HILO INTER-TRIBAL POWWOW

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The Beautiful Town of Hilo, Hawai`i
"Hilo Hanakai i ka Ua Kanilehua"

   The annual Hilo Inter-Tribal Powwow is held each Memorial Day weekend on the banks of Waiakea Pond, fed by the beautiful and historic Wailoa River in Hilo, Hawai`i.
   The name, "Hilo," is ancient, and was famed in legend long before historic times. It has several meanings. It can mean "twisted," like a thread or rope. Thus, it is also the name for the first thin, twisted sliver of light to appear on the Eastern horizon at dawn. Hilo is the name for the first night in the Hawaiian month. And it also is the name of a renowned Polynesian navigator who is believed to have discovered this coast. His chief, to honor the feat, named the area for him.
   Hilo has a long history, and already was populated when the first European visitors arrived. It has been the residence of chiefs and the home of legendary heros. During the rule of Pai`ea Kamehameha, Hilo briefly served as the capitol of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
   Poetically, Hilo is known as "Hilo Hanakahi," in reference to the great chief Hanakahi who was renowned for the peace and prosperity of his reign. Much of this prosperity came from the beautiful Waiakea Pond, along the banks of which lush taro paddies grew, helping to feed an estimated 40,000 people.
   In Hawaiian tradition, each wind, rain, sea current, type of mist, cloud, and other such aspects of nature have their own personal names. The most famous rain of Hilo is known as Ka Ua Kani Lehua, "The Rain Which Makes the Lehua Blossoms Sing."

E komo mai, e `olu`olu kakou. Come, relax. We welcome you to our beloved home.


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