1st December 2009
Posted in Updates

A recent series of articles in The Mormon Times profiles the legacy of Lā‘ie, with the first article chronicling the famous Lā‘ie Hukilau (see 1960 Flyer at right).

“The Hukilau was an expansive luau organized by members of the Laie Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a way of raising money to rebuild their chapel, which burned to the ground in 1940. The word “Hukilau” literally describes the process of pulling (huki) the ropes from fishing nets, woven with leaves (lau) along the outside, in from the sea. Laie is a good hour’s drive from Honolulu today, and was even more remote in the 1940s, so it didn’t see that many visitors then. But some of those who did come — many of them servicemen — would stop and watch men fish at a beach just off the highway, offering to pay if they could help pull the large nets from the ocean.”

Over time, the Hukilau evolved into the Polynesian Cultural Center and the No. 1 paid tourist attraction in Hawaii. Many of the residents interviewed in the article also provided their voices to the The Story of Lā‘ie video produced by BYU-Hawaii students for Envision Lā‘ie. In fact, images of the Hukilau and early days of the PCC are featured in the video.

Other articles in the series detail the efforts of Labor Missionaries, The Polynesian Cultural Center, and the proposed new hotel to replace the Lā‘ie Inn.