Hala was one of the most important prehistoric plant resources in Hawai i, and it continues to be prominent in Hawaiian society today. Wauke fiber is widely considered to have been the primary and finest natural resource used to produce kapa in Hawai i. This book draws on ethnography, linguistics, early botanical records, genetic analysis, and recollections and skills of present-day artisans to explore the possibility that early Native Hawaiians developed and maintained distinct cultivars of these plants in order to further their craft specialties.
