Te Ao Mana Inc

MANA MANAHATA IS A MULTI-FACETED, MULTICULTURAL, PARTIALLY-INTERACTIVE, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENT. IT INCLUDES WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH SEVERAL NATIVE ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED WITH DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE EVENT. THIS INCLUDED AN EVENT TEASER IN TIMES SQUARE AT ANITA'S WAY, THAT INCLUDED WORKING AND COORDINATING WITH CHASHAMA: SPACE FOR ARTISTS ORGANIZATION, AND A SECOND 24 HOUR EVENT THAT FEATURED INDIGENOUS AND NATIVE PERFORMANCE GROUPS, ARTISTS, VENDORS, MUSICIANS, POETS, AND DRUMMERS. MANA MANAHATA WAS HELD IN CONJUNCTION WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY CELEBRATION ON RANDALLS ISLAND. AS PART OF THE EVENTS ORGANIZATION, WE WERE ABLE TO COLLABORATE WITH MANY DIFFERENT NATIVE AND INDIGNEOUS NATIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD AND FEATURE MORE TRADITIONAL POLYNESIAN ACTIVITIES AND WORKSHOPS THAT HONORED THE CURRENT SEASON OF MAKAHIKI THROUGHOUT POLYNESIA. SOME OF THESE INCLUDED LAUHALA WEAVING, A NATURAL MATERIAL USED IN A VARIETY OF POLYNESIAN CRAFTS, JEWELRY MAKING, MATS, AND HAT CREATION, A MODERN VERSION OF OHE KAPALA, TRADITIONAL HAWAIIAN PRINTING GIVING PARTICIPANTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT THE TRADITIONAL PROCESS AND ALSO TAKE HOME A PERSONALIZED SOUVENIR, HAKA MOA AND ULU MAIKA, TRADITIONAL HAWAIIAN GAMES, AND ALSO ORI TAHITI PERFORMANCE AND TUTORIALS. THIS WAS IN ADDITION TO LEARNING TRADITIONAL HILO LA'I, WEAVING OF TI LEAVES USED IN ROPE MAKING, LASHING OF HOMES AND CANOE FRAMES, AND ALSO USED IN COSTUME MAKING, AND STORYTELLING. THERE WERE ALSO VENDORS OF HAND CARVED BONE AND COCONUT SHELL JEWELRY, AND HAWAIIAN PRINTED MAUNA KEA SHAWLS. A HIGHLIGHT OF THE EVENT INCLUDED A SUNRISE CEREMONY ALONG THE HARLEM RIVER WITH SPECIAL WATER TRIBUTES FROM TRIBES AROUND THE WORLD OFFERING THEIR HEALING WATERS. OVER 4000 ATTENDEES OF ALL AGES AND ETHNICITIES WERE SERVED DURING THE EVENT.