Raquel Moana Dudoit
(20x16) Oil on Canvas
Raquel Moana Dudoit inherited the kuleana of being the lead kumu for Moana’s Hula Hālau after the passing of her older sister, Moana Dudoit, whom the Hālau was named after. Aunty Moana began the hālau as a request from her parents in order to keep all the mo‘opuna busy. She had a natural gift for hula, mele, and entertainment, and in turn taught everything she knew to her younger sister, Raquel. Together they would travel with their ever growing hālau (hula school) and grace stages around the world. Raquel is a living legacy from a long line of Dudoit entrepreneurs as she is also heir to the ‘ohana’s transportation business, Dudoit Bus service, which was founded by her grandfather, Maurice Dudoit and was also the first bus service to provide bus transportation to school for the children of east Moloka‘i. Together, these sisters founded Moana’s Florist, one of the longest lasting florists on island. Because of Raquel, Moana’s Hula Hālau continues to share the beauty of Moloka‘i’s people and stories through hula and aloha.