In the spirit of complete transparency we wish to clarify who we are, our mission and our goals in relation to cultural sensitivity and respect of the originators of the art of Ni’ihau shell lei making on the Hawaiian islands.

We are fully aware cultural topics are a sensitive subject and can be an area of contention among people. It is not our goal to appropriate or dilute the traditions of Ni’ihau artisans or other Hawaiian peoples. What we strive to achieve is greater recognition and public awareness for this craft so that the community has a more stable platform to practice their arts.

Our long term goal is to become an online community center where artisans can converse, share their passions and support each other.

 

Our team is small but growing.

The originator of this project is not native Hawaiian but is a researcher specializing in gemstones and jewelry as well as a practitioner of Ni’ihau shell lei stringing. We are only sharing this fact because we aim to be transparent and open and will not hide anything about this project, the participants or our goals.

She actively tries to stay in the background and to act as support and a conduit for the community. She is a certified Gemologist with a passion for jewelry and wants to facilitate growth, discussion, trade and appreciation for this community as a whole. It is not her voice that should be heard but everyone’s.

 

We just launched.

If you notice representation for certain groups is low, that is temporary. We just launched in June 2022 and are slowly growing. In our infancy we are limited in our connections and resources but aim to correct that by actively reaching out to members of the community to share their input, knowledge and passion.

Contact Us if you want to join! We welcome anyone who is willing and are happy to have you here.

 

Our Focus.

We aim to highlight as many native & non-native artisans as we can. We do not discriminate against people's backgrounds, cultures or geographic locations. We not only wish to show the history of this art form but its current form which is practiced by people of all origins. Out of respect we do give the largest platform and most recognition to traditional and native practitioners.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns reach out! We take all feedback seriously.