Kahua Mele ma Kaupoa
Current mood: accomplished
Category: Music

I ka pule aku nei, ua noho iho la ma Kaupoa, ma ka aoao komohana o ke kama moku nui a Hina, e kokua aku i ka ohana Beamer, me ko lakou kahua mele. O ko'u kuleana no ia ka papa oli, a me ka hana no'eau, na'u e koho. Ua a'o i kahi papa hana kama'a la'i, no ka mea, me he helena wawae ia i ke ala kupuna. He nohona kupaianaha keia nohona iho i ke kahakai, me na mele nahenahe maika'i, mai ka ohana Beamer, me Sonny Lim, Owana Salazar, a pela aku me na mea no'eau kani.

The other week, I was down at Kaupoa on the west side of the great island offspring of Hina to help the Beamer family with their music camp. My responsibility was teaching oli and a Hawaiian craft of my choice. I taught ti-lead sandals, because it was like walking in the path of ancestors. It was a remarkable time down at the seaside, with such fine gentle music from the Beamers, Sonny Lim, Owana Salazar, and other talented musicians.

I mea e hoomanao i keia nohona, ua hooholo i ka papa oli e haku i kahi oli aloha no Kaupoa, o ka haku mai la, me he lei, i na ikena hoopoina 'ole o ia wahi. Ua nonoi au aku la ia lakou i ko lakou mau mea a lakou i ike ai, i hoolohe ai, mea kau na'au, a pela aku. A muimuia na mea i ha'i mai la.

To commemorate the experience, I decided that the oli class would together compose an oli aloha for Kaupoa, and weave into it, as a lei, impressions of the place. I asked for  things of that place they saw, things heard, things felt in the guts, and so forth; and many things were told:

O ka nani o ka mahina i ka po Kane, he mamalamala i puka mai la ma mua pono o ke alaula; O ka nu'a 'oka'i i lele mai la e hoolaule'a i ka pa'ina mua, me ka inu waina a me ka hookokoke mai la me ka wiwo'ole; o na ale makani i pa mai la me ka hooikaika, hoonua i na hale a me na ale moana; o ke kani hookumu mele, a me ka hana o na haumana kapili 'ukulele. Ua ulu mai la i ka pule piha i ke a'o mai na kumu no'eau mai, i ka hui hoa haumana hoihoi. No laila, ua puka mai keia:

The beauty of the moon of the night of Kane, a sliver just preceding the dawn; hundreds of large moths that came to celebrate our first night, drinking wine and joining us without fear; the winds that built in strength, swelling our tents and the ocean waves; sounds of the creation of music and of the work of students making ukulele. It all grew into a week of learning from skilled teachers to interested and inquiring companions. Therefore this emerged:

He aloha keia no Kaupoa

Mapuana i ka makani ho'onu'a

A he nu'a 'aumakua i ka po Kane

I walea no i ke kani ho'okumu

O na kumu kukui malamalama

Malama aka i na hoa 'imi 'ike

Ua 'ikea, ke aloha no Kaupoa e!

This is an aloha chant for Kaupoa

Carried upon the swelling winds

A multitude of ancestors on the night of Kane

Were enjoying the sounds of creation

Of the teachers, guiding brilliantly

Caring for the spirits of the friends seeking knowledge

It is quite apparent, the aloha for Kaupoa!

Ma hope, kipa mai kekahi o na aumakua 'oka'i e ho'ola'a i ke kamaa la'i kau i ka pakaukau no ka ho'ike!

One of the aumakua even came to bless one of the sandals as they were laid out on display!

Ae, ua 'ikea ke aloha no Kaupoa!

Yes, the aloha from Kaupoa was apparent!

5:18 PM - 3 Comments - 3 Kudos - Add Comment

Pule hanau no Kahikiku
Current mood: content
Category: Life

Ma ka poaono aku nei, ka la 12 o Iauali M 2007, ua hiki pono ka la hanau ekahi o ke keiki kaulana 'o Kahikiku Mar, kupaianaha no kona hanauna ma ke kino a Kanaloa. Aole i hanau keiki ma laila no na makahiki hookahi hanele a oi paha. No laila o Kahikiku ke kanaka hookahi e noho ana i ke ao nei i hanau 'ia ai ma Kahoolawe. O kuu makana nona keia wahi oli hoolaa no ka pa'ina la hanau, he hookupu haahaa no'u, me ka hauoli nui i loko mai la o ka naau:

This past Saturday, the 12th of January 2007, marked the first birthday of the most famous child, Kahikiku Mar, remarkable for his birth on the island of Kanaloa. There hasn't been a childbirth there for over a hundred years, perhaps. So Kahikiku is the only living person to have been born on Kahoolawe. My gift for him was this blessing chant for his birthday lu'au: my humble offering, bring great joy to my naau.

