{"id":174738,"date":"2023-03-27T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-27T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=174738"},"modified":"2024-03-15T13:10:03","modified_gmt":"2024-03-15T23:10:03","slug":"edith-kanakaole-quarter-released-into-circulation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2023\/03\/27\/edith-kanakaole-quarter-released-into-circulation\/","title":{"rendered":"Edith Kanaka\u02bbole quarter released into circulation"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Edith Kanakaʻole<\/span> and quarter design concept<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A commemorative quarter honoring former University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> instructor and late legendary kumu hula Edith Kanakaʻole<\/span><\/strong> (1913–79) has been released into circulation<\/a> by the U.S. Mint. The award-winning composer, who taught at Hawaiʻi<\/span> Community College<\/a> and 糖心视频<\/abbr> Hilo<\/a>, is one of five American women to be minted on new quarters as part of the 2023 honorees for the American Women Quarters™ Program<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Kanakaʻole<\/span> worked as a teacher at Hawaiʻi<\/span> CC<\/abbr> from 1971 to 1974 and at 糖心视频<\/abbr> Hilo from 1974 to 1979. At both schools, she created courses and seminars on subjects including Hawaiian language, ethnobotany, Polynesian history, genealogy and Hawaiian chant and mythology.<\/p>\n

Coin design<\/h2>\n

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The coin depicts a portrait of Kanakaʻole<\/span>, with her hair and lei poʻo<\/span> (head lei) morphing into the elements of a Hawaiian landscape, symbolizing Kanakaʻole<\/span>\u2019s life\u2019s work of preserving the natural land and traditional Hawaiian culture. The inscription “E h\u014d mai ka ʻike” translates as “granting the wisdom,” and is a reference to the intertwined role hula and chants play in this preservation.<\/p>\n

The other side of the coin depicts a portrait of George Washington, originally designed and sculpted by Laura Gardin Fraser to mark his 200th birthday in 1932.<\/p>\n

“It was a joy to become aware of Edith Kanakaʻole<\/span>\u2019s legacy as I developed a design for her quarter,” said Artistic Infusion Program Designer Emily Damstra. “I came to understand that her deep connection to the land—her home in Hawaiʻi<\/span> near the Maunakea 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.”<\/p>\n

Venerated cultural icon<\/h2>\n

Edith Kekuhikuhipuʻuone<\/span> o nā aliʻi<\/span> o Kohala Kanakaʻole<\/span> was an Indigenous Hawaiian composer, chanter, dancer, kumu hula and a venerated cultural icon. Through hula, a dance to pass down knowledge to the next generations, and moʻolelo<\/span> (stories), Kanakaʻole<\/span> helped to preserve aspects of Hawaiian knowledge, history, culture and traditions that were disappearing due to the cultural bigotry of the time.<\/p>\n