Articles & Features
Kahana Designs is a Native Hawaiian-owned art studio in Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi. Beyond our journal, we publish long-form stories about Hawaiian culture, moʻolelo, places, and craft on Medium and LinkedIn. This page gathers those writings in one place.
Stories on Medium
- Ulu: The Story and Meaning of the Hawaiian Breadfruit Tree
- Manō: What the Shark Means in Hawaiian Culture
- Ānuenue: What the Rainbow Means in Hawaiian Culture
- Kauaʻi T-Shirts: Wear the Garden Isle
- Honu Wall Art: The Hawaiian Sea Turtle in Home Decor
- Big Island Posters: Travel-Poster Art of Hawaiʻi Island
- Kauaʻi Posters: Travel-Poster Art of the Garden Isle
- Oʻahu Posters: Travel-Poster Art of the Gathering Place
- Maui Posters: Travel-Poster Art of the Valley Isle
- Vintage Hawaii Travel Posters: The Art of the Islands in Print
- What Is Loco Moco? Hawaiʻi’s Ultimate Comfort Food
- Haleakalā National Park: Sunrise, Summit & Stars on Maui
- Ānuenue: What the Rainbow Means in Hawaiian Culture
- Manta Rays of the Kona Coast
- Planning a Holiday to Hawaii: The Complete First-Timer’s Guide
- New This Week at Kahana Designs — July 27
- Kāne: Hawaiian God of Creation and Life
- Kalo (Taro): Why Hawaiʻi’s Sacred Plant Is Considered an Ancestor
- What Is Spam Musubi? Hawaiʻi’s Favorite Snack, Explained
- Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa: Hawaiʻi’s State Fish
- The Legend of ʻŌhiʻa Lehua: Hawaiʻi’s Most Beloved Flower Story
- 18 Free Hawaii Tools from Kahana Designs (You Don’t Have to Buy a Thing)
- Beach Bum to Yogi: Finding Your Aloha State of Mind
- Hawaiʻi Pride: Tees Honoring Those Who Serve
- Hulu Aliʻi: The Meaning of Hawaiian Featherwork (ʻAhuʻula, Mahiole & Lei Hulu)
- Aloha for Every Season: Hawaiian Style Year-Round
- Living the Aloha Lifestyle
- What Is an Ahupuaʻa? Hawaiʻi’s Ancient System of Land, Water, and Community
- The Ukulele’s Hawaiian Story
- New This Week at Kahana Designs — July 20
- The Luʻau: Then and Now
- Lāʻī: The Meaning of the Ti Leaf in Hawaiian Culture
- Meaningful Hawaiian Gift Ideas
- How to Care for Lauhala Earrings
- What Is Kapa? Hawaiian Barkcloth, Its Patterns and Meaning
- Celebrating the Holidays Hawaiian Style
- New This Week at Kahana Designs — July 13
- Hawaiian Christmas Traditions (Mele Kalikimaka)
- Kukui Nut: The Meaning of Hawaiʻi’s Light-Giving State Tree
- Planning a Family Trip to Hawaiʻi
- What Ohana Really Means in Hawaiian Culture
- Honu: What the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle Means in Hawaiian Culture
- Best Hawaiʻi Gifts for Island Lovers
- Lahaina: Honoring Maui’s Historic Heart
- Hawaiian Wayfinding: How Navigators Crossed the Pacific Without Instruments
- The Most Beautiful Beaches in Hawaiʻi
- Bring Island Vibes to Your Home
- Niʻihau Shell Lei: The Story Behind Hawaiʻi’s Rarest Jewelry
- How to Decorate with Hawaiian Wall Art
- The Four Great Gods of Hawaiʻi
- The Menehune: Hawaiʻi’s Legendary Little People
- The Menehune: Hawaiʻi’s Legendary Little People
- The Night Marchers of Hawaiian Legend
- The Night Marchers of Hawaiian Legend
- Kiʻi Pōhaku: The Meaning of Hawaiian Petroglyphs
- Laka: Goddess of Hula
- Hina: Hawaiian Goddess of the Moon
- 20 Beautiful Hawaiian Words and What They Really Mean
- Hawaiian Food & Drink: Tees for Island Foodies
- Hawaiian Flowers & Nature: Tees That Bloom
- Hawaii Surf & Action Sports Shirts: Wear the Ocean Life
- Oʻahu T-Shirts: The Gathering Place, Worn
- Big Island T-Shirts: From Volcanoes to the Stars
- Maui T-Shirts: Wear the Valley Isle
- Hawaiian Mythology: Gods, Guardians & the Stories of the Islands
- Kākau Art: The Meaning Behind Hawaiian Tattoo Designs
- Hawaiian Ocean Wildlife: Honu, Whales, Dolphins & More
- Ohana & Family in Hawaiʻi: The Meaning of Family, Worn with Aloha
- Hawaiian Phrases & Slang: Talk Story Like a Local
- Hawaiian Lauhala Jewelry: The Handwoven Craft of the Islands
- Hawaii T-Shirts: The Complete Guide to Authentic Hawaiian Tees
- Hawaii Posters: Vintage-Style Travel Prints for Island Lovers
- Hawaiian Coffee Mugs: Island Mornings, One Cup at a Time
- Hawaii Wall Art: A Guide to Hawaiian Canvas Prints for Your Home
- Kanaloa: Hawaiian God of the Ocean
- Hawaiian Quilts: The History and Meaning of an Island Art Form
- Kū: Hawaiian God of War and Prosperity
- New This Week at Kahana Designs — June 29
- Hawaiian Slang Words You’ll Hear
- Koa Wood: Why Hawaiʻi’s Native Hardwood Is So Treasured
- What Does Shaka Mean?
