He aliʻi ka ʻāina; He kauā ke kanaka — The Land is Chief; People Are It’s Servants
Since humanity has been able to hunt they’ve had to form a relationship with the planet and its resources. As time passed various different cultures and societies have walked this Earth making their marks on the landscape in some form or another. While the Maya tore down large forests to build cities, and the Ancient Egyptians utilized the Nile for irrigation and transportation; I don’t think any culture has been able to form as strong and symbiotic a relationship with the land as the Ancient Hawaiians.
Descending from The Marquesas Islands around AD 400, and Tahiti around the 9th or 10th century, the early Polynesians migrated to Hawai’i and established a thriving society. With them the first settlers brought a large assortment of flora and fauna including taro, ti, kukui, noni, olona, ‘uala, wauke, chickens, pigs, and dogs. With the second wave from Tahiti came established social structures, and religious forms such as the introduction of the Ali’i (Chief), and the production of fish ponds, irrigation systems, and heiau (temples). Following 1300, long distance voyaging would cease as the Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) began to develop their culture and society. By the time Captain James Cook arrived at the islands in 1778 there were around 300,000 Hawaiians.
Kanaka Maoli hold a very sacred relationship with the land, the basis of Hawaiian Culture is built around Malama ‘Aina, and Aloha ‘Aina, which translate to “Care for the land,” and “love of the land. These two values remain an integral part of the Hawaiian identity to this day. It was through their care, and nurturing of the landscape that they were able to create a self-sufficient ecosystem. Sustainability was possible through a complex system of land division devised by the great ‘ali’i Māʻilikūkahi. Not only did he create the system in which land was divided, but he also created the ahupua’a, the self-sufficient system which allowed Hawaiian culture to thrive.
During Māʻilikūkahi’s reign land there was no organized division of land, whilst food and resources ran scarce. Māʻilikūkahi ordered his fellow ali’i to survey the land and mark boundaries for each division. The Mokupuni (Island) was divided first into several moku (districts). From there the moku were split up into ahupua’a. Each ahupua’a was ruled by a ali’i, and administered by a Konohiki, the headman of a land division. While the chief ruled, and the headman administered, it was the makaʻāinana (commoners) who maintained it. These were the farmers, fisherman, tradesman, hunters, etc. Hawaiians didn’t have a concept of “private ownership” when it came to land, instead people worked together sharing resources, and maintaining a sort of working rhythm with the natural environment.
An ahupua’a was typically a wedge shaped slot of land which ran from the mountains to the sea. They varied in size and could appear anywhere between 100 and 100,000 acres. All ahupua’a contained the necessary food, and resources for the people to live comfortably, and any needs of the Kanaka could usually be met from within the boundaries. Anything that wasn’t accessible from within could easily be obtained through trade. The three main areas of each section were the uka (uplands), the kula (plains), and the kai (sea). All three regions would work, and trade together to create a system of harmony. Each ahupua’a had its own unique name, and would be named according to the characteristics of the landscape.
When dividing the ahupua’a into its different regions and sections the ali’i realized that collectively these areas contained all the resources its people would need to not just survive, but thrive and live in comfort. The boundaries themselves were very important to those living there, and people were always sure to learn about the boundaries of their respective homes. Formalized laws were put in place to prevent the overuse of certain resources. Such laws could be limiting fishing during a certain season, or gathering too many of a certain crop, or even replacing one crop with another. This system of laws was known as the Kapu system(taboo). These laws were strictly enforced by the Konohiki. However, even though strict laws hung over the heads of the community that didn't mean the Hawaiians didn't have time for fun and leisure; quite the opposite in fact. There was an abundance of leisure and recreational activity in the old days, and the people would devote themselves to artistic activities such as featherwork, or Kapa cloth, and competitive sports such as martial arts, or Makahiki games (A season honoring the god Lono, celebrated with numerous games and feasting.)
The Uka (also Mauka, or Ma Uka) brought many valuable sources of wood needed for tools. Koa wood was used for the construction of canoes, house posts, and religious symbols. Kauila wood, and ʻūkēkē were used to create spears, fish net rims, and musical bows. Aside from wood there was an immense variety of planet and animal life utilized by the Native Hawaiians. The olonā plant was used for fishing lines, fishing nets, and feather cloaks, and the koʻokoʻolau and moa had various medicinal uses. There were also many colorful birds which feathers were used by the aliʻi [Pic. 2] to dress their cloaks, helmets, and kāhili (feather staffs used as symbols of rank). These are just a few examples of the resources found in the uplands, and their various uses.
