Reni Aʻiaʻi Bello (b.1956 Honolulu, Hawaiʻi) is the founder, sole proprietor and operator of Ka Lamakū Laʻakea whose mission is to bring light to the world. She is a spiritual consultant, native Hawaiian artist, and cultural practitioner. At present she makes kapa, does ceremony , works in the healing arts and teaches kapa making, feather work, Hawaiian chant and language. She also lectures on spiritual and Hawaiian topics. Her latest passion is Laʻau Lapaʻau, Hawaiian Herbal Medicine. “The time is at hand and the vibration has increased. We as humans are still in the process of catching up and fine tuning. Cleaning, clearing and de-cluttering, making space for many good things.”
Although she was born and raised in Hawaii she began traveling right after high school when she attended Chapman Collegeʻs World Campus Afloat program on Cross Cultural Education – a cruise ship was her first experience of college on a mobile campus. What a graduation present! Since then she has traveled extensively, studied abroad in Spain and lived there for almost fifteen years. Whenever she returns to Spain, she refers to it as going home. Lifeʻs journey eventually brought her back to Hawai’i where she has taught in both the private and public sectors for 20+years. Aʻiaʻiʻs expertise allowed her to teach many different content areas including Hawaiian language, culture, hula, Spanish math, geography among other subjects from preschool to adult ed. Her passion for as long as she can remember centered around hula and all things Hawaiian. “I literally immersed myself in hula, chant and Hawaiian language and culture which have inspired me and sustained me through the years while I raised my 2 children, who are now on their own journeys.”
With her children grown , Aʻiaʻi life has shifted focus. She continues her journey and her life work in the spiritual realm but she has time to pursue art as well. She has three grandchildren who inspire her to live life to the fullest. Fascinated by languages she speaks Hawaiian and Spanish fluently, has studied Mandarin and French and is interested in Arabic and Hebrew. She is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints . She also belongs to the Wahiawā Civic Club and Friends of Kūkaniloko. Aʻiaʻi has chanted with Hālau Mele, founded by Kumu John Keola Lake and is part of Nā Waʻa Lalani Kahuna o Puʻukoholā. Hula has been a big part of her life since returning to Hawaii. She danced for Ka Pā Hula Hawaiʻi for many years then Nā Puakea o Koʻolaupoko and later with Minerva Pang of Pearl City. Her chant teachers have been Kalani Akana, Tony Lenchancko, Edith McKenzie, Kekuhi and Tangarō, Keola Lake, Pua Case and Mehana Hind. She enjoys cooking, gardening, working with her hands, music in general, sings and tinkles on the piano, ʻukulele and guitar. She officially started her business in Hawaii with spiritual work in 2005 and then in 2009 stopped teaching in the public school system, as always, guided to her spiritual work.
A‘ia‘i is passionate about what she does. As an artist, dedicated to indigenous art, the colors and designs in her pieces reflect the islandsʻ beauty in nature as well as her cultural awareness and deep spirituality. She makes Hawaiian kapa (bark cloth) and feather lei and kahili. She also dabbles in jewelry making, carving bone, wood and stone. Back in high school she spent all of her free time in the art room drawing, weaving and doing ceramics. Although she did not pursue art in college it was always present in her life. In 2010 she attended the HOEA Art Program in Waimea on Hawaiʻi island, where she learned other indigenous art forms such as bone and stone carving, weapon making in wood, printmaking and more feather work. It is her belief that indigenous art is a matter of cell and cultural memory and that it connects the artist to spirit as well as to the ancestors. “We must look at art with spiritual eyes and understand with our entire being.”
