Katherine Kama'ema'e Smith -- Captures Maui's West Side Stories

West Maui author Katherine Kamaʻemaʻe Smith hones her writing skills much the same way she paints - by putting together little dabs of “color” to inscribe what she sees in her mind for her readers.

In a way, she says, it’s like painting a canvas in her head because she’s dyslexic in how she attacks the world and puts it back together. Therefore her descriptive style is kaleidoscopic by design. Inspiration, meanwhile, comes from her surroundings, while accuracy in her works centered on Hawaiian history, stems from extensive research. For her, this winning combination better portrays the rich, intellectual content of the Hawaiian people.

Take for example her expressive work of fiction about a rarely documented 18th century Chiefess named Kale, whose life in Honokahua -- the old name of the property located between West Maui’s Kapalua and Mokuleʻia Bays – conceived six children by five different husbands. Titled “The Love Remains: A Historical Novel,” the writing of Smith’s first novel cost her a lot of emotional capital, but her reward has been the regional success of over 3,000 copies sold and more than twelve years “on the shelf” at the Honolua Store and Barnes & Noble. As a result, Smith plans to reissue the paperback online in January, 2018.

Another of Smith’s undertakings is an enriching booklet titled, “Puʻuhonua: The Legacy of Olowalu,” where readers can learn about Olowalu before 1790 as a City of Refuge and become more familiar with the “Olowalu Massacre,” a horrific event carried out by Captain Metcalf with the slaughter of over one hundred Hawaiians for the killing a sailor and stealing of one of his boats. In addition, proceeds garnered from the purchase of this booklet will benefit the Olowalu Cultural Reserve, a nonfporfit Hawaiian ahupuaʻa conservatory and retreat.

To date, Smith’s investment into her written, historical preservations spans over nineteen years to include the learning of the Hawaiian language with Kaniela Palakiko, Liko Rogers, and Leilani Franco, who are all respected kumu (teachers) with Punana Leo and Ke Kula Kaiapuni immersion school located on campus at Princess Nahiʻenaʻena Elementary.

Rogers sums up her dedication best by saying, “Katherine (Kamaʻenaʻana Smith) is someone with a lot of knowledge and research about West Maui that she’s willing to share. She supports immersion and is a community contributor. She volunteers on projects and even helps me in my classroom. She’s a lovely lady.”

Smith has lived on Maui’s West Side at Kapalua, along with her husband, Harry, since 1993. She’s a member of the Lahuiokalanio Church in Honokōwai and a frequent guest speaker at Rotary Clubs, book clubs and elsewhere. She also owns and operates Honu Media, LLC, a freelance writing service for web content, business plans, promotions, cultural research studies and feature articles for periodic publications . In addition, Smith currently serves as Content Coordinator for Neighbors of West Maui Magazine.

To find her book “The Love Remains: A Historical Novel”, go to Smith’s web site at www.HonuMedia.com. And to obtain a copy of her Olowalu booklet or to consult Katherine Kamaʻenaʻena Smith about any of her other writing, editing, and marketing venues, contact her directly at "Honu4media@gmail.com .