Good morning,

Maile is a valued treasured lei in the Hawaiian culture.

I have been researching why the retail price of Tonga maile leis exported to Hawaii are less expensive than local Hawaiian maile and Cook Islands maile leis here. Maile workers in Hawaii receive $12 US per lei and the Cook Islands are receiving $11.50 NZ per lei.

It is difficult work to trek into the bush to pick maile. It is time consuming to make these beautiful leis. I hope that the maile workers in Tonga are not getting ripped off in their pay.

Just a thought.

Dave Thompson

equator [at] hawaii [dot] rr [dot] com