Weke + Wauke | Keiki Tee - blue

The beautifully layered creation epic known as the Kumulipo is a constant source of inspiration for us at Kealopiko. In the Wā ʻAlua, the weke (Goatfish of the family Mullidae) is born in the ocean and is guarded by the wauke (Paper Mullberry, Broussonetia Papyrifera) on land. One of the meanings of weke is to separate or free and according to Mary Kawena Pukui, both the red and light colored weke were offered to the gods to turn away curses. Maybe some of the curses deflected by the offering of weke were the ones sent by shaking kapa (cloth made from the inner bark of the wauke plant) in a certain way, or through using of specific kinds of kapa in kuni rituals. Of the more than 90 kinds of kapa made, some were highly kapu, like hāʻena which was wrapped around kiʻi as malo, or māhuna which was made especially for chiefs. Although kapa is made by many peoples of the Pacific, Hawaiian women broke new ground in the art of dyeing, the impression of watermarks, and the scenting of cloth with vegetable products. At Kealopiko, we liked the idea that wauke is used to make kapa to adorn the human form, and that the scales covering a fish are a kind of adornment as well. I wehi no kuʻu kino - An adornment for my body.