Associated Press
HONOLULU (AP) — The late Hawaiian hula teacher Edith Kanaka’ole is among five women to be featured individually in a U.S. quarter next year as part of a program showcasing notable women on the other side of the coin.
The US Mint said on Wednesday that the other side of each quarter will feature George Washington.
It described Kanaka’ole, who died in 1978, as a composer, singer, dancer, teacher and entertainer.
“Their mo’olelo, or stories, served to salvage aspects of Hawaiian history, customs, and traditions that were disappearing due to the cultural bigotry of the time,” says a press release.
The Edith Kanaka’ole Foundation in Hilo, established in 1990 to continue the teachings of her and her husband Luka Kanaka’ole, said she was recognized as an “outstanding practitioner of modern Hawaiian culture and language”.
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The US Mint said the other four women to appear on the coin next year were: Bessie Coleman, the first African American and first Native American pilot; Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady and author; Jovita Idár, the Mexican-American journalist and activist; and Maria Tallchief, who was America’s first prima ballerina.
This year, the program is giving out coins with five more women, including poet Maya Angelou and astronaut Sally Ride.
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