The importance of wai (water) has always been recognized by Hawaiians, and would be known as a symbol of prosperity and abundance. Water was so important that the word waiwai translates to wealth. Wai helped shaped the ancient laws and justice in their society. The needs of their crops, and communities led Native Hawaiians to engineer a genius form of irrigation system which collected rainwater, and cloud vapor from the mauka and dispersed it throughout the ahupuaʻa. The wai would flow through the ecosystem like blood flowing through veins. Maintenance of the irrigation system was key, so in the morning the konohiki would go to the top of the mauka and shout out instructions. Representatives from each ʻohana (family) would walk along the system to help clean and regulate it. Because the wai was so precious if you did not send your representative you would be cut off from the water source. Although strict, these rules ensured everyone in the community did their part to maintain the harmony.
Between the mauka and the kai was the kula, or the plains and fields. The Kula were the flat lands, which provided some of the most valuable resources to the Native Hawaiians. Kukui nuts were essential for oil, and lighting, and bark from the Wauke tree provided kapa (a material used to create clothing, bed covers, banners, and much more. Bamboo was used for fishing rods, and stamping the kapa cloth, and kī leaves were used for food storage, rain capes, thatching houses, and sandals. Like the mauka, there were also many plants which could be utilized as medicine, or flowers for decoration. However, the most sacred and important resource that could be found growing in the fields was Kalo. Kalo was the single most important item in the Ancient Hawaiian diet; every part of the Kalo (taro) plant was prepared as food in some way or another. Perhaps the most well known is Poi, which was the stem of the Kalo plant pounded into a paste and consumed. Aside from Kalo, the plains was also home to ʻulu (breadfruit), maiʻa (bananas), sugar cane, sweet potato, and yams.
Kalo is regarded as the most important symbol in Hawaiian culture, acting as so much more than a source of food; Kalo is the source of life. One of many Hawaiian creation stories describe Kalo growing from the first-born child of Wākea (Sky Father), and Papa (Earth Mother). Papa would become pregnant again and give birth to Hāloa (The first Hawaiian). When Hawaiians trace back their genealogy they all trace it back to Hāloa, and his older brother the Kalo plant. The root was steamed in an underground oven, cleaned, and pounded with water until it formed a thick paste called poi. The act of pounding poi was a sacred act, also known as kuʻi ʻai. Kalo is considered a staple Hawaiian food because of itʻs cultural significance, and nutritional value; itʻs rich in fibre, low in sodium, fat free, and an excellent source of essential minerals and vitamins.
The kai (sea), the final part of the puzzle, is a region teeming with life. From the ocean came iʻa (fish), numerous medicines to treat stomach aches, nausea, dizziness, fevers, and numerous other ailments, and limu (seaweed) which was a source of vitamins and minerals. The wai (water) itself was also a form of medicine to the Hawaiians, as they felt the sea contained lots of healing properties. The ocean water could be collected, and paʻakai (sea salt) could be gathered through methods of evaporation. This salt was essential for medicines, religious ceremonies, seasoning, and most importantly food preservation. Clever engineering helped Hawaiians create a system to entrap fish called fishponds [pictured above]. Fishermen used consistent water channels to divert fish into the ponds, and wooden grates would drop down as the tides changed. these grates helped control what went in and what came out of the fishponds.
Today all that remains of the ahupuaʻa are a handful of the original names. However, many of their cultural names have been overtaken by modern names which disregard the ancient culture, and moʻolelo (history). Other places such as the city of Kāneʻohe on the island of ʻOahu have been mixed and morphed with the ahupuaʻa of Heʻeia further confusing the traditional barriers. The culture has shifted and today Hawaiʻi as a whole is no longer self-sustainable, instead having to rely on American imports, and support. The people donʻt work in the ahupuaʻa in which they live, instead commuting across island to “urban centers” for more traditional western jobs. This western shift on society has caused a disconnect between the people and the land which only grows more divided every day. Although the practices are starting to fade the Kanaka Maoli identity still reigns strong; many Natives still practice the old ways to this day. Mālama ʻāina, kuʻi ʻai, Mele (traditional song), Hula and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian Language) are just a few ways Hawaiian culture is being kept alive. Being Kanaka Maoli in the modern world may seem like an uphill battle, but the fight must live on so that the culture can thrive and prosper.
Bibliographies
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