The Winter 2021 issue of I Mua Magazine, published by Kamehameha Schools, spotlights the work of Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellow Lloyd Harold Kumulā’au Sing Jr. and his dedication to sharing Hawaiian cultural practices. Sing is a traditional mixed-media artist who has cultivated a community of weavers who are revitalizing the practice of ‘ie’ie (woody climbing vine) basketry. As part of the fellowship, he has mentored and trained students in traditional weaving techniques and performed public demonstrations to share his knowledge with other Native Hawaiians and Pacific communities.

“Being selected as a Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellow has given me the opportunity to access resources that will further continue my journey to heal and empower my Hawaiian people and their communities,” said Sing.

For Lloyd Harold Kumulā’au Sing Jr. KSK’89, this craftsman’s composition is a slow-developing opus featuring stanzas of planning, chiseling, sanding, weaving and finishing that crescendos with creations of beautiful and powerful representations of Native Hawaiian culture and history.

His knowledge of and passion for the Native Hawaiian arts of sculpting wooding figures and implements, and weaving a multitude of baskets and helmets is present in every work of art he and his students produce through painstaking dedication and attention to detail. Sing, a Kamehameha Schools cultural specialist based at the Kaʻiwakīloumoku Hawaiian Cultural Center at KS Kapālama, is a traditional mixed-media artist and Hawaiian cultural practitioner who has created a community of ‘ie’ie (woody climbing vine) basketry weavers who are, piece by piece, revitalizing this important practice.

Sing was selected as a member of the inaugural 2020 Luce Indigenous Fellows class that has worked to share a collection of knowledge with participants from Alaska, California, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota. The cohort, which was composed of 10 participants selected from a pool of 550 applicants, came together in person, and then virtually, to represent and share native cultures, while navigating the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read the full article (pp 16–22)