Hei Workshop with Kahuawaiola Teacher Candidates

On October 21st I met with several teacher candidates in the Kahuawaiola program out of the University of Hawai'i at Hilo. This workshop was conducted in Hawaiian. We learned "Nenue" (one-eye) and "Na Hiki o Makali'i" (seven eyes) which I learned from kupuna (elder) 'Aina Keawe. We also read a Hawaiian language story about Makali'i and learned "Koko a Makali'i/Net of Makali'i". In this story the god-chief Makali'i gathers all the food and plant life and binds them in a net in the heavens. The rat people volunteer to climb up to retrieve the foodstuff so life could continue on earth. They travel upon the back of a rainbow and nibble at the cordage thus releasing the food to earth. A part of that rope can be found impressed in rocks at South Point, Island of Hawai'i and the place where the rats landed is named for them, 'Iole.

Hei Workshop with Hawaiian Immersion Teachers

I met with several kula kaiapuni (Hawaiian language immersion) teachers of Waiau Elementary School at Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center at Mu'olaulani to learn hei. We began learning Kauhale a Limaloa then learned the chant accompanying it. Then we read a story about the naughtly 'elepaio and other versions/derivations later on. We then learned how to make Huewai and Kanukuokamanu (the beak of the bird) to accompany the song, 'Io E. In the story of the naughty 'elepaio, he pecks on the water gourd of a man causing the well-sought out water to flow out. The man throws a rock at the 'elepaio bird and he then flies to his bird kin seeking redress. However, each of the birds see 'Elepaio's fault.

Halehale Ke Aloha

Read this article on the string game and chant, Halehale ke Alha, by Hawaiian scholar, Kihei de Silva.

http://kaiwakiloumoku.ksbe.edu/

Men at 'Aha Kane 2010

The second annual 'Aha Kane (Hawaiian men's conference) was held at Windward Community College. I was asked to teach hei, Hawaiian string figure making. Hei is not merely a child's game as string, cord, sennit were essential "tools" in a man's work - to bind an adze, lash beams, lash canoe parts, knotting nets, etc.

Ku i ka pono; ku'e i ka hewa

My grandfather signed the Hui Aloha 'Aina petition against annexation to the U.S. at a young age. As a result of this encounter, he was recruited to go to Hilo Boarding School and left rural Kaua'i. He is here with my greatgrandmother who moved from Hana to Manana to Anahola to receive konohiki land from an 'ohana member. Most of the families of Anahola Kai singed the Ku'e Petition.
Read about this petition: http://libweb.hawaii.edu/digicoll/annexation/petition.html

Anti Annexation Memorial

Here I am next to the name of a relative who signed the Anti Annexation petition gathered by the Hui Aloha 'Aina. Nearly 21,000 signatures were gathered and presente to the U.S. Congress. The treaty never passed and so there was never a treaty of annexation as is mythologized. See http://libweb.hawaii.edu/digicoll/annexation/pet-intro.html

Ku Gods Return

http://www.starbulletin.com/news/20100604_Gathering_of_the_gods.html?mobile=true

Headress of lightning, large squinting eyes, flared nostrils, infinity grin/grimaced mouths, muscled arms, cupped hands, bent knees. Ku!

A large image from the British Museum (central) and another from the Peabody Essex museum (right) reunited with the Bishop Museum one (left). They are carved in the "Kona" style, a style assumed to have arose after the advent of metal and contact with the european. It could have been carved by the same person because they are of the same style. They were carved of ʻulu or breadfruit and not ʻohiʻa as we would suppose. This would make sense since the Peabody records state that the image was a "god of medicine". It probably came from ʻAhuʻena since Kamehameha rededicated it to healing after his surviving a scourge. The others may have come from Hale o Keawe. The British Museumʻs back is also carved (the headdress/hair). Spectacular.
You cannot help but be in awe seeing them together.
Noelle Kahanu of Bishop Museum shared in a symposium after that the theme of the exhibit, "E ku ana ka paia" (taken from prophecy of Kapihe) came to be a rallying call for unification and hence its applicability to the unification of the statues. However, I think it also refers to the unificaiton of Hawaiians. She shares a beautiful story of master carver Rocky Jensen, Sam Kaʻai, and Keone Nunes sitting a talking before the images as if (my interpretation), they were family at a reunion. Previous to the symposium , at the opening, 3 halau united in hula pahu. The hula: Kaulilua, A Koʻolau, and Auaʻa ʻia blended well and also "spoke" to this theme of unification: in chant and in action. The ending hula, Ulei Pahu, says, "A he mea, a he mea ʻoe!" You have become someone of worth! Pololei.
HOw do we know they are ku images? The Peabody curator says that their records indicate that theirs is a "god of medicine". If that is true then the ku images are not the war god , Ku, as the British Museum has written as a description. If this is is Ku the god of reconcilliation and healing then their unification is even more significant for us Hawaiians.