Elizabeth Theriault’s by Ma‘ata Tukuafu
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on me in healing ways, to both strengthen and support a Hawaiian heart.” Humbleness, respect, aloha, forgiveness, and sharing sculpted her, while she worked on the sacred land of Ka‘upulehu and Kahuwai Bay. By 1998, Elizabeth was asked to officiate weddings at Kona Village. She developed a deep relationship with the elements, combining her love of people and Tattooed dragonfly and lotus drum. Made with translucent elk hide stretched on a 15” maple wood frame. ceremony in culturally-related reverence. The kūpuna and co-workers were generous with their time and mana‘o (thought) which helped to deepen Elizabeth’s life. She remained there until the Fukushima tsunami closed the resort in 2011. While there, lifelong ‘ohana were gained, particularly with Leina‘ala Lightner and the Keakealani ‘ohana, who continue to share ho‘okipa and aloha with Elizabeth, supporting community throughout, including holding DrumSpeak gatherings at the cultural learning center of Kalaemano, at Ka‘upulehu. Connecting to the Drum Despite her full life, Elizabeth has always made time to
KeOlaMagazine.com | March - April 2022
hen Elizabeth Theriault moved to Hawai‘i in 1985 with her husband and son, she came with eagerness to integrate into the Hawaiian culture. Elizabeth, a lifelong creative artist, grew up in a diverse multi-cultural family of hunters, gardeners, beekeepers, fishermen, and cooks. Born and raised in an agricultural valley in California, and then living in Washington and Oregon, Hawai‘i Island became their long-term home. Upon moving here, Elizabeth immersed herself into the culture by taking a Hawaiian language course, learned lauhala weaving, gourd carving, and danced hula for ten years. From the ‘Study of Hawaiian Plants and their Uses’ class at University of Hawai‘i’s Kealakekua extension program, she learned about the diversity of ancient indigenous practices in every area of life and spirituality. Combining her career as a chef with her love for this cultural home, in 1994 Elizabeth began writing a column for Ka‘u Landing called “E Ho‘olaulea i Ka Pulapula o Ka ‘Āina” (Celebrating the Foods of Our Land). It was the same year she was hired at Kona Village Resort as a pastry chef, as well as cooking for the resort’s guests with special dietary needs. She reflects, “I thought I would be there just a year, yet the gifts of place, ‘āina, culture, and people continued to work
40 First group drum making workshop in Hawaiÿi at Puÿuanahulu Community Center in 2005. Assisted by a grant from Healing our Island.