Puka mai ke po'o o ka la i ka hikina
Mehana wale i ke alo o ka pali Kanapou
He pou pu'i ho'i 'Ale'ale, ho'o i ka ili kai
Ku i ka mohio, i ke kani le'a a na manu
Wehiwehi ko lalo i ka lei hunahuna kai
A he hana huna wale puni ka hale ola
Ola na makua i ka pule ho'ola
Ola i Kahiki-kapakapa-ua-e-Kane
E Kahikiku, e Kahikimoe
E ola pono i ka Mauliola, a ulu, a o'o
E ola ka 'ohana, kia'i 'ia e na 'aumakua
E ola na hoa, na lehulehu, na kini
E kini akua e, e ho mai ka 'ike
E ho mai ka ikaika o ke kama, kama
E ho mai ka loa'a o ke kama, kama
Eia ka 'ai la, 'oni ke akua
Pulama ia makou a pau, e
'Amama, ua noa

The head of the sun appears in the east
Warming the face of the cliffs of Kanapou
A sturdy islet is 'Ale'ale planted in the sea
Steadfast in the gusts, among the calling of birds
Adorned below with a lei of sea foam
So a sacred task around the house of life
Life to the parents through a prayer of life
Life via Kahiki-kapakapa-ua-e-Kane
O Kahikiku, o Kahikimoe
Life through Mauliola, growing to maturity
Life to the family, guarded by the ancestors
Life to the friends, companions, the multitude
O myriad akua, bring knowledge
Bring strength, to the child, the child
Bring that to be gained, to the child, the child
The food is here, akua approaches
Watching over us all
Completed, released

Huna mana'o: Haku 'ia e 'Ohukani'ohi'a Gon III no ka la hanau mua o Kahikiku Paul Huang Zhu Mar, i hanau 'ia ma Honokanai'a i ke kino o Kanaloa, i ka makahiki 2006. Mai laila mai na mana'o o neia pule. Mai ko ia ala wahi pana, a me na hana puni ka hanauna kupaianaha.

Notes: Composed by Sam 'Ohu Gon III for the first birthday of Kahikiku Paul Huang Zhu Mar, who was born at Honokanai'a upon the physical presence of Kanaloa, in the year 2006. From there come the points of this prayer: the fabled places and the actions around the remarkable birth.

12:08 AM - 6 Comments - 8 Kudos - Add Comment

`Ike and Malama
Current mood: hopeful
Category: Life

Words transcribed from a panel at the Aha Pawalu O'ahu:

Topic: What is the role of traditional knowledge and practice in natural resource management?

Traditional practice is based on 'ike [knowledge], coupled with what our na'au [gut] tells us is pono [right]. But as wise ones such as Judge Richardson tell us, each of us lives in two worlds, so when we pull on 'ike we look to not 'ike Hawai'i alone, but ke akeakamai o ka honua a pau [the learning of the whole world]. 

We live in a world where we can see the beloved face of Kumu Ka'imikaua and listen to his words again, scant months after his passing, made pa'a [steadfast] in modern technological media. It is a way to extend the oral tradition to touch not only us here, but generations to come.

So too the puke [books] that great Hawaiians such as Kamakau, Malo, Kepelino, Papa 'I'i, and others made pa'a for us the leo kupuna [ancestor's voices], so they could be heard. And 'ae, add to that, the puke of Fornander, Emerson, Kelsey, and other po'e haole [foreign people] who likewise valued the huge richness of 'ike in the oli [chants], mele [songs]and mo'olelo [stories]of ka po'e Hawai'i [the Hawaiian people]. 

They all contribute to 'ike, just as in this so-called age of information we are surrounded by books, blogs podcasts & web pages competing for attention and striving to influence. So we must recognize that there is 'ike in many forms, and some is good and some is trash and whatever form it takes, when it is pono, take it and malama [cherish], and ina 'a'ole, e kapae a'e – [if not, let it go].

The important step is to ho'olohe [attend] – i mea e a'o ka na'au a ho'ona'auao – [in order to get enlightenment] and make decisions based on enlightenment. 

But ho'olohe is a matter of choice – the next question is: Ho'olohe ia wai? [Who to listen to?]

In matters of malama 'aina [land stewardship], ua pono e ho'olohe: [it is right to attend to:]

i ka hu, ka maka'ainana [to the masses, the common people]

i na mea no'eau, mea akeakamai [to the wise, the learned]

i na kupuna [to the elders]

i na ali'i  [to the chiefs] – and in these times, these are the accepted decision-makers in government and elsewhere

and in this sequence of rank comes the highest group, requiring the most attentive ear:

'o ka leo kupuna loa, leo 'aumakua, leo kini akua. [the eldest voices, voices of ancestor spirits, voices of the myriad gods] -- the voices that we have largely lost contact with, but which still guide many of us:

'o ka leo 'i'iwi i ka maha lehua [the voice of the 'i'iwi in the clusters of lehua blossoms]

'o ka hae li'ili'i o ka owali'i makali'i [the small banner of the owali'i makali'i fern] poking out of the hinehine'ula moss at Pepe'opae.

The sigh of the honu ne'e i kahakai, ne'e i uka [sea turtle crawling on the beach, crawling landward] 

When I listen to them and attend to their needs, I know it strengthens all of us now and seven generations forward.

So what does it boil down to in community process? 

It means consciously seeking 'ike from the expanding rings of communities that extend outward from each place, the people there, the stakeholders, the knowledgable, the historians, the caretakers.

It can be grueling, but it makes all the difference between failure and success., Two examples come to mind where efforts such as this, to call in stakeholders, decision-makers, practitioners, the learned – to envision together the desires to heal; to revive simultaneously the place and the people. 

The two examples are the Kaho'olawe natural and cultural resource management plan of the KIRC and the restoration and management plan for Keauhou, Ka'u of the Kamehameha Schools.

Both pulled in community, experts, and managers and built a foundation of shared knowledge, visions, and methods to address the challenges of realizing our goals at a place. Structured communication was established – networks of the participants who would continue to feed their mana'o into the process as it was implemented, adding detail as detail was needed.

I hope the same for the Aha Moku Councils, but the challenge remains: can they effect the same kind of process? Perhaps, if their focus is place-based, their membership is rotating, and if the advice balances cultural rights with the huge cultural responsibilities to protect the resources of the land and sea generations forward. That is a heavy responsibility indeed!

