Our Story

   In 2019, I asked my grandfather to teach me how to weave a pāpale. 

   There was no business plan- not even the thought of owning one. At the time, Papa Abbey had begun showing signs of his memory fading.  My immediate ʻohana and I began to realize how valuable his craft- weaving lau niu- was, not only as a skill, but as a core memory of my childhood and my fatherʻs. My fatherʻs siblings learned but forgot.  Nobody knew how to weave.  As another generation grows within our ʻohana, I understood that if someone did not learn this art, it will quietly fade. 

   So I asked him......more than once, then finally agreed- especially since we had been cutting the coconut fronds in his beautiful backyard in Kahaluʻu, something he didnʻt take lightly because his yard is his precious and his sanctuary.  Among those trees were a handful of healthy, Samoan dwarf coconut trees, perfect for weaving his signature Beach Boy-style pāpale niu - the classic covered crown hat he is known for with the handwoven bird.

   What began as intentional time spent beside him became something deeper. I kept weaving because I enjoyed the craft and I wanted to preserve it long-term. So I would hang out at Papaʻs house every week. Learning took patience, repetition, and courage to keep asking him over and over again, and after months of showing up, he let me use his tools, which he stashed in his room, especially his knife, which he had for years.  Week by week, I felt a growing responsibility to continue- not just for myself, but as a mother.  I wanted to one day teach my daughter, so the practice would not skip another generation.

   In January 2020, I shared this craft with the public at my first market. I needed a business name, and what better than Papa Abbey Pāpale? It was the first name I thought of- it honored my Papa for teaching me and had a ring to it :) Naming the business after my kupuna made it even more purposeful: sharing traditional ways of learning from our elders, because one day their magic- and the beach boys- could disappear with them. I hope to inspire others to reconnect with their own kupuna, preserve family traditions (simple as: secret recipes, special techniques/skills, etc) , and keep the knowledge and spirit of our elders alive in their ʻohana. 

   Papa is still with us and still holds his cherished memories of is upbringing with the Beach Boys till this day. 

This is not a recreation. It is a continuation.

Much Aloha, 

Alana Abbey