Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 34, Number 2, 1 February 2017 — Me Molokaʻi nui a Hina (Like Great Molokaʻi Child of Hina) [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Me Molokaʻi nui a Hina (Like Great Molokaʻi Child of Hina)

By Claire Ku'uleilani Hughes, Dr. PH„ R.D. The refrain, "Me Moloka'i nui a Hina, 'Āina i ka wehiwehi, e ho'i no wau e pili," kept running through my mind so I consulted "He Mele Aloha" for a translation. According to the Hawaiian songbook, the phrase means, "Like Great Moloka'i, child of Hina, land of beauty and verdure, I shall return to stay." The title originates from cultural lore about the formation of Hawai'i, specifically, about Wākea and his wife, the god-

dess Hina, who gave birth to Moloka'i. Hawai'i's early history refers to Moloka'i's strategic location as a staging area for warring ali'i to launeh assaults on neighboring islands, as well as a critical rest stop for canoes paddling between islands. Moloka'i history is amazing. The fifth-largest of Hawai'i's eight islands, Moloka'i is eomprised of two large volcanic mountains with a connecting central plain. Kamakou, on the east end, is the taller mountain, nearly 5,000 feet at its highest point. Its north-facing side boasts strikingly beautiful and incredibly steep sea cliffs - the highest in the world. East Moloka'i is the wetter end, thus, historically both wet- and dry-land kalo were grown on the eastside. On Moloka'i's west end, Mau-

naloa reaches nearly 1,400 feet in height with long, sloping hills and gulches that stretch from the central plain to the oeean. Historically, the west end's Maunaloa and Kaluako'i were considerably less rainy and warmer than the island's east end and southem coast, therefore the area heeame known for cultivating sweet potatoes and deep-sea fishing. The southern coast of the eentral plain is bordered by a fringing reef and nearly two-dozen ancient fishponds. Its climate is more moderate than either end of the island. And, traditionally, natives grew both wet-land and dry-land taro, as well as sweet potatoes on the plain. Today, Kaunakakai, on the southern coast, is the commereial center and the most densely populated area of the island. Maunaloa's historical fame is associated with the first, and

most sacred, school of hula. It was founded by Kapo, Pele's elder sister, who preceded Pele and the rest of their family's arrival from Kahiki to Hawai'i. Kapo lived at Maunaloa and created Laka, the patroness of the hula, and Kā'ana, a school of hula. The site of Kā'ana was destroyed by pineapple farming. However, fragments of the school's grounds and many of its chants and dances endure. A sacred symbol of Kū, an 'ōhi'a-lehua tree, was planted on Maunaloa. Ancient history tells how the gods Kāne and Kanaloa opened a fresh water spring there as they traveled around the island. Chants relate their practice of brewing 'awa with this water. Brewing of sacramental 'awa from the 'awa hiwa plant by kumu hula continues today. Mo'ohelāia was a plaee named for a kupua (nature spirit) , Mo'ohelāia, who heeame

an 'aumakua of hula. Historical chants and hula continue to be practiced by the descendants of the early school's students. Before commercial pineapple farming, Maunaloa was a productive sweet potato growing area. Pu'u Pe'elua, a hill in Ho'olehua, was especially well known for its sweet potatoes. An ancient mo'olelo about the naming of Pu'u Pe'elua tells of a beautiful young woman who lived nearby. She began to dream, every night, about a lover who eame to her. The woman did not know the man. A priest was consulted and the woman was instructed to furtively tie a pieee of fraying tapa onto a wart on her lover's back. The next morning, following shreds of tapa on bushes, the kahuna and parents were led to the hill. They saw a giant caterpillar, a pe'elua, asleep on the hill. They placed wood around the caterpillar and lit a fire. The fire's heat caused the pe'elua SEE GREAT MOLOKA'I ON PAGE 27

j MO'OLELO ^ > HIST0RY /

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GREAT MOLOKA'I Continued from page 12

to burst. Numerous small caterpillars were scattered over the hillside. Interestingly, a similar story is told about Pu'u Enuhe in Ka'u on Hawai'i Island. You see, enuhe and pe'elua are caterpillars that feed on sweet potato leaves. Today, more than half of Moloka'i's nearly 7,000 residents are Native Hawaiian. Only Ni'ihau ean boast a higher percentage (99- ĪOO percent) of about 200 Hawaiian residents. Moloka'i is known as the "Friendly Island." We have leamed in recent years, that Molokai's residents require reciprocal respect for their people, history and wahi pana. Other islands ean leam something here. ■