11:39 PM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Ikua ka malama
Category: Life

Passing this along from Kalei Tsuha, who maintains the lunar calendar and gathers the natural occurrences of land and sea in her Hawaiian database:

ALOHA KAKOU E NA HOA KILO AKU I NA OULI O KA LANI E!
[Aloha to us all, the companions who watch for signs in the heavens]
 
Aloha Gangeh!  Hope this email finds you all well and enjoying the anticipated arrival of the Makahiki stars.  It looks like we are officially teeter-tottering between the dry and wet seasons, as is usually expected after the Autumnal Equinox.
 
October 10th marks the beginning of a brand new Hawaiian lunar month known as, 'IKUÂ (Oct/Nov).  During this month, the anticipation of the rising of the many star clusters named Makali'i is about to take place.  This is the month known for thunder, lightening, heavy rains, strong winds, flooding, and rough seas are expected.  These are all signs and elements of Lonoikamakahiki's season or Ho'oilo. Water spouts, single-pillared rainbows and sea squalls are commonly seen parading in the ocean, making their way towards our shores.

For the makahiki ceremonies, fires are lit on the morning that follows the moon phase, 'Olepau.  A cessation of deep sea fishing and open ocean voyaging occurs during this time.
 
For all you surfer dudes and dudettes, the winter surf arrives. And, watch for the arrival of the koholâ. [Note: the first humpbacks of the year have already been spotted!]
 
In genealogical terms - 'O Kekaiakea ke käne, 'o Moanakea ka wahine, hänau ka läua 'o Hinai'aimalama ka wahine, hänau 'o 'Ikuä, he keiki käne nö. Ikuä ke käne 'o Kapohaku'ele'ele ka wahine, hanau 'o Welehu he käne nö.
[Kekaiakea is the man, Moanakea, the woman: born is Hinai'aimalama, a female, born is Ikua, a male child. Ikua is the man, Kapokahueleele is the woman, born to them is Welehu, a male.]
 
According to G.W.K. Kamanuokekula - He mau hö'ailona. He mau hö'ailona kekahi a ka po'e kahiko, a ma laila nö läkou e 'ike ai 'o mea nei malama, a 'o mea nei, penei, 'o ka malama 'ino, ua hekili, 'o Ikuä nö ia iä läkou no laila këlä inoa 'o 'Ikuäkapohäkö'ele'ele, a i ka malama a lehua ai ka pua kö a helelele'i iho, a 'o liko a'e ho'i ka pua 'o ka 'Öhi'a, 'o Welehu nö ai.
[There are signs. These are signs for the ancient people, and from these they realized the occurrences of this month. And the occurrences are thus, a stormy month, it thunders, It is clamorous indeed, so by them was given the name Ikua-ka-poha-koelele, and in this month the sugar cane tassels and the flowers fall and scatter, and the buds of the flowers of `ohi`a form, on into the month of Welehu.]
 
From the 15 - 29 of October, be expecting to see the annual Orionid meteor shower making its appearance in our skies.  This meteor shower hails the arrival of the Makahiki season and the rising of Makali'i.  For more info and photos of this annual event, visit this website:
http://meteorshowersonline.com/orionids.html
 
And that Gang, is our malama prediction for 'Ikuä.
Stay tuned for the next forecast of the rising of the Makali'i stars.
E kilo kakou i ka lewa nu'u!
[Let's all scan the high heavens!]
Kalei Tsuha
 

1:00 PM - 3 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

Brother Franklin Ka’imi’ikepono Pao, mea aloha nui ’ia
Current mood: distressed
Category: Life

> Bro. Franklin Pao, SM passed away this morning, Oct. 12th, at 7:30a.m. His
> passing was peaceful after a long illness in which he taught us all how to
> face our end with dignity, love and aloha.
>
> Bro. Franklin left specific directions for the time of his death. He asked
> that we go on to his AOL account and announce his death to everyone in his
> Address Book. According to his wishes, therefore, I'm informing you of his
> passing.
>
> Arrangements are pending for his funeral. His hope was to have his wake on
> a Friday night at Mystical Rose Oratory on the Saint Louis/Chaminade campus.
> His hope also was to have his funeral Mass at Hawaiian Veterans Memorial
> Park in Kaneohe.
>
> May he truly rest in peace and aloha.
>
> Bro. Dennis Schmitz, SM

Aloha a nui to a gentle and wise soul who is with us always, barefoot,
watchful, quiet, loving. I will holo soon i uka to pick his lei
pukiawe, as he requested, but let me know if you want to come with me
to hoilili i na hua liilii, na ula, akala, a kea i ka ahui pukiawe.
Reply only to ohukaniohia@gmail.com, please.
'Ohu
Just yesterday I stopped at the three `ohi`a lehua trees in Malama Ki,
to oli aloha for aunty Lehua, and thought on Brother Frank
Kaimiikepono Pao. As we left to descend, a white-phase 'io flew down
and perched above us. I felt it was a kino kupuna, lole oloa, me he
kahuna la.

Aue this is too hard -- uhae ana ka naau i ke aloha ino.

4:42 PM - 4 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Ea, ka beauty a’o Pepe’opae...
Category: Life

Ea, ka beauty o Pepe'opae:
Ah, the beauty of Pepeopae:

I nehinei ua pi'i i ke alahele o Kamakou me Kauka Chuck
Yesterday I went up the Kamakou trail with Dr. Chuck

Pe'ape'a Makawalu Burrows, a hiki i ka naele o Pepe'opae.
Peapea Makawalu Burrows, until we got to the bog of Pepeopae.

