Puakenikeni Poepoe: A Lei of Heart and Community
The puakenikeni, with its warm fragrance and golden hue, has become one of Hawaiʻi’s most beloved lei flowers. Though introduced to the islands, it has been fully embraced, often associated with celebration, aloha, and cherished memories. The word puakenikeni means “ten-cent flower,” recalling a time when lei were sold for just a dime each. Today, its blossoms—creamy white when picked, deepening to yellow, then rich orange—continue to hold a special place in the hearts of many.
In lei making, puakenikeni can be strung in several ways, but the poepoe (round, rounded, circular) style is especially treasured. Created using the kui method—where flowers are pierced with a needle and strung on a single strand—the poepoe requires great care and attention. Instead of piercing through the top and bottom of the blossom, each puakenikeni is carefully pierced through the side, so the flowers nestle together and form a rounded, circular pattern. This style demands four times as many blossoms as a single-strand lei and requires the lei maker’s patience, skill, and intentional placement. The result is a lei full of body, beauty, and meaning.
This artwork is dedicated to the Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture (INPEACE). Since 1994, INPEACE has nurtured keiki and families through ‘ohana-focused programs, empowering community members to become educators and leaders invested in their community’s future. For me, this connection is personal. I have benefitted from several of INPEACE’s programs—Keiki Steps, which supported my ʻohana in those early years of growth; the Center for Entrepreneurship, which helped me see what was possible for my business; and Hoʻoulu Waiwai, which provided guidance to sustain and strengthen that vision. Each of these programs shaped me, just as each blossom shapes the poepoe lei.
In this piece, the puakenikeni poepoe symbolizes INPEACE itself—where every flower represents the programs and individuals, full of heart, who work to uplift the Native Hawaiian community. Just as a lei maker must be intentional in the placement of each blossom to create the poepoe form, INPEACE has been intentional in weaving together its work in education, culture, and community. Their guiding commitment—Empowering Community Through Education & Culture—reminds us that like the lei, our collective strength and beauty emerge when we come together, side by side.
