Hoaka Delos Reyes was born March 11, 1949 and raised on the island of Oahu.  He worked as a mason in the construction industry for most of his adult life and his trade was the spark that ignited what would in the future become his passion, kalae pohaku - stone carving.  His first encounter with the carving of pohaku (stone) was brought about when his son Kainoa in the early ‘80s asked him if he knew how to make a poi pounder.  Replying with confidence that he could, his son said “Not with power tools, but with the stone tools”.  That was the beginning of a long journey that continues today.  It was trial and error in the beginning, educating himself through books and seeking the mana’o (knowledge; wisdom) of the kupuna (elders) that worked with the pohaku.  It was a kupuna on the island of Oahu, who after three times of Hoaka going and pleading to be taught and turned down each time, agreed to take Hoaka under his tutelage.  George Kaelemakule Fujinaga of Haleiwa became not only Hoaka’s kumu (teacher) but a very powerful force in Hoaka’s life.  Having given up working with the pohaku due to illness and age, this man who was recognized by the State of Hawaii as a living treasure, began the instruction of his very last student.  Since his kumus’ passing, Hoaka strives to implement all that he was taught and better himself in his carving.  But most important to him is to perpetuate the art and create pieces that honor those kupuna that came before him.  Regardless of race or ethnicity, where would we be today without the perseverance of our ancestors?