Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 3, Number 10, 1 October 1986 — He Mau Ninau Ola [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

He Mau Ninau Ola

Some Health Questions by Kekuni Blaisdell, M.D.

Ninau: Our kahu recently told our congregation that our kupuna of old Hawai'i practiced infanticide. How could this have been when we po'e Hawai'i, by nature, treasure our kamali'i? Pane: Your ninau raises several ninau whieh I shall attempt to pane separately.

1. What is infanticide? For our 'olelo kuka (discussion), this term refers to the killing of a newborn infant. The traditional hua'olelo for this act was 'umi keiki, to strangle, ehoke or stifle a baby. This differs from "aumilo or 'omilo (abortion) whieh is death or removal of a fetus from the pu'ao (womb) before the fetus ean survive on its own. Infanticide also differs from taking the life of a keiki older than a newborn. The circum-

stances, reasons for, and a given society's attitudes toward these three differ, as shall be explored in future columns. 2. Did our kupuna practice 'umi keiki on a significant scale i ka wa kahiko (prehaole Hawai'i)? What is the evidence?

The earliest written account on these ninau is by Capt. Cook's surgeon David Samwell, who, in February 1779, specifically excluded infanticide by our kupuna when he wrote: ". . .the Otaheiteans (Tahitians) horrid custom of destroying their newborn infants, these (Hawaiian) women are totally unacquainted with." How then did such a notion become fixed in the usual history books on our native land? University of Hawaii Manoa Professor David Stannard's recent analysis of this ninau points to missionary writings, beginning with

those of visiting Londoner William Ellis in 1827, and Yankee Hiram Bingham in 1847. Stannard reports that the missionaries' accounts were not directly witnessed but were based on informants; they did not always distinguish 'umi keiki from 'omilo and child abuse; they did not separate the pre-haole "past" from the post-contact period when maternal and infant morbidity andmortality were pronounced because of introduced venereal and other infections. Stannard suggests that the missionaries deliberately "invented the myth" of eommon practice of infanticide by our pre-haole contact kupuna to support their contention that ka po'e Hawai'i kahiko were "savages," and to justify the "civilizing" effect of Christianization.

What of early native Hawaiian writings? The single, earliest, native Hawaiian recorded evidence for possible pre-contact 'umi keiki cited by 20th century writers is an 1867 newspaper passage by Samuel Kamakau. It is reprinted here with the English translation as it appears in the of-quoted 1961 book Ruling C hiefs of Hawai'i on the left, and on the right, a recent literal translation by Dr. Lilikala Dorton, UH Manoa Hawaiian historian. Even the unsophisticated in 'olelo Hawai'i will observe that the translation in RulingChiefs is not accurate. It ignores several lines and it refers to "pagan days," "secret places," and "kahuna" that are not in Kamakau's original nupepa text. Whieh of the five or more translators of Ruling Chiefs is responsible for this passage is not indicated in the book.

Kamakau's words are remarkably similar to those of the earlier works of Ellis, Bingham and other missionary authors, some of whom taught Kamakau at the missionary Lahainaluna School beginning in 1832. Thus, the validity of the frequently reiterated statement that our kupunapracticed infanticide is now questioned, and the fidelity of the English translation of Kamaka's Ruling Chiefs also warrants reconsideration.

3. How does the "nature" of us po'e Hawai'i bear on infanticide and related practices toward kamali'i? Modern experts tell us that the "nature" of a people is determined by interaction of genetic or inherited factors, with acquired, learned or cultural factors. In 18th century pre-haole Tahiti, infanticide is said to have been regularly practiced by the Arioi, bands of roving entertainers. Yet the severest Western critics of Tahitian newborn-killing admit that, in general, Tahitian kamali'i "were well cared for and abundantly loved." Similarly, perhaps, we po'e Hawai'i pride ourselves in our special affection for our kamali'i. Yet current statistics show that we rank among the highest ethnic groups

in child abuse. No ke aha mai? More on these and other ninau ola i keia mahina a'e. Translation in Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, 1%1 Infanticide was another evil practiced in pagan days and still made use of today. Their reasons for killing the child were age, poverty, pleasure-seeking, illicit relations, jealousy, slavery, dislike of children, and shame. Women dispose of their children in secret places with the help of their husbands, parents, and of the kahuna 'o'o, and others besides. Women in old days killed the child within the womb by drinking medicine to poison the child, by using a sharp-pointed instrument, by beating on the abdomen, or they would throw a newborn infant into the water or bury it in the earth.

From original by S.M. Kamakau in Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, 30 November 1867 O ke umi keiki kekahi hewa ma ka wa kahiko — He mea kupanaha keia hewa nui a me ka hana ino, a he nui na kumu o keia hewa nui o ke umi keiki. O ka moekolohe no ke kumu, a o ka hoohala-hala kekahi, o ka hookeekee, ka lili, a o ka hoohalahala, o ke kauwa, o ka ilihune a me ka uluhua i ka nui o na keiki, a o ka makemake i ka hele kauhale. O ke umi keiki, ua kokua pu me ke kane a me na makua a me na makamaka i kekahi

manawa. O ka ino ana i apu laau pa e hanau ole ai ka wahine, he mea nui no ia. O ka imi ana i kumu e make ai ke keiki iloko o ka opu, a he lehulehu wale na kumu e pepehi ai i ke keiki iloko o ka opu. He inu apu laau kekahi, a ua hee wale ke keiki iloko o ka opu. O ka o-o ana kekahi mea e pepehi ai i ke keiki, a ua nui ka poe i make pu me na makuahine no ia hana lokoino. O ka omilo, o ka uhai maoli no i ke keiki iloko o ka opu o ka makuahine, a o ke kiola i ka pali, iloko o ka wai, o ke kai, a o ke kanu maoli iloko o ka lepo i na keiki i hanau maikai mai. He hana nui keia manawa o ka o-o i na keiki. Ua oleloia no ka makau i ke Kanawai.

Translation by Lilikala Dorton, PhD, July 1986 Infanticide was another wrong in olden times. This great wrong was an extraordinary thing and a wicked practice, and there were many reasons for this great wrong of infanticide. Adultery was one, going astray another, wrongdoing, jealously, faultfinding, being a servant, poverty, and desperation at having too many children, and desire to leave the village.

Sometimes the husband, the parents or the friends helped (the woman) in infanticide. Some would drink a eup of contraceptive medicine to not give birth, this was often. Some sought means to kill the child within the abdomen, and there were many ways to kill the child within the womb. One was a medicine drink, and the baby slipped from inside the abdomen. Piercing the fetus (inside the womb) with a sharp instrument was another way to kill the child, and many people died with their mothers from this evil practice. Abortion was by breaking the child within the abdomen of the mother, and ehildren born healthy were thrown from a cliff, into the water, or the sea, or buried in the dirt. This was frequent in olden times and piercing the fetus continues in these times. It is said from fear of the law.