The exercise was clear
Craft a genealogy based on the 'O Wakea chant
A pedagogically sound followthrough.
I dug up files from my "safe"
And put words to paper.
Memorization and recital took place on trips to Hilo,
Though passing drivers might have thought me mad
As my mouth moved, my eyes glazed over, my hands clenched.
'O Kamahalo, great great grandfather 200 years ago
On the slopes of Kipahulu began the family line
Foreign grandfathers for two generations
Changed the demographic status of the family's ethnicity.
Diluting the blood, adding new perspective.
Learning the names of ancient kupuna
Seeing the repetition of family names
Jacob, Lemuel, Rose, Muriel
Calling them back to life
In the recitation of the Moku'auhau.
The classroom presentation went well
Until
I called forth the names of my siblings
Bruddah Lemuel, the handsome Hawaiian hotel manager
Beloved Joseph, with his dashing Panama hat
Sweet Tita Cookie, the family songbird
Ua hala lakou...missing them
Now only three of us remain.
Though I forbade it,
My voice quivered.
Kealoha, a classmate, encouraged the
completion with a gentle touch to my shoulder.
Tears welled behind the eyelid dam.
Young students tilted their heads at the emotional display.
The existence of these loved one remain in our (ko makou) memories.
What will our grandchildren know about these people
When their names are called forth in our Moku'auhau.
Aloha e ko'u 'ohana.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
She asked me to write about what I learned.
I learned I knew nothing of substance
About my roots, my culture, my kupuna.
A very sad commentary after six decades of existence
It is as though my life is a vignette,
A collage of ethnic snapshots,
Japanese, Chinese, Hawaiian, American
Scattered helter skelter across my consciousness.
Who am I? Really?
What do I stand for? Really?
What are my motivations? Really?
I know I am a poi dog, polyracial.
I know there are aspects to respect...
The Japanese Daruma doll...seven times down
Eight times up...a demonstration of perseverance
The Gambare Spirit to keep getting back on your feet.
"I tell you one thing, you will know 10 things,"
A seemingly quixotic proverb with vast implications.
"Heaven lasts long, and Earth abides
What is the secret of their durability?
It it not because they do not live for THEMSELVES
That they last so long?" Wise words from
Thought shattering Lao Tzu
Where oxymorons make sense and become reality.
Eat bitter things to cure your stomache troubles,
Kau yuk will give you a beautiful complexion
Friendly advice from Aunty Rose Tom,
Dad's favorite sister, the one with the porcelain skin.
Aloha...a greeting, a farewell, an action,
an emotion, a noun, a verb, an attitude.
Come inside, come inside, eat, eat
Hele mai e 'ai...generous ho'okipa, hospitality
Without ulterior motives or desires for repayment.
No show off, be ha'aha'a...ho'omanawanui
Patience is a virtue
The land does not belong to you...
You belong to the land, ke one hanau
E Hawai'i e ku'u home hanau e
Know your place in the 'ohana, ke kaiaulu
Keep the loving attitude
Abide by the proper protocol
Fulfill your kuleana, respect
The soft and strict edges of Hawaiian existence.
Who am I? Really?
What do I stand for? Really?
What are my motivations? Really?
I am a person lost in a chasm
My place in history is a nebulous black hole.
I am Hawaiian but not Hawaiian
The ancestral memories and 'olelo Hawai'i
Have been whitewashed by pidgin and English words and thoughts.
I am not old and yet
When I talk about plantation camp life
My students look askance
As though these lifestyles were third-world countries.
The journey is before me
Like Hi'iakaikapolioPele.
Finding people who will help nurture growth
on this journey,
Facing head-on the mo'o, the detractors,
the naysayers who block the path.
Looking into the unexplored depths
Searching for the light in dark places.
A journey of maturation can take place at any age.
And this is only part of what I learned.
I learned I knew nothing of substance
About my roots, my culture, my kupuna.
A very sad commentary after six decades of existence
It is as though my life is a vignette,
A collage of ethnic snapshots,
Japanese, Chinese, Hawaiian, American
Scattered helter skelter across my consciousness.
Who am I? Really?
What do I stand for? Really?
What are my motivations? Really?
I know I am a poi dog, polyracial.
I know there are aspects to respect...
The Japanese Daruma doll...seven times down
Eight times up...a demonstration of perseverance
The Gambare Spirit to keep getting back on your feet.
