The story of Hiʻiakaikapoliopele is deeply spiritual and firmly rooted in the lands of the Hawaiian archipelago. As researchers, storytellers, and artists, we view this moʻolelo as an opportunity to bring the mana of wahi pana (storied places) to the forefront. It is estimated that 45000 people a day will see these wrapped buses, creating 45000 opportunities to share the moʻolelo kaʻao (historical tale) of Hiʻiakaikapoliopele with our community.

Cory Kamehanaokalā Holt Taum was inspired by Hiʻiakaikapoliopele’s pāʻū ehuehu (animated skirt), crafted by Pāʻūopalaʻā, one of Hiʻiakaikapoliopele’s companions. This powerful skirt accompanies Hiʻiaka on her long and challenging journey to fetch Pele’s lover, Lohiʻau, from Kauaʻi. Imbued with a mana known as ka  lima o Kīlauea, or the hand of Kīlauea, Hiʻiakaikapoliopele possesses the power to both take and give life, making her a living puʻuhonua, or place of refuge.

As a coming-of-age story, Hiʻiaka’s journey embodies a balance of life and death, destruction and regeneration. As she is a complex deity, it was essential that Cory’s design reflect the mana of Hiʻiaka, a power bestowed on her by her ancestors through Pele’s hand.

Adorned in her pāʻū, Hiʻiakaikapoliopele journeys across the archipelago to fetch Lohiʻau. On her way to Kauaʻi, she travels from Molokaʻi to Oʻahu, first landing at Makapuʻu on the Koʻolaupoko side of the island. After retrieving Lohiʻau on Kauaʻi, Hiʻiaka and her group make their way back through Oʻahu, moving through the Waiʻanae, ʻEwa, and Kona districts  of the island.

Throughout this moʻolelo, Hiʻiakaikapoliopele chants many kau, or poetic verses, in which she calls out and honors the names of family members and significant places. These kau also emphasize the importance of remembering the past and the connections we share as inhabitants of these wahi pana.

Her story will reconnect Oʻahu with the wisdom of the past as we move into the future. Three city buses are wrapped in Cory Taum’s brilliant artwork, showcasing Hiʻiaka’s pāʻū ehuehu. Those who ride the bus will have the opportunity to access this moʻolelo, as well as mele, kau, and oli, while traveling along the same paths that Hiʻiakaikapoliopele once took by simply scanning a QR code. By incorporating audio components into these wrapped buses, we encourage access to the wahi pana featured in Hiʻiaka’s epic tale. Join Hiʻiaka on this huakaʻi!