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He Moʻolelo no ʻUmi: Kekahi Aliʻi Kaulana o Ko Hawaiʻi Nei Pae ʻĀina.

5/20/2014

A Moʻolelo for ʻUmi: A Famous Aliʻi of These Hawaiian Islands.

ʻŌlelo Hoʻākāka

E na hoa makamaka, na maka a Haloa hoi, mai ka la mahiki i Kumukahi a ka la welowelo i ka mole ʻolu o Lehua. E ka lahui Kanaka, ka lahui Oiwi, ka lahui Hawaii hoi, ewe o kuu ewe, iwi o kuu iwi, koko o kuu koko, aloha nui kakou. Eia no keia wahi mea kakau nei ke waiho aku nei i mua o oukou ma luna o ko kakou papaaina hoi i mau hunahuna paakai i mea e mikomiko ai ka ia maka onaona a kakou e ai nei. Wahi a kekahi kakau moolelo kaulana o Hawaii, oia no o Joseph Mokuohai Poepoe, “O ka makaukau ma na Moolelo o kou Aina Makuahine ke keehina ike mua ma ke Kalaiaina e hiki ai ke paio no ka pono o ka Noho’na Aupuni ana.” Ma o keia olelo noeau a Poepoe, ike kakou, ua paa ko kakou keehina i ka ike o na kuamoo kahiko o ko kakou aina oiwi, me he mea la, o na moolelo kahiko o keia Paeaina nei oia na pohaku e paa ai ke kahua o ko kakou halau Aupuni. E hoomanao kakou, e na hoa heluhelu, i ka olelo kaulana a ko kakou moi Kamehameha III, oia no, “Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono.” O ka pono ka mea nui e hoomau aku i ke ea o ka aina. No laila, e na makamaka heluhelu, eia no kekahi moolelo kahiko i loaa iau ma ka heluhelu ana i ka Nupepa Kuokoa, M.H. 1862, i kakau mua ia e Simeon Keliikaapuni. O ka mea nona keia moolelo, oia no ke alii kaulana o Hamakua ma Hawaii Kuauli, o Umialiloa, a ua kaulana kona inoa mai kekahi kihi a kekahi kihi o neia Paeaina aloha i kana mau hana lokomaikai e malama i kona akua a me ke kanaka nui me ke kanaka iki. Wahi a kekahi mea kakau kaulana o Hawaiʻi, oia no o Samuel Manaiakalani Kamakau, “I ke kuapapa nui ana o ke aupuni o Hawaii ia Umi-a-Liloa ua kaulana kona inoa mai Hawaii a Kauai, aole alii e like me kona noho aupuni ana, ua malama oia i na elemakule a me na luahine a me na keiki makua ole; a ua malama i na makaainana, aole pepehi kanaka aole aihue. He alii haipule o Umi-a-Liloa noho aupuni ana nolaila...ua lilo o Umi-a-Liloa i kupuna no na ʻLii, a ua lilo i kupuna no na makaainana, aole he makaainana o Hawaii e olelo mai ana aole he kupuna no makou o Umi-a-Liloa, a ina o ke kanaka e hoole mai, no ka ike ole i na kupuna.” No laila, e ka lahui, e na mamo haaheo o ka mea nona keia moolelo, eia kahi pohaku e hoopaa ai i ke keehina ike mua a kakou i hiki ia kakou ke paio naauao no ka pono o ko kakou lahui a no ke ea hoi o ko kakou aina aloha.

