Her feather cape hanging at the Bishop Museum, Jo-Ann Kahanamoku stands with, from left, The King Kamehameha Golf Club controller and chief financial officer Dwayne Wada and the club's director of golf operations and membership Rick Castillo. - Photo: Courtesy of The King Kamehameha Golf Club

By Lisa Asato / Ka Wai Ola

Jo-Ann Kahanamoku was born with a famous last name, but the Tahiti native and Roosevelt graduate has made her own mark on the Hawaiian culture.

Her feather creations have exhibited at Bishop Museum, have been a staple for the last 12 years at the Ritz-Carlton at Kapalua Maui's “Celebration of the Arts,” and even senior pro golfer Hale Irwin is reportedly a fan, having bought a feather cape of hers at a gallery at the Ritz-Carlton.

“It's a challenge, you learn from it whether you succeeded or not so feather work became my greatest passion because it brought me into the culture far greater,” said Kahanamoku, who was honored at a private ceremony April 24 with Duke's Waikīkī's 2008 Hookahiko Award, which recognizes achivements in perpetuating the culture.

“It's a great honor to be recognized as a feather-maker,” said Kahanamoku, who took up the art in 1980 at night class at Kamehameha Schools taught by Ethelreda Kahalewai. “I took her class and the first thing I made she looked at me, I looked at her, we didn't say a word. I said, 'OK, I'll take it apart,' ” recalled Kahanamoku.

Since then, she spent 15 years teaching others the art at Maui's Kaunoa Senior Center, where she led her students on trips to Bishop Museum, Hilo and Tahiti, where she was born. She now lives in Kona and is cultural advisor to Kona Hospital Foundation, helping it realize its long-term goal of creating a School of Hawaiian Art for post-high school students in North and West Hawai'i Island.

Kahanamoku, niece of surfing legend Duke and daughter of Sam, is also recognized as one of the longstanding female crewmembers of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, having sailed from 1977 to 1998 with her team to the Society Islands, Tonga, New Zealand, Rapa Nui, Samoa, the Cook Islands and Hawai'i. In 1980 she was part of a 34-day sail from Hawai'i to Tahiti.

She served on OHA's Native Hawaiian Historic Preservation Council from 1997 to 2000, including one year as chairwoman.