I laila makou i nana ai i ka nani o na pua lehua makanoe kaulana:
There we gazed at the beauty of the blossoms of the fabled misty-faced lehua:



E pau ana keia wahi pana kaulana laha 'ole i ka 'eko 'ino a ka
This unique, renowned place would be destroyed by the hurtful rooting of pigs

pua'a ina malama 'ole makou i keia me kela la. He hana pono
without our continual care, day in day out. It is a righteous,

pau ole no ka aina, ke kiai aloha o ia mau wahi.
unending task for the aina, the guardianship of love for these places.

12:40 PM - 4 Comments - 1 Kudos - Add Comment

PUA`A II

Pua'a: Hawaiian animal – or forest pest?

It is certainly well known that feral ungulates -- large browsing mammals such as cattle, goats, and pigs -- pose one of the most serious threats to the survival of native plants and animals in Hawai'i. Yet, isn't the pua'a (pig) a Hawaiian animal? Weren't pigs important in Hawaiian culture, and shouldn't they be allowed to roam free in the islands as a hunting resource? It turns out that these questions are more complex than they seem, and the story of pigs in Hawai'i is one worth telling.

To begin with, pigs of any sort are not native to Hawai'i. Imagining a pig (or indeed any large land mammal) swimming 2000 miles across the Pacific to get here makes it clear why our two native mammals are a seal, and a bat. Indeed, our native vegetation evolved for millions of years without the need to defend against grazing, rooting, or trampling, and had lost defense such as thorns or poisons.

It remains a popular misconception that pigs are native to Hawaiian forests and that ancient Hawaiians hunted them as a way to get meat. The first pigs were brought to the Hawaiian Islands by Polynesians as early as the fourth century AD. These pua'a, or Polynesian pigs, were much smaller than the feral European swine found today in Hawaiian forests. They were the product of a long and close domesticated relationship with people, and rarely strayed far from the kauhale (family compound) where they enjoyed familial status. Taro and sweet potato agriculture in Hawai'i is incompatible with free-roaming pigs, and the common presence of pa pua'a (pig pens) in a typical house site reflects the controlled nature of pig management in traditional Hawai'i.

One key factor during pre-contact times was that native forest then lacked large edible fruit such as guavas and mangos, both introduced after Western contact. Without such fodder, pre-contact pigs stayed close to their human source of shelter and food and did not stray far into surrounding forest. Clearly, pua'a carried strong cultural significance in traditional Hawai'i. Even the name of the traditional land division, ahupua'a, hearkens to the importance of pua'a as one of the resources offered during the annual Makahiki tributes. Pua'a, however, were but one land resource, produced by kanaka (people) and belonging to the wao kanaka (realm of people). But there were also the thousands of native plants and animals who represented the kinolau (physical forms) of the 'aumakua (ancestral deities). These resided in the upland forests, the wao akua (realm of the gods) and were held sacred as the kini akua (myriad gods). In the traditional Hawaiian experience, pua'a, as human-reared, were denizens of the wao kanaka and alien to these sacred forests. There are no pre-contact traditions of hunting pigs for meat (though rat-hunting with arrows was celebrated), and even the exploits of Kamapua'a describe pursuit of the demigod – not for sport or sustenance – but so that he might be punished for his wrong-doings.

All of this context changed following Cook. Following contact, European swine were introduced and over time, the Hawaiian pua'a interbred with and were displaced by these larger foreign animals. In quick succession, goats, sheep, cattle, and other ungulates followed. Introduction of this working stock, spread of western agriculture, decline of the native Hawaiian population, and a growing westernization of concepts of private land property contributed to the collapse of traditional Hawaiian land management systems, and with it, the careful control of animals such as pigs.

Over the 1800s, uncontrolled spread of introduced ungulates led to the watershed crisis of the late 19^th century, and widespread fencing, feral animal control, and forest restoration were undertaken to try to reverse the damage. King Kal--kaua himself led a party into the head of Nuuanu Valley in the late 1870s to plant trees. The custom of recreational hunting evolved over the last two hundred years as Hawaiians assimilated western traditions dealing with these introduced feral animals. Today, hunting is not widely practiced in contemporary Hawaiian society – only two percent of the state's residents obtain hunting licenses – but it does occur as a modern practice, for recreation and to greater or lesser extent, for subsistence. The techniques are entirely western, using trained dogs to chase and bay the animals, which are then dispatched with knife or gun.

Today we face the continued destruction of native forest, and risk losing a huge and irreplaceable natural and cultural resource to uncontrolled feral animals. Feral pigs are widespread in the world, and in no danger of extinction. Pua'a were valuable cultural resources, but in ancient times were kept away from the wao akua, which held so much more of value to Hawaiians than a single species such as a pig. As we strive to strike a balance between protecting native Hawaiian plants and animals and our dwindling native forests and the more recent practice of game hunting, we need to reassert the huge value that the wao akua represents, and protect it and the kini akua for the descendants of the future.

6:55 PM - 4 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

PUAA (Part I)
Category: Pets and Animals

Pigs in Hawaiian culture

Origin of Hawaiian pigs

When the great Pacific voyages brought Polynesians to Hawai'i, the Polynesian domesticated pig was brought with them. And of course, the pig itself was and is a traditional Hawaiian food, but traditions indicate that pigs were for males only, and sometimes restricted to male ali'i (chiefs). [For more detail see Malo, Kamakau, etc.].