"I tell you one thing, you will know 10 things,"
A seemingly quixotic proverb with vast implications.
"Heaven lasts long, and Earth abides
What is the secret of their durability?
It it not because they do not live for THEMSELVES
That they last so long?" Wise words from
Thought shattering Lao Tzu
Where oxymorons make sense and become reality.
Eat bitter things to cure your stomache troubles,
Kau yuk will give you a beautiful complexion
Friendly advice from Aunty Rose Tom,
Dad's favorite sister, the one with the porcelain skin.
Aloha...a greeting, a farewell, an action,
an emotion, a noun, a verb, an attitude.
Come inside, come inside, eat, eat
Hele mai e 'ai...generous ho'okipa, hospitality
Without ulterior motives or desires for repayment.
No show off, be ha'aha'a...ho'omanawanui
Patience is a virtue
The land does not belong to you...
You belong to the land, ke one hanau
E Hawai'i e ku'u home hanau e
Know your place in the 'ohana, ke kaiaulu
Keep the loving attitude
Abide by the proper protocol
Fulfill your kuleana, respect
The soft and strict edges of Hawaiian existence.
Who am I? Really?
What do I stand for? Really?
What are my motivations? Really?
I am a person lost in a chasm
My place in history is a nebulous black hole.
I am Hawaiian but not Hawaiian
The ancestral memories and 'olelo Hawai'i
Have been whitewashed by pidgin and English words and thoughts.
I am not old and yet
When I talk about plantation camp life
My students look askance
As though these lifestyles were third-world countries.
The journey is before me
Like Hi'iakaikapolioPele.
Finding people who will help nurture growth
on this journey,
Facing head-on the mo'o, the detractors,
the naysayers who block the path.
Looking into the unexplored depths
Searching for the light in dark places.
A journey of maturation can take place at any age.
And this is only part of what I learned.
Kihei
Kihei...a visual glimpse into one's soul
Unexpected insights into private lives, hidden minds.
The intricacy, the abandon, the careful thought
All blatantly splashed on a blank canvas.
The choice of color, design, care
Were evident at a second's glance.
Further examination and explanation
Bared the hearts and minds of the creators.
Sometimes hidden messages became evident
Though not meant for deliberate sharing.
Blank faces became real people
Without the interference of verbage.
Surprising revelations and newfound respect.
Ultimate expression without pretense,
All blatantly splashed on a blank canvas.
Unexpected insights into private lives, hidden minds.
The intricacy, the abandon, the careful thought
All blatantly splashed on a blank canvas.
The choice of color, design, care
Were evident at a second's glance.
Further examination and explanation
Bared the hearts and minds of the creators.
Sometimes hidden messages became evident
Though not meant for deliberate sharing.
Blank faces became real people
Without the interference of verbage.
Surprising revelations and newfound respect.
Ultimate expression without pretense,
All blatantly splashed on a blank canvas.
'Aikamumu
Stirring up fire on transfixed feet
'Aikamumu, with its land devouring teeth
Pushing upwards to the heavens
Sinking downward to the depths of Halema'uma'u
Danced like a martial arts kata
Energy in the hands and feet,
Extending beyond the horizon.
Words chanted from the depths of one's core,
The explosion of ki, kyats.
Not your plasticized hula seen in movies from the 40's.
Meaning Full
Energetic explosions
A gift of hula with specific protocol to be observed
A remedy for those in need
Of fires stirred on transfixed feet
'Aikamumu, with its land devouring teeth
Pushing upwards to the heavens
Sinking downward to the depths of Halema'uma'u
Danced like a martial arts kata
Energy in the hands and feet,
Extending beyond the horizon.
Words chanted from the depths of one's core,
The explosion of ki, kyats.
Not your plasticized hula seen in movies from the 40's.
Meaning Full
Energetic explosions
A gift of hula with specific protocol to be observed
A remedy for those in need
Of fires stirred on transfixed feet
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Book Review: The Shark God
The Shark God: Encounters with Ghosts and Ancestors in the South Pacific was written by Charles Montgonery and tells of his journey to Melanesia to learn more about the work of his kupuna Henry Montgomery who was appointed the bishop of Tasmania in 1889. The book intertwines historical accounts with Montgomery's experiences in Melanesia...meeting the tribal leaders, the shamans, and the people of the traditional faith.
