Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 8, 1 August 2016 — Responsiblity is a family affair [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Responsiblity is a family affair

By Claire Ku'uleilani Hughes, Dr. PH„ R.D.

n earlier times, the kuleana (responsibility) for Hawaiian family life - its health, safety and education (teaching and training) of children - resided within the 'ohana (family). Hawaiian life back then was challenging. Only a hundred years after arrival of the first Westerners, Samuel M. Kamakau noted significant changes in Hawaiian lifestyles. In "The Works of the People of 01d," published in the 1860s, Kamakau wrote that Hawaiians "have been cultivators from very ancient times." And, he noted the hard-physical work required to assure basic food, shelter and safety for the 'ohana back then. Within the kauhale (family group), elder kāne decided on the daily division of work and responsibilities. The work was performed with precision, every day, by the entire family. Family elders taught and trained the younger generation in the family work, in addition to imparting all family cultural values, behaviors and kuleana. Traditions and

cultural ways were modeled by elders for all younger family members. 01der children assisted with overseeing and assuring daily routines of younger siblings, while the elders assessed their mastery of skills. This family system endured for hundreds of years. The family's focus was always on benefits for the entire 'ohana. In those times, the division of labor between men and women was defined by custom and belief, as well as ability and skill. Kāne (men) did the fishing and building of structures, including

lo'i (taro fields), they built canoes and they crafted tools and weapons. Kāne had the kuleana for planting, tending, harvesting andcooking of kalo (taro), as well. Kalo is the kinolau (body-form) of Hāloa (the first man) and the god Kāne, thus, only kāne could handle the kalo until it was fully-cooked. Kāne usually pounded the cooked kalo into poi for the family, however, women could perform that task, if needed. As there were other foods that only kāne could prepare, kāne prepared food for the entire family. Then the kāne of the kauhale (family group) ate their evening meal together in the hale mua (men 's house). Na wāhine (women) cared for all young children and the older female children. The makua wāhine and young keiki children ate together. Wāhine prepared tapa and hala and wove mats and baskets for family needs. Wāhine were planters, too, and they also picked and prepared seaweed, caught small reef fish and shellfish (crab, 'opihi, 'opae, squid)

MO'OMEHEU CULTURE

Nā keiki learn to help prepare kalo. - Photo: KaiMarkell

for family meals. Wāhine would also hunt for wild fruit and vegetables in areas around the kauhale. In the old days, childrearing and learning were kept within the family and under guidance of the 'ohana. The oldest children learned tasks that required great skill, and they understood the safety issues in performing more complex tasks. Skilled adults offered careful instruction on preparing and decorating tapa, fishing and making fishing nets and traps, and planting and maintaining the fields. Grandparents watched keiki and selected those who demonstrated special aptitudes and pahenee. Their brightest keiki were apprenticed by the greatest experts. Keiki learned order, expectations, responsibilities and values, as well as to respect and protect family traditions. Keiki knew their position in the family constellation; they had learned their roles and responsibilities. Keiki experienced security, purpose and love. Today, the kuleana for raising Hawaiian children remains with

family but the world around the 'ohana has changed dramatically and continues to change. It is far more difficult today to establish and maintain family and cultural values, traditions and behaviors. Changes in family living, the schools (nucleus for education), work places and leisure time all greatly inhuenee 'ohana activities and development. The sphere of influences within the lives of our keiki includes faroff islands and continents. Music, social media and people from elsewhere are constantly at their fingertips. As a result, mueh of their time is spent far beyond the family circle. Some of this inAuenee is good, mueh is questionable and some is destructive. We, kūpuna (grandparent), makua (parent), and young adults, must decide how important our culture is to us. Are we content with the obvious path that our lāhui (community) is traveling? We, the makua and kūpuna, need to begin to kūkākūkā (discuss) a more desirable path for the lāhui to take. ■