Distinction between Hawaiian pigs and domestic swine

The Polynesian pig is quite distinctive, being relatively small and black, in marked contrast to larger domesticated swine (pua'a haole), often pale or multicolored, and achieving weights up to three hundred pounds or more. Hawaiian pigs were smaller, and even pigs sacrificed to gods at heiau were of a size that allowed for a traditional method of killing of the sacrifice: the pig was lifted overhead and dashed to the ground (Malo).

Symbology of pigs in Hawaiian culture

The pig is a traditional symbol of male sexuality and virility. The snout of a pig is fed ritual­istically to a male infant to ensure later sexual vigor. Kamapua'a, discussed later, is as ribald and virile a character as one can find in Hawaiian tradition. Moreover, Kamehameha is praised as:

The pig was also an agricultural figure. Sweet potato farmers ask Kanepua'a (and rarely, Kamapua'a) to come root in the sweet potato mounds to soften them for planting. Appropriate to the fertility symbolism, the snout of the pig is described as:

The pig's association with kalo (taro) farming has pigs, a male symbol, wallowing and rooting in the lo'i or agricultural fields, a traditional female symbol. One story describes the leaves, long stem, and corm of the harvested kalo as the pubic hair and genitals of Kamapua'a. Another describes unabashedly how Kamapua'a was rooting in a lo'i kalo, up and down the furrows, rooting, rooting, rooting, until, at the last furrow, he looks up, sees a beautiful woman standing on the bank of the lo'i, and is so excited from his rooting and the sight of her that he ejaculates, and his semen overflows the lo'i. Thus the pig-male mates with the earth-female and fertility is given to the land for kalo farming.

The traditional "place" of pigs

Pigs were domesticated animals in Hawai'i, highly valued, carefully controlled, tended after closely. There were special enclosures for pigs, and great care given to pigs in the village setting, and were not allowed to run free, lest they cause damage to agricultural crops [see material from Puku'i and others]. Of the wide body of literature, written and unwritten, there are relatively few references that place pigs of old Hawai'i in upland forests. One of the few such general references can be found in the Kumulipo:

Others can be found in the travels and adventures of  Kamapua'a, an important and popular pig-diety, discussed below.

Kamapua'a

The tradition of Kamapua'a (pig-child) tells us that he was from Kaluanui [Kaliuwa'a] on the windward side of O'ahu, and that he was a kupua, a supernatural being capable of extraordinary things. He could assume many forms, primarily that of a pig, and of a man, but as the need dictated, that of the fish humu-humu-nuku-nuku-a-pua'a, or any of many plant forms, including kukui, 'ama'u, etc. The concept of kino lau, or multiple body forms, is a basic one in Hawaiian tradition. The kino lau of Kamapua'a also included turning into multitudes of pigs, or growing into a gigantic eight-eyed, forty-legged pig-monster, becoming pig-shaped clouds in the sky, or stretching to the height of a waterfall as a giant pig-ladder to aid his relatives' escape.

When it comes down to it, the travels of Kamapua'a were so far and wide that you could find him in remote uplands, in villages, agricultural fields, temples, in the oceans between the islands, and even up in the clouds. You certainly couldn't use the adventures of this supernatural pig-child to indicate that in ancient Hawai'i, pigs were abundant in all of these places! Kamapua'a's omnipresence was part of his supernatural status, and not reflective of the typical locale of pigs.

Characterizing Kamapua'a in the larger framework of the four principal Hawaiian gods, Ku, Lono, K--ne, and Kanaloa is not a straighforward matter.  A widely-accepted tradition has him (along with pigs in general) a form of Lono, but Kanepua'a, from whom Kamapua'a is usually clearly distinguished, is the pig god of farmers, and associated with the principal god Kane. In chants spoken by Kamaunuaniho, the grandmother of Kamapua'a, she indeed identifies him directly with Lono, calling him:

But in another chant, she equates Kamapua'a with Kane:

and a little later in that same chant, she identifies Kamapua'a with Hi'iaka!

This is quite an extraordinary referent, as Hi'iaka is female, and sister to Pele, who figures prominently as antagonist-lover in the Kamapua'a tradition.

Kamapua'a's association with Lono does not prevent him from fighting with (and sometimes destroying) other principal Lono figures: Lonoaeho, with his eight supernatural foreheads, is killed by Kamapua'a, and Pele's brother, Lonomakua, who lights the fires of Kilauea, fails to burn Kamapua'a, who is hidden in a hog-shaped cloud. Thus, the identifications of Kamapua'a to any of the other Hawaiian gods is not meant to be simple, restrictive, or exclusive.

Nor is Kamapua'a's temperament simple. He is aggressive and mischievous to the point of being a destructive symbol, a powerful force of disruption and death; but he is also affectionate of his family and of other companions with which he travels and for whom he would fight battles against armies and supernatural opponents. His complex relationship with Pele and her family include outright combat, rapacious love-making, tender wooing, and negotiated land settlements.

Modern claims of pigs and religious rights

Lately there has been a claim that pigs are sacred, being forms of Kamapua'a, that Kamapua'a is a god of pig-hunters, and that therefore control and removal of pigs from the native forest is a violation of Hawaiian religious rights. Some pigs are indeed made sacred via ritual, in preparation for appropriate sacrifice, and indeed, the pig form is primary among the kino lau of Kamapua'a, but not every pig one sees, even at Kaluanui [Kaliuwa'a], is to be construed as Kamapua'a, nor  considered a sacred item untouchable by humans. In Hawaiian thought, human beings are also sacred, as are all of the native plants, birds, insects, and living things found in the forest. It is not a simple matter of sacred pigs vs profane people and other living things. Such a viewpoint is clearly meant to manipulate in a Western way, indigenous religious rights to meet a different need: to hunt pigs anywhere one wants, without regard for the arguments or needs of others. In fact, human attempts to protect forest plants and animals from pigs in certain places is entirely reasonable from a Hawaiian religious viewpoint.

