow conch shells to signal the beginning of a Native Nations Procession on opening day.

Hilo's Halau O Kekuhi, led by Pualani Kanaka'ole Kanahele and Nalani Kanaka'ole, and slack-key guitarist Ledward Ka'apana also will perform.

Representatives of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the Hawai'i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts will attend and introduce Hawai'i artists.

For more information, call John Keoni Fujitani of the state foundation at 586-0306, or log onto the Web site: www.americanindian.si.edu.