Lauhala Weaving means "look to the source" or "look to the teacher." As with many Hawaiian cultural arts, the art of lauhala weaving is best learned directly from kumu (teacher) to student. the leaves (lau) of the hala tree were used to create functional items like hats for working in the fields and baskets for picking coffee.  Leaves are collected dry, either from the ground or picked from the tree after they turn brown. It takes time to clean the leaves to make them pliable for weaving.