Throughout the Hawaiian religious teachings that have come down to us, there is no evidence of Kamapua'a being used as a pig-hunter's god. One of the clearest messages emerging from the very complex Kamapua'a stories is that, far from being a patron god of pig-hunters, helpful or sympathetic to their cause, he is for the large part, contemptuous of people's attempts to catch him or control his actions. He would very likely scoff at the idea of needing human assistance. He is the unpunished rascal, urinating into the drinking water, stealing the chief's favorite rooster, ruining the agricultural fields, then killing all sent out to hunt or subdue him. He was, and may still be generally recognized as a god, even by those not directly devoted to his worship. But no matter what we do, it seems humans will not be able to subdue Kamapua'a, and he will live on as his traditions are passed on through the generations.

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Holo hou i ke ala kupuna
Current mood: accomplished
Category: Life

I ka poakahi aku nei, ua huakai makou i ka moku o Keawe, i ka moku aina o Kona Hema, i ka ahupuaa o Kapu'a e makaikai a'e i ka nahele maloo a hiki i ke kahakai ma laila. I uka, ulu ka nahele lama me ke alahe'e, a ua hiki ke huli o loaa i na kumu laau ano kakaikahi, e like me ka iliahi, ke kauila, a me ka halapepe.

This past Monday, we travelled to the Big Island, South Kona district, ahupua'a of Kapu'a to explore the dry forest there, down to the sea there. Upland, there grew a lama alahee forest, and we could search and find rare trees such as sandalwood, kauila, and halapepe.

Ia makou i hiki i ke kai, ua kuhi o Mel Johansen (he kamaaina no hoi ia o Kona Hema, noho i Honomalino) i ke alahele kahiko loa, e holo ana mai ke kai i uka i ka nahele. I ke kahakai, hele ua ala hele wawae nei ma kela aoao o ke ala Pele 'a'a me na pohaku wanawana loa, a ua lawe ka poe kahiko i na pohaku nui i hoomalino 'ia e ka moana, i mea e hoomama iho i ka hele wawae i uka.

When we arrived at the sea, Mel Johansen (a true kamaaina of South Kona, living in Honomalino) pointed out the ancient trail, running from sea upland to the forest. At the seaside, the trail ran across a lava flow of very spiny 'a'a, and the people of old had brought great boulders, smoothed by the ocean, as a way to ease the upland walk.

I a'u i ike maka mua i kela laina pohaku malino i ka 'a'a wanawana, ua pi`i au ma ke ala hele a hiki i ka poo huku, a laila, ua huli au me ka manao e ho'i i ke kai. Kau ka iini e hele wawae me na kamaa ole, i mea e holo kulike me na kupuna o ka wa kahiko o ia wahi. No laila holo iho au, a ua nihi ka hele. Oluolu a maalahi keia holo ihola, e like me ka hele kahakai ma na pohaku malino ko laila.

When I saw the line of smooth boulders in the rough 'a'a, I climbed up the trail to a hilltop, and then, turned with the intent to return to the beach. The desire came to walk barefoot, so as to travel like the ancient ancestorsof that place. So I went that way, walking with great care. It was pleasant and easy, this descent, like walking along the seashore on smooth boulders there.

Na ko'u hoaaloha o Jody Kaulukukui i hoopai kii mai i a'u, i a'u i hehi wawae i ke alahele kupuna me ka mahalo nui no ko lakou hana noeau i hoomau i keia mau la.

My friend Jody Kaulukukui took my picture as I walked in the steps of the ancestors, with great thanks for their skillful work that persists to today.

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I ka lihi pali Pelekunu
Current mood: awake
Category: Friends

Ku i ka lihi pali o Pelekunu, he kilohana nani maoli!
Standing at the cliff edge of Pelekunu, a beautiful view!

I ka Lapule o ka hopena pule aku nei, ua hui makou me ka ohana o kuu hoahana ma ke Kama Nui o Hina, o ia hoi o ka mokupuni o Molokai, e huakai hele pii i uka i ka nahele o Kamakou, no ka mea o ko kuu hoa kaikamahine muli la hanau, a o ka hiapo, ke makaukau nei oia no kona uniki olapa ana i keia lapule e hiki mai ana.

On Sunday of this weekend just past, I met with the family of my workmate on the Great Child of Hina, that is, Molokai, to take a trip hiking up to the forest of Kamakou, because it was her youngest daughter's birthday, and as for the older daughter, she was preparing for her uniki as a dancer the coming Sunday.

He wahi pana punahele no'u o Kamakou me ke alahele nahele ona i puka ae i ka lihi pali o Pelekunu. Hiki ke kilo aku i kela awawa nui e nana i ke olo hemolele o Olokui, a mamao aku, i ke awawa nui loa o Molokai, o Wailau hoi. He nani maoli no!

Kamakou is a favorite place to me with its forest trail that emerges on the cliff edge of Pelekunu. You can gaze out on that big valley and see the pristine mountain of Olokui, and beyond, the largest valley of Molokai, Wailau. Such a truly beautiful sight!