Na Kealaulili, Mea Kakau
Koholalele, Hamakua, Hawaii
Mei 20, 2014

Introduction

Oh dear companions, the descendants of Hāloa, from the appearance of the sun at Kumukahi to the setting of the sun at the taproot of Lehua. To the lāhui Kanaka, the native nation, the nation of Hawaiʻi, kin of my kin, bone of my bones, blood of my blood, great aloha to you all. Here this humble writer places before you all, upon our dining table, some grains of salt to marinate the sweet-eyed kole fish, which together we consume. According to one of the famous historians of Hawaiʻi, Joseph Mokuohai Poepoe, "the knowledge of the moʻolelo of your motherland is the primary position of knowledge upon which a firm political stance can be made so that [we] may fight for the pono of our governance." From these wise words of Poepoe, we can see that our position upon which we take a stand is made firm by the knowledge of the old traditions of our beloved native homelands. It is as if the old moʻolelo of these islands are the stones that make firm the the foundation of our house of governance. Let us remember, oh readers, the famous words of our mōʻī Kamehameha III, that is, "Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono." Pono is the most important thing in the continuation of the ea of our ʻāina. Therefore, oh reading companions, here is one old moʻolelo that I found in reading the Nupepa Kuokoa, published in 1862, written by Simeon Keliikaapuni. The one for whom this moolelo is written is the famous aliʻi of Hāmākua, Hawaiʻi Kuauli, that is ʻUmi-a-līloa, whose name became famous from one corner of the islands to the other, because of generous deeds in caring for his akua, the "big person," and the "small person." According to another famous historian of Hawaiʻi, Samuel Manaiakalani Kamakau, "When the government of Hawaiʻi was united by ʻUmi-a-līloa, his name became famous from Hawaiʻi to Kauaʻi. There was no aliʻi who reigned as he did. He cared for the old men and women and the parentless children; he cared for the common people; there was no killing and no theft. ʻUmi-a-līloa was a pious chief in his reign, and therefore Umi-a-līloa became an ancestor of cheifs and an ancestor of common people. There is no common person of Hawaiʻi who could say that ʻUmi-a-līloa is not an ancestor of theirs, and if there is a person who denies this, it is because they lack knowledge of their ancestry." Therefore, oh nation, oh proud descendants of the one for whom this moʻolelo is written, here is a stone to make firm the primary position of knowledge upon which we will take a stand, so that we can engage in a conscious struggle for the pono of our lāhui and the ea of our beloved ʻāina.

By Kealaulili, Writer
Koholālele, Hāmākua, Hawaiʻi
May 20, 2014

Eia mai ka māhele mua o “He Moolelo no Umi” i kakau ia e Simeon Keliikaapuni ma Ka Nupepa Kuokoa mai ka la 25 of Ianuali, M.H. 1862.

Helu I.

I laweia mai e a’u noloko mai o kekahi Buke Moolelo Hawaii, i paiia ma Lahainaluna, M. H. 1838, a ke manao nei au e paiia kona Moolelo ma ka Nupepa Kuokoa, a me ke ano o kana hana i ka wa kahiko.

O Umi ke keiki a Liloa, aole nae oia ka Liloa keiki mua, aka, o Hakau ka mua a Liloa laua me Piena, ka Liloa wahine hoao maoli ia; nolaila, ua kapaia o Hakau he alii nui, no ka mea, ua like pu ko Piena alii me ko Liloa; aka, o Umi, he keiki oia na Liloa me kekahi wahine ana i launa wale aku ai, o Akahiakuleana ka inoa o ua wahine la. Ua manao nuiia oia he wahine alii ole; aka, ma kona kuauhau, he alii no, hookahi o laua kupuna me Liloa. He mau mamo laua na Kanipahu.

Eia ke kuauhau no ua Akahiakuleana la, mai a Kanipahu mai. Noho aku la o Kanipahu ia Alaikauakoko, hanau o Kalapana, oia ko Liloa kupuna; a noho hou o Kanipahu ia Hulani, hanau mai o Kalahuimoku, oia ko Akahiakuleana kupuna.

Eia hoi na hanauna a Kalahuimoku, oia kai noho aku ia Laamea; o Oikialamea, oia kai noho aku ia Kalamea, o Kamanawakalamea, noho ia Kaiua; o Ouakaiua, noho ia Kuaimakani; o Kanahae, o Kuaimakani, noho ia Kapiko, o Kuleanakupiko ; noho ia Keanianihooleilei, o Akahiakuleana noho ia Liloa, loaa o Umi.

