It’s between 7 and 8 am at the Waimea Community Center where the royal court and pāʻū units prepare for Nā Pāniolo Hoʻohanohano parade and Hoʻolauleʻa. The room is filled with long pāʻū skirts, strands of lei, ‘ahuʻula, and lineage of the original paniolo descendants readying themselves for the ride, walk, or song to honor their ancestors, perpetuate legacy and enliven deep-rooted traditions.

Speaking about the parade are Dallas and Leiolani who rode in the ali’i wahine pā’ū unit, honoring Queen Emma.

“Nā Paniolo Hoʻohanohano” was the theme of the very first paniolo parade in Waimea, 72 years ago. Micah Kamolhoaliʻi, this year’s parade and hoʻohanohano organizer, picked up the responsibility of continuing the festival’s legacy: “It was something that we couldn’t let it die. All of that. It’s been going from the 50s all the way till now. The pandemic sort of killed it and I thought with all that history, it needs to come back.”

Walking between the Community Center and the Waimea Athletic Field; trailers, paniolo, and lio line the perimeter. It feels like walking between present and past.

Like Micah, the Aloha Festivals Island of Hawaiʻi were run by legendary kumu hula, “some of the greats.” Aunty ‘Iolani Luahine, Aunty Edith Kanaka’ole, Aunty Hoakalei Kamau’u, the list goes on.

“We had amazing cultural experts that helped create this festival. I knew for a fact that it had way more than tourism at its helm. If you had these people as the movers and shakers of Hawaiʻi culture, the ones who actually built it, that it was deeper connected to things than tourism.” And like these legendary preceding kumu hula who set the tone for Hawaiʻi Island’s festivals, Micah thought “I wanted to do something different.”

Unlike traditional pā’ū units, Micah explains that this year’s inspiration came from Aunty Anna Perry-Fiske and her Old Hawai’i on Horseback fundraisers. Rather than each pāʻū unit representing an island, its color, and its flower, “I thought, let’s change it. Let’s make it different, more meaningful and culturally inclined... Let’s ride instead as our aliʻi wahine and kāne.”

Along with the Royal Court and the Pā’ū units were school floats, the Kawaihae canoe club, kūpuna, paniolo memorial riders, and politicians. A little bit of everything that makes up Waimea town.

“When it was all done I sort of got emotional” Micah explains. This parade, as he found in his research, was founded by his tūtū, Peter Young. He describes it all as “fate” that, “I think it was my great grandfather who made us revive it.”

The parade’s revival is a call to celebrate “WHO we are.” By all of the full circle moments, we can only observe the seeds planted by organizers and ancestors that precede this year’s parade and thanks to Micah, to parades that will continue into the future.

Nā Paniolo Ho’ohanohano! Great are the Cowboys!