'O Haloa

Noho hou 'o Wakea ia Ho'ohokukalani
Ua hanau mai ka Wakea keiki mua
He keiki alualu
'O Haloanaka ka inoa
A make ua keiki alualu la.
Kanu ia iho la ma waho o ke kala o ka hale
I lalo o ka lepo
Ma hope iho, ulu mai ua keiki la,
Kalo no
'O ka lau of ua Kalo la, ua kapa ia 'o Laukapalili
'O ka ha o ua Kalo la, 'o Haloa
Hanau mai he keiki hou
Kapa lakou i kona inoa ma ka ha o ua Kalo la 'o Haloa
Nana mai ko keao nei a pau
'O Haloa ho'i...ha.

Humankind's connection to the earth and the skies
Difficult concept to grasp yet easy to feel
The connection, the sacrifice, the new life.
Seemingly foreign words to my tongue
Roll like square blocks of basalt from my mouth.
Don't think about it too much
Let ancestral memories kick in and let it all flow.
Language cannot be learned sorely from books
But must be worn like a cloak of mist
Clinging to the 'ohi'a trees outside my word-laden window.
Feel it, live it

'O Wakea

'O Wakea noho ia Papahanaumoku
Hanau 'o Hawai'i, he moku
Hanau 'o Maui, he moku
Ho'i a'e o Wakea noho ia Ho'ohokukalani
Hanau 'o Molokai, he moku
Hanau 'o Lana'i ka ula, he moku
Liliopu punalua 'o Papa ia Ho'ohokukalani
Ho'i hou 'o Papa noho ia Wakea
Hanau 'o Oahu, he moku
Hanau 'o Kaua'i, he moku
Hanau 'o Ni'ihau, he moku
He 'ula a'o Kaho'olawe

Relationships of the earth and the skies
The hierarcy of islands is determined
Relationships and parentage redefined
A different perspective with growing appreciation

Keauhou o Ka Wa Kahiko

Keauhou...the new era, the new current
The site of the meeting of the old ways, the ancient minds
Kaneloa, autumnal equinox marking the sunsets of the depositories of ancestral memories
Say your piece, share your wisdom, teach your skills.

The night is ready to greet you, the quiet, the velvety soft darkness, Wakea
Time is fleeting like the evening winds cascading down from Mauna Kea
While your eyes are black, you see your sun swallowed by the azure seas of Kona
Say your piece, share your wisdom, teach your skills.

Use your escaping ha to comfort your loved ones, your precious essence sacrificed
You yearn to reach upward to the worlds of Ho'ohokukalani
Yet you tend to those who still cling to Papahanaumoku, keeping you earthbound.
Say your piece, share your wisdom, teach your skills.

Absolute balance of day and night, consciousness and another timeless reality
Markers in your life determine your destiny, your kuleana to ho'omau, ho'ea
Mundane details try to keep you grounded, yet unheard pahu drums call you from beyond
Say your piece, share your wisdom, teach your skills.

Too young to be an elder, lower your eyes in deference
Look to the strident voices, the demands of the kupuna..e maka'ala
Listen as though your life depended on it, whispered words linger in the air
Say your piece, share your wisdom, teach your skills.

The sun steps from the cradle of Haleakala to the east
Cryptic messages carried in the folds of the wind, Apa'apa'a, resound in your ears
New life, ka inoa po, emerges from the sacrifice of the ancient ones.
Say your piece, share your wisdom, teach your skills.

MOKUcentrism

Being forn on Maui, my beautiful island
The center of my universe
Surrounded by Kaho'olawe to the left
Molokai to the right
Lanai directly in front of us.
The panorama was of a safe harbor.
I was shocked to learn that demigod Maui lived on Hawai'i
Ka moku o Keawe
My childhood stories pivoted on Maui as a Maui boy
He learned about fire from the alae at Kanaha Pond
He lassoed the sun at Haleakala

What a revelation that Maui, the land of my birth
Is not the center of Hawaiian mythology.

Wahine Kahakai, Wahine Kuahiwi

I have always thought of myself...
He wahine kahakai
Born on the gently lapping waves of Lahaina's shores.
But my roots are from the slopes of Haleakala
Kipahulu, home of single named kupuna
Molokai became the meeting place of men from foreign lands
The sailor from Charleston, South Carolina
The merchant from Koong Tong, China
Planting seeds for a poi dog generation
Some not even worthy of carrying the family name.
I live in the mountains now,
The slopes of Mauna Loa.
From Kohala, I can look across the Alenuihaha Channel
I see the lands of my birth, ke one hanau.
My heart remains at the foot of the ocean
With my ancestors

Tanka o Wakea

Sky, earth, distant stars
Love, create, clash, envy, nurture
in Cosmic liaisons

Lau kalo wave their heads in greeting.
Ua wakes old minds in modern bodies

Pake Scheming

My grandfather, a merchant from Koong Tong, China
Could skin a cow fast....Faster than the kanaka neighbors.
The Pake storekeeper lived in Puko'o, Molokai.
On his bill collecting journeys into the valleys,
He met a mo'o wahine combing her hair by a river.
He raised at least four recorded half-breed kids,
None of whom carried his surname
These blue eyed Hawaiians sullied his sensibilities
After the passing of his wife, Hattie Edmunds
Ah Kung ordered his picture bride from China
Three pedigreed Chinese daughters,
The loveliest was Rose, with the smooth porcelain skin
Worthy of carrying the Chinese surname.
But girls...no one carried forth his precious name.
He worked hard, saving money, buying land
Scrimping, saving, smoking away his dreams of fortune.

