HONOLULU - Bishop Museum’s Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in Kona welcomes Kumu Wesley Sen for a two-part workshop on kapa-making. The first workshop will take place on Sunday, October 10, 2004 from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m., and the second workshop, will follow on Monday, October 11, 2004 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

The first workshop on October 10 will explore the cultivation of the wauke plant and the process of beating it into kapa. Kumu Sen has studied Hawaiian and Samoan methods of making kapa under Beatrice Krauss and Mary Pritchard, and is known as a dynamic teacher with a wealth of knowledge to share.

At the second workshop on October 11, Sen will lecture on and demonstrate the making of natural dyes for decorating kapa. Participants will have an opportunity to print their own piece of kapa.

The paper mulberry tree, wauke is also known as Broussonetia papyrifera. One of the principal plants introduced by early voyaging Polynesians who settled in Hawai‘i, it is the primary plant used in the making of kapa. In traditional times, the wauke was beaten on smooth rocks and sun dried in order to make the kapa, which in Hawaiian means the beaten thing. Tapa was used for garments and bedding as well as ceremonial occasions.

Registration for each workshop is $60, which includes a supply fee. Bishop Museum Association members are free. Space is limited so pre-registration is required. To register, call Momi at (808) 323-3318.

This program is supported by Bishop Museum and Native Hawaiian Culture and Arts Program (NHCAP), which is funded through a cooperative agreement with the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, and by funding from the U.S. Department of Education.

The Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden is a Bishop Museum facility, located in South Kona on the Mamalahoa Highway. During the year, more than 8,000 visitors experience the Garden and explore the plants of traditional Kona. The Garden is a regular stop for school tours, and people of all ages enjoy workshops on traditional Hawaiian arts. Admission is a suggested donation of $4 per person and free for Bishop Museum Association members. For more information, call (808) 323-3318.