Edith Kanakaʻole

Edith Kanakaʻole (1913–1979) was a master of hula, the traditional dance of Hawaii, and a transmitter who preserved Hawaiian culture. In an era when the old songs and chants (chant, a traditional song that is intoned) of Hawaii were being forgotten, she learned and taught them again and brought them back to life. To the people of Hawaii, she is remembered as a great teacher who preserved the roots of their culture.

On the reverse of the coin is engraved the image of Edith Kanakaʻole, expressed so that her hair and the lei poʻo (head lei) wrapped around her head flow naturally into the natural landscape of Hawaii. And it holds together the Hawaiian phrase “E hō mai ka ʻike” (Grant us wisdom).

This image, in which person and nature come together as one, shows that Hawaiian culture is deeply connected to the land, the sea, and nature. The Hawaiian phrase engraved alongside holds the heart of seeking wisdom, and it suits well her life of cherishing and carrying on tradition.

Over long years, Hawaii’s old language and songs gradually lost their place. Edith Kanakaʻole brought them back to life and passed them on to the next generation, and through hula and chant she led the people of Hawaii to take pride in their own culture.

Gazing at the image of her blending into nature on the coin, we recall the heart of one person who, with devotion, revived a vanishing tradition. Edith Kanakaʻole is honored today as a guardian of Hawaiian culture.