In chapter 7: The Word and Its Meaning, Montgomery defines mythology. Here are some cogent comments.
"...the power of a myth always has more to do with its function than its historic origin." p. 97
His definition: "Myth: a story, often involving the expression of supernatural power, that explains its believers' relationship with the world. The definition will not alienate anthropologists, mythologists, or mystics because it omits the question about which men have argued since they first gathered to tell stories around campfires: Which myths are historically true?" p. 98
Sigmund Freud's Take- "Freud gave myths hell. He insisted they were 'public dreams'--collective expressions of obsessional neuroses. Psychic baggage." p. 98
Carl Jung's Take - "He argued that myths represented the wisdom the human species had gathered over the millenia. They contained essential truths that the 'collective unconscious' had carried for generations and that science should never be allowed to displace. ...Some of these truths were straightforward...(some were) a description of the geography of the human heart. It is a place of innocence that lies within all of us, a place we cannot return to because we have tasted the knowledge of good and evil." p. 99
Montgomery continues..."...regardless of their histories, they (myths) have been kept alive in stories in order to perform certain mythic functions. They represent ideals. They inspire. They offer their believers clues about the nature of the universe." p. 99
"but these theories mortally wound myths because even as they value them, they defang them with deconstruction. A myth without believers is a fairy tale. It is a fantasy, fiction, stripped of sacredness. It is mere entertainment. It is a loss, perhaps, of something unfathomable." p. 100
In conclusion to this discussion, Montgomery states
"...As soon as you stand apart from myths, divorce them from faith, pick apart their function and their origins, you become like an anthropologist.... You may be fascinated and amused but you will never see a ghost, or magic, or the hand of God, because you have stepped outside the realm of faith. p. 100
"You must make room for mystery beore you can reach for it." p. 100
I think this is the best part of the entire book. Generally this book was a soothing balm for my insomniac nights.
In chapter 7: The Word and Its Meaning, Montgomery defines mythology. Here are some cogent comments.
"...the power of a myth always has more to do with its function than its historic origin." p. 97
His definition: "Myth: a story, often involving the expression of supernatural power, that explains its believers' relationship with the world. The definition will not alienate anthropologists, mythologists, or mystics because it omits the question about which men have argued since they first gathered to tell stories around campfires: Which myths are historically true?" p. 98
Sigmund Freud's Take- "Freud gave myths hell. He insisted they were 'public dreams'--collective expressions of obsessional neuroses. Psychic baggage." p. 98
Carl Jung's Take - "He argued that myths represented the wisdom the human species had gathered over the millenia. They contained essential truths that the 'collective unconscious' had carried for generations and that science should never be allowed to displace. ...Some of these truths were straightforward...(some were) a description of the geography of the human heart. It is a place of innocence that lies within all of us, a place we cannot return to because we have tasted the knowledge of good and evil." p. 99
Montgomery continues..."...regardless of their histories, they (myths) have been kept alive in stories in order to perform certain mythic functions. They represent ideals. They inspire. They offer their believers clues about the nature of the universe." p. 99
"but these theories mortally wound myths because even as they value them, they defang them with deconstruction. A myth without believers is a fairy tale. It is a fantasy, fiction, stripped of sacredness. It is mere entertainment. It is a loss, perhaps, of something unfathomable." p. 100
In conclusion to this discussion, Montgomery states
"...As soon as you stand apart from myths, divorce them from faith, pick apart their function and their origins, you become like an anthropologist.... You may be fascinated and amused but you will never see a ghost, or magic, or the hand of God, because you have stepped outside the realm of faith. p. 100
"You must make room for mystery beore you can reach for it." p. 100
I think this is the best part of the entire book. Generally this book was a soothing balm for my insomniac nights.
Journey of Realization
Beowulf, The Taming of the Shrew
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Color Purple, Walkabout
Holo Mai Pele
All stories of journeys
Battles within, without
Painful realizations singe white petals of innocence
Who is the monster?
Does a Familiar morph into a mo'o, a dragon?
Struggles of life and death
Physical, emotional, spiritual
Death of innocence gives birth to a new life,
A new understanding
Who is right?
Who is wrong?
In the living of life, how does a wrong
Create right, pono, justice?
Change is essential.
Understanding comes hard.
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Color Purple, Walkabout
Holo Mai Pele
All stories of journeys
Battles within, without
Painful realizations singe white petals of innocence
Who is the monster?
