On our way to the Polynesian Cultural Center, we passed through Laie, O’ahu, the home of Haman Kalili to whom the shaka sign is attributed. Kalili lost the three middle fingers of his right hand while working in the Kahuku Sugar Mill. One part of his job was to signal that all is well, so the machines could be started. Today’s shaka sign resembles what Kalili’s hand looked like when he signaled “ok” with his missing fingers.
Laie–home of the shaka and proud of it. Is the sign mounted on a replica of the machine that cut off Kalili’s fingers?
When showing the shaka, the folded side of the hand faces the recipient and the wrist is waggled.
The Hawaiian islands and the surfing culture around the world picked up the symbol as a way to say “hang loose” or “that’s cool,” but it has come to mean more than that and is now a symbol of the “Aloha spirit”–a coordination of the mind and spirit to think and express good feelings toward others. It reflects reverence, solidarity, compassion and friendship, and is a sign of respect and mutual understanding for the recipient. The current mayor of Laie, O’ahu used the shaka as the iconic symbol of his campaign–and he won.