Eia hoi na hanauna a Kalapana, oia ka i noho ia Wakaamalaihauae, o Kahaimoeleaikai; noho ia Kapoakauluhailaa, o Kalaunuiohua; noho ia Kaheka, o Kuaiwa; noho ia Kamuleilani, o Kahoukapu ; noho ia Laaukapu, o Kauhola; noho ia Neula, o Kiha ; noho ia Wailea, o Liloa; noho ia Akahiakuleana, o Umi.

Penei hoi ko Liloa noho ana a me ka hanau ana o Umi, o Liloa ka makuakane o Umi, oia no ko Hawaii alii nui ia manawa, aia no ma Waipio, i Hamakua, Hawaii, kona wahi i noho mau loa ai. A i kona wa i hele ai ma ka aoao akau o Hamakua, e pili ana i Hilo, e hele ana oia i ke kapu heiau, o Manini ua heiau la, aia no ia heiau a Liloa i hoolale ai ma Koholalele, i Hamakua. A pau ke kapu ana, kakali iho la oia i pau ka hoomahanahana, a neenee aku oia ma ka akau o ia wahi, a noho oia ma Kaawikiwiki, no ka makemake nui i ka pahee, a me na hana lealea a pau.

I kona noho ana malaila, hele aku oia e auau ma ke kahawai o ka Hoea, a pili ia aina ma Kealakaha, alaila, loaa ia ia o Akahiakuleana malaila. Ua hoi mai oia mai ka mai ana, e auau ana oia mamua o kona wa i huikalaia ai no kona haumia, (a mahope iho, huipu oia me kana kane, pela na wahine oia wa) a e noho ana kana kauwa wahine ma kapa o ka wai, e hii ana i kona pau.

(Aole i pau)

Here is the first section of "A Moʻolelo for ʻUmi" written by Simeon Keliikaapuni in Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, on January 25, 1862.

Chapter I.

This has been brought forth by me from within a Book of Hawaiian Moʻolelo, printed at Lāhaināluna in 1838, and I am thinking to print his Moʻolelo in Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, along with the character of his deeds in the days of old.

ʻUmi was the child of Līloa, although he was not Līloa's first child. Hakau was the eldest child of Līloa and Piena, the wahine who Līloa lived with. Therefore, Hakau was called an aliʻi nui, because Piena's rank as aliʻi was like that of Līloa. However, ʻUmi was the child of Līloa and another woman who he only slept with, and Akahiakuleana was the name of that wahine. It is thought by many that she was a wahine without aliʻi ancestry, but, through her genealogy she indeed is descendant of aliʻi. She shared an ancestor with Līloa. They were both descendants of Kanipahu.

Here is the genealogy of Akahiakuleana from Kanipahu. Kanipahu lived with Alaikauakoko, born was Kalapana, the ancestor of Līloa. Kanipahu then lived with Hulani, and born was Kalahuimoku, the ancestor of Akahiakuleana.

Here are the generations descending from Kalahuimoku who lived with Laamea: Oikialamea [was born], and lived with Kalamea; Kamanawakalamea [was born], and lived with Kaiua; Ouakaiua [was born], and lived with Kuaimakani; Kanahae and Kuaimakani [were born] and lived with Kapiko; Kuleanakupiko [was born] and lived with Keanianihooleilei; Akahiakuleana [was born] and lived with Līloa; born was ʻUmi.

Here are the generations descending from Kalapana, who lived with Wakaamalaihauae; [born was] Kahaimoeleaikai, who lived with Kapoakauluhailaa; [born was] Kalaunuiohua, who lived with Kaheka; [born was] Kuaiwa, who lived with Kamuleilani; [born was] Kahoukapu, who lived with Laaukapu; [born was] Kauhola, who lived with Neula; [born was] Kiha, who lived with Wailea; [born was] Līloa, who lived with Akahiokuleana; [born was] Umi.

