What are you reading?

There is one book that I always refer to, and that is "The Polynesian Family System in Ka'u, Hawai'i" by Handy and Pukui.

How did you discover it?

It's been a book that we've referred to many, many times in my family here. My wife's family is from Ka'u and 'ohana to Mary Kawena Pukui. What it also does for me is, it's just a return to reading about the foundation values of the family. I always go back to it. There's many, many things in there that talk about traditional values, rearing, kinship — just a very important book. It really talks all about life, totally.

What parts do you revisit?

Well, one of the last parts I was reading was about the calling out to people when they're passing the house. You call out and invite them in — it's a manner of hospitality. I was just reading that because I needed to share that with somebody, but in a modern-day society. I was working with a company with that. I went to tell them that in the old style, this is what it was like, but we can still use the same values in today's society.

Does this book, as well as your own family, help you better educate others about Hawaiian values through design?

All the time. Even the Hawaiian Dictionary — these are things that are always at my side. I'm always referring to it. It did come about specifically when I met my mother-in-law. She was the one who told us that we need to share our experiences and our knowledge so that the next generation has something and they know how to practice and know our belief system. It was she, in the mid '70s, who told me this, and I was so inspired by her. So since then, I've been doing it.