Aʻiaʻiʻs main focus and reason for leaving teaching high school is and was her spiritual work. She is the founder of “Ka Lamaku Laʻakea Sacred Inner Light”, the vehicle she uses for everything she does including healing and light work in the form of private and group healing sessions and readings. Much of her work involves women and healing, empowering women to heal themselves, healing herself, healing individuals, healing family lines and healing the land. She is known for the Womenʻs Circles, clearings and healing meditations and lectures. “The spiritual work overs flows into my art, and my art reflects the work I do and it is so exciting to see the meshing of the two.” Ka Lamakū Laʻakea allows her to complete her mission by bringing light to the world through ceremony & prayer and to perpetuate language and culture through the arts in her classes and her work as she continues to foster spiritual way finding to all who cross her path. “Art is healing and it brings light. It elevates and expands the spirit…”
Aʻiaʻi continues working locally, nationally and internationally, visiting Canada annually to work in the medicine lodge for Native American International Sundance sponsored by the World Council of Elders. In March 2016 she was invited to be a part of the Serpent Mound Spring Seed and Water Peace Summit at Woodland Alters in Ohio. Always seeking to expand her knowledge and practices, she participated in the visiting artist in residence program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, with master carver Rangi Kipa and master weavers Tina Wirihana and her mother all natives of New Zealand. Aʻiaʻi accepts art commissions and continues what she calls “the work”.
Presentations
February 2016 Training for Healing Circles-Keiki O Ka ʻAina, March 2016 Seed and Water Summit, Serpent Mound Ohio,November 2015 Infusing Hawaiian Culture into School Curriculum, Hawaii Pacific University . November 2015 Sound Healing Vibration Co-presenter with well known Leigh Ann Phillips, Chaminade University. Honolulu, Hawaii . March 2015 and February 2016 Conference for Children of Encarcerated Parents, Protocols & break out group Circle Speaking Your Truth. July 2014 Hālauaola Presenter workshop on Hawaiian Chant & Hula Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi . May 2014 World Indigenous Peopleʻs Conference On Education ʻAha Wāhine: Hawaiian Spirituality & Christianity, KCC , Hi . Oct 2012 Mid Pacific Conference on Primal Health Birthing Protocols & breakout group Womenʻs Circle. Feb 2010-present Ho’omana Lecture Series-Hawaiian Spirituality, Hawaii, Australia, Japan.
Art Exhibits
May 2015 PACITA Kapa Exhibit Hamilton Library UH Mānoa, With her teacher Dalani Tanahy and both of their studentsʻ work. May 2015 Kāhea Exhibit (MAMO Maoli Arts Festival) Markʻs Garage. May 2015 MAMO – Maoli Arts Month for Native Hawaiian Artists, Guide, Market. Jan 2014 Mohala Hou Ke Kapa, Collaboration 2. May 2013 MAMO – Maoli Arts Month for Native Hawaiian Artists, Guide, Market. May 2012 Kimono Kapa Collaboration with Shiori Abe Japanese Artist . May-Aug 2011 HOEA/PIKO Art Exhibit University of Hawaiʻi-Mānoa, Hamilton Library. April 2011 Kapa Artist Collaboration Merry Monarch Hula Festival. Sept 2010 Piko Awards Hawaiian Art Contest, Piko Art Gallery Exhibit.
Spiritual Work
Readings, healing, prayer. September -December 2016 Prayer vigils for Standing Rock, Jan 2016 Ka Laakea Ceremony Awāwamalu. December 2015 Ceremony ʻAha Pule Kalihi. December 2015 Womenʻs Circle Waimanalo. November 2015 Blessing for Ulu Planting Hawaiʻi Community Foundation. October 2015 Elementary School Blessing and Clearing. August 2015 Sweat Lodge and Womenʻs Circle Edmonton Womenʻs Correctional, Edmonton Canada. August 2015 Medicine Lodge at International Sundance, Libau Manitoba, Canada. 2015 Blessing for Hale Pili Hoʻoulu ʻAina, Kalihi Valley. 2015 Canoe Blessing and launching Chechemeni Iorani. Jan 2015 Ka Laʻakea-Ceremony to call in the light.
For the past 7 years she has held womenʻs circles twice a month. Whether here in Hawaiʻi on another island or abroad, these circleʻs have brought women together, helped women to heal and inspired women to their potential. Although Aʻiaʻi usually follows the moon calendar for her “official” twice a month circles. She is always open to facilitating them on demand as the need arises. She calls them her mobile Hale o Papa or womenʻs house as per Hawaiian tradition. Aʻiaʻi currently works out of her home studio Laʻakea Hale and continues to teach Oli-Hawaiian chant, ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, kapa and feather work making sure they will be perpetuated for the next 7 generations.