This is [the story of] Līloa's reign, and the birth of ʻUmi. Līloa was the father of ʻUmi, and [he was] the aliʻi nui of Hawaiʻi at the time. At Waipiʻo, Hāmākua, Hawaiʻi was the place where he continuously lived. During his time in traveling in the northern part of Hāmākua, the side near Hilo, he went to the observe the kapu at the heiau of Manini. That heiau that Līloa stirred into action was at Koholālele, Hāmākua. When the kapu had been observed, he waited until the hoʻomāhanahana kapu was completed, and then he moved on towards the north of that place. He stopped and stayed at Kaʻawikiwiki, because he wanted to engage in the game of paheʻe (spear sliding) and other frivolities.

During his time staying there, he went to bathe in the stream at Hōʻea, adjoining the ʻāina at Kealakaha, and it is there that he met Akahiakuleana. She had just finished her maʻi (menstruation), and was bathing to cleanse herself of her haumia (and after that, she would return to her kāne, as was common for wahine of that time), and her female servant was sitting at the edge of the water, holding her pāʻū skirt.

(To be continued)

Continue Reading the Next Installment!

Waipiʻo, Hāmākua, Hawaiʻi. Photo by N. Peralto, 2012.

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"Ka Moolelo o Kou Aina Oiwi," by J. M. Poepoe, 1906

5/16/2014

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Why did our kūpuna think it was important to know the moʻolelo of our ʻāina? Why must we continue to pass on these moʻolelo today? The following is an excerpt from an article written in Ka Nai Aupuni on January 17, 1906 by Joseph Mokuohai Poepoe. As the editor of the newspaper,which was owned by Home Rule Party leader, Charles Kahiliaulani Notley, Poepoe was also one of the most prolific ʻŌiwi scholars and authors of the early 20th century. Read his thoughts about the importance of knowing the moʻolelo of your ʻāina ʻōiwi in the article below, featured also on our Moʻolelo ʻĀina page!

Ka Moolelo o Kou Aina Oiwi

Ia makou e hoomaopopo ae ai i ke kumu nui o ke kuemi hope loa o ka lahui Hawaii ma na mea pili i ka moolelo o kona aina kulaiwi kona lahui a me na ‘lii o ka aina, he haawina ehaeha maoli io no ia i ili iho maluna o kakou a pau loa ka hemahema a ike ole maoli ma ia ike kiekie loa, a e hewa ole ai makou ke olelo ae, o kekahi haawina mua loa ia e ao ia ai i na haumana ma na Kula Nui o ke ao nei, a ua olelo ia e na Kakaolelo o ka makaukau ma na Moolelo o kou Aina Makuahine ke keehina ike mua ma ke Kalaiaina e hiki ai ke paio no ka pono o ka Noho’na Aupuni ana.

A o ka paa o na moolelo o na Aupuni like ole, eia no auanei ka makaukau paio naauao ana maluna o na kumuhana pili kanawai no ka pono o kou lahui. O ka olelo ao a ka Buke Nui, ma ka Mokuna 6, Pauku o Ieremia, ke i mai nei o Iehova, penei:

“E ku mai oukou ma na alanui, a nana a e ninau hoi no na kuamoo kahiko. Auhea ka aoao maikai?”

E ka lahui, pehea la e hiki ai ia kakou ke ninau i ka aoao maikai, ke ole e paa ia kakou ka moolelo kahiko o ko kakou Aina Aloha?

The Moʻolelo of Your Native Homelands

As we are looking to understand the reason for the decline of the Hawaiian nation in respect to [the knowledge of] the moʻolelo of their ʻāina kulāiwi, their nation, and the aliʻi of the ʻāina, it is truly a painful lesson that has been inherited by all of us, [that is] the incomplete and lack of knowing this kind of knowledge of great prominence. And, so that we are not incorrect in our words, this is another primary lesson that should be taught to the students in the universities of this time; it has been said by the orators, that the knowledge of the moʻolelo of your motherland is the primary position of knowledge upon which a firm political stance can be made so that [we] may fight for the pono of our governance.