I thought I could make a fortune
Picking plumeria and selling bunches of blossoms
to passing tourists on Lahainaluna Road.
But how much money could an eight year old make
On a street with very few tourists in a plantation town?
But the pake scheming mind is still alive.
Land investments, landlording, entrepreneur,
Designer, consultant, event planner.
It must be my Ah Kung's dreams of fortune that
continue to feed my thoughts on how to make money.
To make money, you need brains and luck.
I've got one but not the other.
Working hard, saving money, buying land
Scrimping, saving, creating dreams of fortune
Blown away like smoke

November 2009

Hina Sisters' Sacrifice

The following play was written to share the story of the sisters, Hinaikeahi and Hinaikawai and the things they did to save their people in the hills above Hilo, Hawai'i.

THE HINA SISTERS' SACRIFICE

Narrator 1: Many lifetimes ago, Hina traveled from Kahiki to the islands of
Hawai'i. She lived on the slopes of Haleakala with her son, Maui
and his brothers. As the island became overpopulated, Hina left with
her two daughters Hina-i-keahi and Hina-i-kawai and traveled to
Hawai'i. They emerged from the springs of Waiakea Uka. As they
traveled about, Hina loved the lush green landscape of this island
and decided to make Waianuenue her home. She resided in Keana-a- Hina, a cave where she could pound her kapa close to the ever
flowing waters.

Her daughter, Hina-i-keahi found the Hala'i Hill to her liking
and made it her home. The other daughter, Hina-i-kawai, chose the
nearby Pu'uhonu for her home. Each sister reigned as high chiefess
among the people of each hill.

At first, the sweet rains of Hilo kept the land green and productive.
Then a terrible drought struck the island and the once green lands
became dry and barren. Crops withered in the parched ground.

Chorus: (State at will)
'Aue
Pololi
Makewai
Auhea ka ua?
Narrator 1: Feeling sorry for her people, Hina-i-keahi was determined to save them
from starvation and death. She gathered all of her people together
and gave them strict instructions on what to do in this disaster.

Hina-i-Keahi: Dig a imu, deep and wide at the top of Hala'i Hill
Collect firewood and rocks for the imu
Light the imu and bury me in it

Chorus: 'Aue, 'Aue, 'Aue

Hina-i-keahi: Watch for signs I will send so that you will know what to do.
In three days, you will see springs emerge bringing cool water to you and
the land. A white puffy cloud will appear above Hala'i Hill.
When you see a woman approaching you from the ocean, make sure you
open the imu which will be filled with food.

Narrator 1: The people did as they were instructed sadly knowing that their
beloved Hina-i-keahi would perish in the fires of the imu. As they were
getting ready to put Hina-i-keahi into the imu, they saw that she was in a
deep trance and was praying to the gods to save her people and send
them food.
(Hina-i-keahi, keeping your eyes closed, lip synch like you are chanting)

Narrator 1: Hina-i-keahi was buried in the imu as she had instructed.
The people watched for the signs predicted by Hina-i-keahi. Sure
enough, on the third day, springs emerged bringing life giving water and
a white puffy cloud appeared at the top of Hala'i Hill. Everyone turned
their eyes seaward and looked to see a woman approaching them.
At a distance they could see a woman walking towards them.

(Actors look makai and lipsynch like you are talking to each other, and point toward the ocean)
Chorus: E mai, e mai
Eia ka wahine. E wehe kakou i ka imu
Narrator 1: As the woman came closer, they saw that it was their beloved
Hinaikeahi.
Chorus: Hui ....aloha e Hina-i-keahi (etc.)

(Actors look happy, smile and greet Hina-i-keahi)

Narrator 1: When the imu was opened, it was filled with life giving food.
Hinaikeahi ate with her joyful people.
(Actors At will - act like you are talking, laughing out loud, and eating)

TRANSITION (Actors face their backs to the audience except for Narrator 2)

Narrator 2: Sounds of cheering and joyful laughter carried over to Pu'uhonu and
Hina-i-kawai. Her people were also suffering greatly from the
drought and famine. Hearing of what her sister had done, Hina-i-
kawai was determined to save her people as dramatically as her
sister.
(Everyone turns to face the audience and looks at Hina-i-kawai when she is talking.
Make like you are really hungry and very sad)

Hina-i-kawai: Mai hopohopo. Nana mai i'au...Don't be afraid. Look at me.
I will save you and you will have twice as much to eat.
(Said with much attitude)

Narrator 2: Hina-i-kawai gave the same instructions to her people. The imu was
dug, the firewood and rocks collected. Everything was prepared.
When it was time to put Hina-i-kawai into the imu, she did not go
into a trance but rather, she looked up into the skies and shouted
the demands for her people.

(Hina-i-kawai look upward, raise your hands upward, and lip synch like you are saying something to the skies. Then step back a bit when the narration continues)

Narrator 2: The people waited and watched for the three signs.
Three days passed but the life giving springs did not appear.
A dark gray cloud hung over the top of Pu'uhonu. The people
looked seaward but did not see anyone approaching their hill.
(Actors look makai...scan the horizon, etc.)

Narrator 2: The dark and angry cloud poured rain onto the imu creating a
smoky mist of steam. The people opened the imu to find the
charred remains of Hina-i-kawai.
Chorus: 'Aue, 'Aue,'Aue.
Narrator 2: Hina-i-kawai brought water to Hilo from the rain cloud which quenched
the thirst of the land. She was never seen again in her human form.
TRANSITION (Actors face their backs to the audience except for the Ki'i speakers)
(All actors face the audience)

Narrator 3/1: Thus is the story of the sisters, Hina-i-keahi and Hina-i-kawai. Although Hina-i-kawai acted out of jealousy, envy, and pride, her quest to be
better than her sister resulted in a perpetual gift to the people of Hawai'i.
The sacrifice of her life created the water cycle which bathes our islands
with life giving water.