No laila i ke kakahiaka nui, hoala au iho no, a me ka mania wale a'u i kalaiwa aku ai i ka hale mokulele no ka lele pokole i Hoolehua. I a'u i ee moku ai, ka nohona iho oluolu, a laila ka auwana noonoo a hiki i ka hana paani a na haumana olelo, e noonoo ma ka olelo makuahine e pili ana o na mea i ikea, i lohea, a pela aku...

So, early in the morning, I woke myself up, and drowsily drove to the airport for the short flight to Hoolehua. Once I boarded and sat comfortably down, my thoughts wandered and I began the game that language students play, thinking in the mother tongue about things seen, heard, etc...

No laila ma keia noonoo ka manao e hoolaa i keia hana lele aku i Molokai, no laila keia noonoo: E o'u mau kiai mai ka po, e malama i keia mokulele, ke lele a'e nei i Moloka'i no ka hana aloha.

And during these thoughts came the idea to bless this flight to Molokai, so I thought this: O my guardians from the deep past, watch over this plane, flying over to Molokai for the work of aloha.

A o ka noonoo emoole aku la hoi ka hoomaka o na laina oli peia:
And immediately the thoughts went to the start of a line of chant thus:

Lele ae ka manao a ke aloha
I ka pali uliuli ao Pelekunu
E Naiwiopele, e Kaunuohua
He ohua keia ke kilo aku
I ka mauna hemolele o Olokui
E kui ke aloha i ka hoi mai
i ka piko Molokai kau i ka lewa

The thoughts of aloha go flying
To the dark lush cliffs of Pelekunu
O Naiwiopele, O Kaunuohua
Our group this is, gazing out
Upon the pristine mountain Olokui
The aloha strikes on returning
To the lofty summit of Molokai

Mea maalahi paha, aka ua hooluolu mai a paa i ka manao, no laila keia waihona no oukou maanei.
A simple thing perhaps, but it was pleasant and stuck in my head, to be shared with you here.

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Ua komo 'o Hinaia'ele'ele
Current mood: hungry
Category: Life

Wahi a kuu hoa Kalei Tsuha i kona leka elele:

Howzit Gangeh,
July 15th marks the beginning of a brand new Hawaiian lunar month called: Hinaia'ele'ele and during this lunar month one can expect to see:
Dark clouds clinging to the mountain tops. 
Hot weather with sudden heavy showers. 
The sky full of dark clouds predicting that plants will be weighted down from ripening fruits. 
Women and children go to the forest to pick 'ohi'a 'ai.
Rich fishing is to be expected. 
Good for 'au, ahi, kawakawa, mahimahi, maiko, papio, and squid.
Kapu on 'opelu is officially placed. 
Kapu on aku lifted.
Farmers spread mulch of dry grass and fern on various garden patches.
'Ulu plentiful. 
Farmer spends much time fishing; women curing and salting. 
Leaves are dark with maturity.

It is also know that Kumukoa hails and governs the sky – it's prominent in the morning.  I believe this Hoku Alaka'i is Mercury.

Speaking of stars... On July 28th the Delta Aquarids are scheduled to make an appearance.  This meteor shower will unfortunately be faint as the luminosity of the full moon will wash out the sky.

And that's the Hawaiian Malama prediction for Hinaia'ele'ele. 

Ke aloha nui.

Kalei

and 'Ohu notes: The past two days have been cloudy, with the rains as predicted, and the mauna alai ia e ke kiohuohu. I have been watching the hua ohia ai going pala a oo i ka nahele, a pono no makou e holoholo i na awawa e ohi ai i na ohia ai! ;)

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Na Toa o Polinetia
Category: Art and Photography

He wahi pahana keia me kuu hoa 'o Mike Lothian, he kumu kula paheona ia. O ka Huinakola Polynetia ma ka poepoe honua, a no na pae moku nui o ua huinakolu nei, o ia ho'i o Hawai'i, Rapanui, Nukuhiva/Tahiti, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, a me Aotearoa, ua kaha ki'i maua i na koa o ua mau pae moku nei, me kona mea kaua kaulana, a me na kakau paha, a pela aku, i mea e a'o kuhikuhi i na ano like ole o na po'e polinetia. O ka makemake no ia e pa'i i na kii hoolaha. Eia ho'i ke ki'i ano liilii o ia kii hoolaha. E kala mai i a'u ina aole hiki ia oukou e heluhelu i na olelo lepe kii no na koa! Ma lalo o keia kii na olelo...

This is a little project with my friend Mike Lothian, an art teacher. Its the Polynesian Triangle on the globe map, and for the major island groups of the triangle, that is, Hawai'i, Rapanui, Nukuhiva/Tahiti, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, and Aotearoa, we drew the warriors of the islands with their famous weapons, tattoos, clothing, etc., as a way to teach about the diversity of the people of Polynesia. We want to print it as a poster. Here is a miniature form of that poster. sorry if you can't read the captions for the warriors! Below the image are the words...



Hawaiian warrior (koa) holding shark-tooth weapon (lei o mano), wearing loincloth (malo) of barkcloth (kapa), and wearing one of many variants of Hawaiian tattoo patterns. The center crest hairstyle is also one of many worn, although the typical Polynesian topknot was perhaps the most common.

Nukuhiva (Marquesan) warrior (toa) holding a carved war club ('u'u), and wearing a loincloth (maro) of barkcloth (kaku) dyed with turmeric (eka), a headband (uhikana), and the very extensive tattoo patterns that distinguish the region. The shaved head and dual topknot hairstyle is also distinct­ive of the region, although the typical Polynesian topknot was also worn.