And being versed in the histories of other governments, that is what will prepare you to fight with a consciousness of the subjects related to the laws and edicts for the pono of your nation. The words of the bible, in chapter 6 of Jeremiah, Jehovah says this:

“Stand, all of you, on the path, and look forth, and ask of the old kuamoʻo, pathways. Which is the good way?”

Oh nation, how can we ask ourselves which is the good way, if we are not well-versed in the old moʻolelo of our ʻĀina Aloha?

* Transcribed and Translated by N. Peralto

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huiMAU hosted by Boys & Girls Club, Pāʻauilo for Family Night

5/15/2014

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On March 25, 2014, the Boys & Girls Club of Pāʻauilo, led by Aunty Loke Alpiche, hosted Hui Mālama i ke Ala ʻŪlili for their monthly Family Night. The theme of their Family Night that month was focused on the cultural backgrounds of the youth in the club, as well as the specific cultural history of Hāmākua and the immediate area surrounding Pāʻauilo. As such, Aunty Loke invited me to present to the ʻōpio and their parents about the work that huiMAU is doing in the community, and about our resource website.

In preparation for this presentation, I decided it might be best if I started with talking about the history of Hāmākua through ʻōlelo noʻeau, wise or poetic sayings, passed on to us by our kūpuna. There are many ʻōlelo noʻeau about our ʻāina, and they often describe important observations made by our kūpuna about the nature of a particular ʻāina and the kamaʻāina born of it. The lessons held in ʻōlelo noʻeau, like those held in moʻolelo and mele, are very important for us today, as they teach us how to properly live in balance with our ʻāina and each other.

huiMAU Hāmākua Coloring Book

In an attempt to engage our youth creatively with the ʻōlelo noʻeau of Hāmākua, I worked with ʻŌiwi artist, Haley Kailiehu, to develop a coloring book depicting these ʻōlelo noʻeau visually. A truly skilled artist, Haley was able to illustrate each ʻōlelo noʻeau beautifully, and added additional illustrations to depict the winds of Hāmākua, the place names of Hāmākua and Koholālele, as well as the moʻolelo of ʻUmi-a-līloa, the famous aliʻi of Hāmākua.

It was really an honor to be able to share these stories with our youth and their ʻohana of Hāmākua. The smiles on their faces as they went through each page of their coloring books reflected the aloha being instilled in them by our kūpuna.

Our youth, like the buds of the lehua, hold within them the seeds of change for the future generations. While the time I spent with these particular ʻōpio that evening was short, it influenced me greatly. As our hui grows and moves forward with our efforts, I am confident that the youth of Hāmākua will carry on this work with great aloha for our ʻāina and kūpuna. While that night, I may have been the one standing at the front of the room and presenting, it was the ʻōpio who were truly teaching us the important lessons. In sharing that evening together, I learned a great deal about our community. I even learned that the Pāʻauilo Hongwanji, where we gathered that evening, is actually located in the ahupuaʻa of Hauola. I mahalo the ʻōpio, their ʻohana, and all of our ʻohana of huiMAU, and I look forward to sharing more together in the future.

ʻO wau iho nō,
Noʻeau Peralto

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Mau Moʻolelo Blog

He Moʻolelo no ʻUmi: Kekahi Aliʻi Kaulana o Ko Hawaiʻi Nei Pae ʻĀina.

A Moʻolelo for ʻUmi: A Famous Aliʻi of These Hawaiian Islands.

ʻŌlelo Hoʻākāka

Introduction

Helu I.

Chapter I.

"Ka Moolelo o Kou Aina Oiwi," by J. M. Poepoe, 1906

Ka Moolelo o Kou Aina Oiwi

The Moʻolelo of Your Native Homelands

huiMAU hosted by Boys & Girls Club, Pāʻauilo for Family Night

huiMAU Hāmākua Coloring Book

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