- Kākau: The Meaning Behind Traditional Hawaiian Tattoo Designs
- How to Say Thank You in Hawaiian (Mahalo)
- Hawaiian Pidgin Phrases, Explained
- Hawaiian Lei Meaning: Flowers, Etiquette & the Spirit of Aloha
- Native Hawaiian Plants You Should Know
- The Makau: Meaning of the Hawaiian Fish Hook Symbol
- How to Grow Plumeria
- Hawaiian Flowers and Their Meanings
- What Makes Hawaiian Clothing Authentic? Aloha Wear, Culture & Design Explained
- Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Paddling: The Story of the Waʻa
- Duke Kahanamoku: Father of Modern Surfing
- Authentic Hawaiian Gifts: How to Choose Meaningful, Locally-Made Pieces (Not Touristy Souvenirs)
- The History of Oʻahu’s North Shore
- Best Surf Spots for Beginners in Hawaiʻi
- Traditional Hawaiian Art Explained: Kapa, Kākau & the Symbols Behind the Designs
- The Nēnē: Hawaiʻi’s State Bird
- Hawaiian Jewelry Meaning: Symbols, Materials & How to Spot Authentic Pieces
- Reef-Safe Sunscreen in Hawaiʻi: What to Know
- Snorkeling Hanauma Bay: A Complete Guide
- Spinner Dolphins of the Kona Coast
- Humpback Whale Season in Hawaiʻi
- The Hawaiian Plate Lunch
- Hawaiian Shave Ice, Explained
- New This Week at Kahana Designs — June 8
- Kona Coffee: From Cherry to Cup
- What Is Poke? A Guide to Hawaiʻi’s Favorite Dish
- Hawaiian Foods You Have to Try
- Which Hawaiian Island Should You Visit?
- The Big Island in 5 Days: Volcanoes to Beaches
- Kauaʻi for First-Timers: The Garden Isle Guide
- 15 Best Things to Do on Maui
- Oʻahu Travel Guide: Beaches, Hikes & Local Eats
- New This Week at Kahana Designs — June 1
- Lono: Hawaiian god of peace, rain, and the Makahiki harvest
- Hibiscus: the state flower of Hawaiʻi and its story
- Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park: a guide to Kīlauea
- The Road to Hāna: planning the perfect Maui drive
- Aloha Friday and the rise of the Hawaiian aloha shirt
- How the Hawaiian Islands formed: the Pacific hotspot
- The Hawaiian monk seal: an endangered beach dweller
- Māui the demigod: how he slowed the sun in Hawaiʻi
- The history of hula: sacred rite to performance art
- Common Hawaiian words you already know, and what they mean
- Molokaʻi: the most Hawaiian island and how to visit
- The Nā Pali Coast: Kauaʻi’s wild and sacred sea cliffs
- King Kamehameha: the unifier of the Hawaiian Islands
- Poi: the staple food at the heart of ancient Hawaiʻi
- The ancient roots of Hawaiian surfing and heʻe nalu
- Waikīkī after dark: a slower, quieter side of Honolulu
- Worn Heritage: The Story of Hawaiian Lauhala Jewelry
- Plumeria: the iconic flower behind the Hawaiian lei
- Mauna Kea: Hawaiʻi’s Sacred Summit, Stars & Snow
- Wailea Beach Guide: Maui’s South Shore Crescent
- Honu: The Sacred Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle
- Legend of Pele: Hawaiian Goddess of Volcanoes
- What Is Lauhala? Guide to Hawaiian Weaving
- Ancient Hawaiian Jewelry: History, Mana, and Meaning
- Lauhala Weaving: Sacred Hawaiian Art & Tradition
Featured posts on LinkedIn
- ʻUlu: The Meaning of the Hawaiian Breadfruit Tree
- Vintage Hawaiian Surf Posters
- Ānuenue: What the Rainbow Means in Hawaiian Culture
- Kalo (Taro): Hawaiʻi's Sacred Plant
- The Legend of ʻŌhiʻa Lehua
- Beach Bum to Yogi: Aloha State of Mind
- Hulu Aliʻi: Hawaiian Featherwork
- What Is an Ahupuaʻa?
- Lāʻī: The Ti Leaf in Hawaiian Culture
- How to Care for Lauhala Earrings
- Kapa: Hawaiian Barkcloth Meaning
- Kukui Nut: Hawaiʻi Meaning
- Honu: Hawaiian Sea Turtle Meaning
- Best Hawaiʻi Gifts for Island Lovers
- Hawaiian Wayfinding & Star Compass
- Niʻihau Shell Lei Meaning
- Hawaiian Petroglyphs (Kiʻi Pōhaku)
- 20 Beautiful Hawaiian Words
- Hawaiian Quilt Meaning & History
- Koa Wood: Hawaiʻi Meaning
- Hawaiian Flower Lei Meaning
- Kākau: Hawaiian Tattoo Meaning
- How to Say Thank You in Hawaiian (Mahalo)
- Makau: Hawaiian Fish Hook Meaning
- Authentic Hawaiian Clothing Guide
- Duke Kahanamoku: Father of Modern Surfing
- Authentic Hawaiian Gifts Guide
- Traditional Hawaiian Art Explained
- Hawaiian Jewelry Meaning & Symbols
- Spinner Dolphins of the Kona Coast