Rapanui warrior (matato'a) holding a carved club (ua), wearing scant loin­cloth (hami) of barkcloth (tapa), and bearing distinctive Rapanui tattoo patterns. The Polynesian topknot (pukao) is worn, decorated with a seabird feather.

Samoan warrior (toa) holding a carved club (fa'alaufa'i), wearing a loincloth (malo) of barkcloth (siapo), armband (taulima) of braided human hair, and bearing the very distinctive Samoan tattoo (pe'a). The hair is bleached with burnt lime, and tied in the Polynesian topknot.

Tongan warrior (toa) holding a carved club (apa'apai), wearing a loincloth (mahi) of barkcloth (ngatu), and bearing the Tongan tattoo patterns (tatatau), similar to the Samoan pe'a. The hair is long and untied, although the Polynesian topknot was also worn. A round plate pendant ('aofi) is worn.

Fijian warrior (bati) holding a carved throwing club (totokia), wearing a loincloth (malo) of barkcloth (masi), and bearing facial paint. The hairstyle shown is a wig of human hair (ulumate), a very distinctive Fijian style. A boar-tusk pendant (bati ni vuaka) hangs from his neck.

Maori warrior (toa) with a carved spear (taiaha), and wearing loincloth (maro) of dog hair, and the very distinctive facial tattoo patterns (moko) and lower body tattoos (puhoro) that distinguish Aotearoa. The standard Polynesian topknot hairstyle is decorated with feathers of the extinct huia, and around the neck is the ancestral figure (hei tiki) of green jade (pounamu).

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Kou a me Honolulu
Category: Travel and Places

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Maopopo anei ia ??oe? (Did you know?)

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'O Kou ka inoa kahiko no Honolulu

The ancient name for the Honolulu area was Kou

Honolulu/Kou in 1816, watercolor by Louis Choris

NOTE: Two prolific artists visited Hawai'i during a critical period in the Island's history—Louis Choris and Jacques Arago. Ukrainian-born Choris, the artist onboard the Russian vessel Rurick, under the command of Otto von Kotzebue, illustrated his observations of Hawai'i in 1816, prior to the death of Kamehameha I and the fall of the kapu system. The French artist, Arago, served on the Uranie, commanded by Louis Claude de Saulses Freycinet, and recorded his observations of the islands in August of 1819, just three months after the passing of Kamehameha I.

He kumu la'au maoli ke kou, ke ulu pono i na papa malo'o o ka  pae'aina.

Kou is an indigenous tree that grows well in semi-arid lowlands of the archipelago.

Kou (Cordia subcordata) is indigenous, being found naturally in Hawai'i
but also elsewhere in the Pacific.

Here is what the City and County of Honolulu website had to say:

"Honolulu Harbor, known also as Kulolia, was entered by the first foreigner, Captain William Brown of the English ship Butterworth, in 1794. He named the harbor "Fair Haven." Other foreign captains then referred to it as "Brown's Harbor." The name Honolulu (with numerous variations in spelling) soon came into use. In the 1800s, the City of Honolulu was the area near the harbor which is now referred to as downtown Honolulu."

I further note that the harbor was also called "Ke Awa o Kou" (The Harbor of Kou), and the ocean around that was Mamala. I will search for the use of the name "Honolulu" in pre-contact chants and stories. One that I can think of immediately is Ka Ipu Makani o La'amaomao (The Wind Gourd of La'amaomao), an account of the adventures of Kuapaka'a, a clever child, and his father living in the time of the great Hawai`i Island chief Keawenuiaumi, that lists the winds of the different islands. Among the winds of O'ahu, Kuapaka'a chanted:

He Kukalahale ko Honolulu, He Aoaoa ko Mamala...
(Honolulu has the Kukalahale wind, Mamala has the Aoaoa wind).

So is this an indication that the name Honolulu was in use at the time of Keawenuiaumi? This is well before Kamehameha's time! However, this version of the story was written in 1902 by Moses K. Nakuina (who lived in Honolulu), and it may be that the name Honolulu was by that time used in replacement of Kou by all.

2:29 AM - 4 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

He iwi moa wale no!
Current mood: impressed
Category: News and Politics

Mai ka DNA mai loko mai o na iwi moa kahiko loa i loaa mai ai mai Chile, ka ho'ailona ho'ike o ka hana kupaianaha o na hookele waa o ka wa kahiko. Mai Amelika Hema ka uala a me ka ipu a kakou. Mai Polinetia ka moa.

E heluhelu i keia kolamu nupepa e pili ana ia:

Kolamu nupepa iwi moa


From the DNA in the bones of very ancient chicken bones found in Chile, is evidence demonstrating the amazing exploits of navigators of ancient times. From South America came sweet potato and ipu gourds, and from Polynesia the chicken.

Read about it here:

Chicken bone news article

11:58 AM - 6 Comments - 1 Kudos - Add Comment

A test - Flickr images
Current mood: hopeful
Category: Blogging

Here is a simple test of incorporating Flickr images into a MySpace blog. Below should appear a drawing out of collaborative project with Australian artist Mike Lothian, of an ali'i koa (warrior chieftain)...

Well, that seems to work pretty smoothly! OK, then soon I will share some of the images out of an educational poster project featuring the Polynesian triangle and different patterns of tattoos, weapons, etc., of warriors from Hawai'i, Nukuhiva, Rapanui, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, and Aotearoa. Watch for it soon!

11:56 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment