New quarter honoring Edith Kanaka‘ole now in circulation | News, Sports, Jobs
, 2023-03-28 11:38:59,
The late Edith Kanaka‘ole was a kumu hula and composer who taught Hawaiian language, Polynesian history and other courses at UH. She is one of five women being minted on new quarters as part of the American Women Quarters Program. Photo courtesy UH
A new commemorative quarter honoring former UH instructor, legendary kumu hula and award-winning composer Edith Kanaka’ole has been released into circulation by the U.S. Mint, UH announced Monday.
Kanaka’ole is one of the five 2023 honorees who will appear on the coin as part of the American Women Quarters Program. The newly released quarter depicts a portrait of Kanaka’ole, with her hair and lei po’o morphing into the elements of a Hawaiian landscape, symbolizing her life’s work of preserving the natural land and traditional Hawaiian culture. The inscription on the quarter, “E ho mai ka ‘ike,” translates as “granting the wisdom,” a reference to the intertwined role hula and chants play in the preservation of Hawaiian culture.
“It was a joy to become aware of Edith Kanaka’ole’s legacy as I developed a design for her quarter,” Artistic Infusion Program Designer Emily Damstra said in a news release Monday. “I came to understand that her deep connection to the land — her home in Hawai’i near the Mauna Kea volcano — played a large role in her life and work. To best honor the various ways she made an impact, I felt that the design should emphasize her relationship to that environment.”
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