Does a Familiar morph into a mo'o, a dragon?
Struggles of life and death
Physical, emotional, spiritual
Death of innocence gives birth to a new life,
A new understanding
Who is right?
Who is wrong?
In the living of life, how does a wrong
Create right, pono, justice?
Change is essential.
Understanding comes hard.
More Questions than Answers
Although the title of the piece is Holo Mai Pele, the play itself hinges on the maturation journey of Hi'iakaikapolioPele. After watching the video and then reading the summaries of the acts and scenes, I am coming away with more questions...why,why why?
? If Pele wanted Lohi'au, why didn't she go and get him herself?
? What are the attributes of Pele? Of Hi'iaka?
? How would one describe the relationship between Pele and Hi'iaka at the beginning of the play? After Hi'iaka returns back to Hawai'i?
? How would the story have changed if another character took on the protagonist's role other than Hi'aka?
? How would one describe the relationship between Hi'iaka, Wahine'oma'o, and Pa'uopalai?
? What are the powers of the mo'o?
@ There is a paradox in Pele's power--Through destruction, there is new life. Reaffirmation of death --> life
? What was the significance of Hi'iaka's failure to meet her sister Kapo'ulakinau? Hi'iaka -the giver of life, Kapo'ulakinau - the taker of life
? How does Manamanaiakaluea represent people in our society? A symbol of ???
? What are the roots for the beef between Hi'iaka and Waihinano?
? What manifested in the heated exchange between the women? What were the curses?
How do the curses reflect a cultural perspective?
? What was 'Olepau's arrogant kapu?
? What is the purpose and protocol in setting kapu? How can someone break a kapu and get away with it?
? How was Kauhi "enslaved?" Why?
? Despite the show of respect through the awa ceremony, why did Hi'iaka decide not to free Kauhi?
@ Hi'iaka seems to show a more humane side to her personality. If compassiion is one of her atrributes, why did she not free Kauhi?
@ Hi'iaka risked everything to get what Pele desired, yet despite the fact that Pele broke her promise, Hi'iaka follows through on her commitment to bring Lohi'au to Hawai'i island. The nobility of her conduct becomes evident.
@ Pele's motivation for action seems to be based on petty and selfish desires. The shallowness serves as an excellent foil to Hi'iaka's course of action. Ki'i aka?
Many of these questions were answered in class. Now it would be appropriate to revist the DVD.
? If Pele wanted Lohi'au, why didn't she go and get him herself?
? What are the attributes of Pele? Of Hi'iaka?
? How would one describe the relationship between Pele and Hi'iaka at the beginning of the play? After Hi'iaka returns back to Hawai'i?
? How would the story have changed if another character took on the protagonist's role other than Hi'aka?
? How would one describe the relationship between Hi'iaka, Wahine'oma'o, and Pa'uopalai?
? What are the powers of the mo'o?
@ There is a paradox in Pele's power--Through destruction, there is new life. Reaffirmation of death --> life
? What was the significance of Hi'iaka's failure to meet her sister Kapo'ulakinau? Hi'iaka -the giver of life, Kapo'ulakinau - the taker of life
? How does Manamanaiakaluea represent people in our society? A symbol of ???
? What are the roots for the beef between Hi'iaka and Waihinano?
? What manifested in the heated exchange between the women? What were the curses?
How do the curses reflect a cultural perspective?
? What was 'Olepau's arrogant kapu?
? What is the purpose and protocol in setting kapu? How can someone break a kapu and get away with it?
? How was Kauhi "enslaved?" Why?
? Despite the show of respect through the awa ceremony, why did Hi'iaka decide not to free Kauhi?
@ Hi'iaka seems to show a more humane side to her personality. If compassiion is one of her atrributes, why did she not free Kauhi?
@ Hi'iaka risked everything to get what Pele desired, yet despite the fact that Pele broke her promise, Hi'iaka follows through on her commitment to bring Lohi'au to Hawai'i island. The nobility of her conduct becomes evident.
@ Pele's motivation for action seems to be based on petty and selfish desires. The shallowness serves as an excellent foil to Hi'iaka's course of action. Ki'i aka?
Many of these questions were answered in class. Now it would be appropriate to revist the DVD.
Monday, November 30, 2009
'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
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
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
Monday, November 16, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
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.
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
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
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
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.
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.
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