Rosa Barker

  • Bridging the Generation Divide

    Last year, I was a “senior” senior at the University of Hawai‘i (UH) West O‘ahu. My learning adventure began in the fall of 2019 when I enrolled in a basic Hawaiian language course at the Moloka‘i Education Center at age 67. It is a satellite campus of UH Maui College and our classes were conducted…

  • The Power of Kākou

    Grounded by what he learned in his neighborhood church, Brickwood Galuteria embodies a life of public service dedicated to nurturing the well-being of Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians), kūpuna and those with special needs. When “Kūpuna Power”—his TV program created to educate and empower Hawai‘i’s elderly—was relaunched in 2020, Brickwood said in a Ka Wai Ola…

  • Ikebana – A Conversation With Nature

    By Rosa BarkerPhotos courtesy of Barbara & Roger Tinius Ikebana is instantly recognizable as a Japanese style of floral art, no matter where in the world it is created. One thing that sets it apart as a style is that the arrangement is simple and uncluttered. But that simplicity is full of deeper meaning, dating…

  • Talking Story on Moloka‘i

    One of the most treasured traditions in Hawai‘i is “talking story.” This Pidgin phrase can refer to something as simple as chatting about life events and the news of the day, or as complex as passing on generational wisdom and sharing concerns and hopes for the future. The Molokai History Project (MHP) has held several…

  • Hilo’s Lyman Museum is Superb!

    I’m not the first to fall in love with Mauna Kea. Sarah Lyman — a missionary who came to Hawai‘i from New England in 1832 — wrote in her journal about the beauty of Mauna Kea when the clouds and rains cleared. You can hear readings of several journal entries in one of the exhibits…