Emily Kau'i Zuttermeister

Emily Kau'i Zuttermeister (née Emily Kau'i-o-makaweli-o-kaua'i-o-na-Lani-o-ka-Mano-o-kalanipo Kukahiwa; March 8, 1909 – March 3, 1994) and was a recipient of a National Heritage Fellowship in 1984.

Personal life On March 8, 1909, Emily Kauiomakawelinalaniokamanookalanipo (also referred to as Emily Kau'i) was born to Hawaiian parents Elizabeth Kaili (née Kahula) and Gabriel Kukahiwa. Afterward, she went by the name Emily Kau'i Zuttermeister. During the late 1930s, the Zuttermeisters bought land and built several houses which were later rented out and passed down to her children.

In 1989, four Zuttermeister generations performers represented Hawai'i in the Festival of American Folklife at the Smithsonian.

Death and legacy Zuttermeister died on March 3, 1994 at her Kāne'ohe home. She was five days shy of her 85th birthday. Her daughter, Noenoelani, took over her studio and continues to teach hula.