Museum Friday

A pahu drum at Bishop Museum.

 

While at the Oiwi Film Festival. I was talking with Kaleo Paik about what the pahu Hawea and Opuku drums would have looked like. She suggested that they must have been large temple drums with deep tones. She said the stumps of the coconut trees in Tahiti are much larger than those found in Hawaii. The drums Hawea and Opuku were brought from Tahiti during the migration of La'amaikahiki and his family. When the drums arrived in Hawaii they also travelled around the islands, and so many places bare the name. Finally they must have been set at Hoolonopahu heiau near Kukaniloko to signify the birth of the alii. They must have been very loud because they were said to have been heard by the commoners not allowed to enter the district of what was then known as Lihue...

Part Of The Ohana At Hawea

Yet another clean up at Hawea Heiau Complex this past Saturday and I am left thinking about my own personal connection to it. A few weeks ago I voiced interest about wanting to be involved in clearing the well if the time ever came. Shortly after that, a kupuna visited the area. As many different groups are now allowed to take tours. Such as the Hokulea PVS and such. I'm not sure if she was with them. But the kupuna mentioned that in order for progress to continue throughout the entire project, the well needed to be cleared out.
During the initial survey of the remains of Hawea complex. I was told that some archaeologists suggested that the well was of modern construction and could have been added to the list for removal. Although that statement was partly true. The well is most likely from a much older time period. Kaleo Paik mentioned that the higher construction above ground level was made with modern techniques and used cement between the stones, but below that is a more tightly stacked wall of stones that are similar to the way older inhabitants would have built around a spring...

 

Here is the well with its cement mortar above ground and it's condition when I first saw it on my first visit to the heiau clean up.

 

 

 

There I go down the well! I brought my Hi-Viz Giro helmet for safety and a little touch of  Hawaiian cyclist blogger, right! I also tucked my inside shirt in my pants and wore a hoodie, so roaches wouldn't get into any places on my body that would cause me to scream like a girl and cause a cave in. Before I went in, Kaleo took me to the side and said a prayer for protection and announced that I was entering the will in good intentions. She then rubbed some Hawaiian sea salt into my hands for protection. Which I then stuffed into my pockets. Later when Arnold took the second shift and entered the well, Kaleo wasn't around. So I took the salt that she gave me and gave him some while mentioning to the aina that he was about to enter with the same good intentions...

 

It smelt like decades of roach as I cleaned all of the modern rubbish and passed it up in a bucket. We filled three garbage bags of rubbish that morning.

 

 

 

 
 

 

 Another volunteer and Hawaii Kai resident, Chris brought this rope that we didn't end up using that day. But It came from the Hokulea and I thought that was very symbolic and special.

 

Along with a bunch of 40oz. bottles and plastic containers of all shapes and sizes, we found this pair of tortoise shell Ray Ban shades! I'll add it to the modern artifact collection pile that the grounds keeper Sam is building.

 

 

Here is the well that is finally giving up water after we simply cleaned it out. It is supposed to be capped somehow and they are still working on how to located it and uncap it. We were ecstatic when we saw water coming out from the ground. We took samples but I'm not sure what the results were. Kaleo offered up a very inspiring phrase, "Where are the waters of Kane? The waters of Kane are here at Hawea." I would like to interpret that in Hawaiian and use it as a slogan for the clean up effort!

 

 

I was invited to return at sunset on Sunday to be apart of the drumming ceremony to further advance the Hawea Heiau project and reconnect with the aina and the kupuna of the past. I don't have any images to share as it was very dark when we were getting started. Kaleo arrived dressed in a black dress. Unlike I usually see her, in her safari looking gear for landscaping and cleaning. She was accompanied by her lua group which all had some sort of drum or pu. They also had bamboo pu'ohe, as conch shell horns are actually of Tahitian or deep water cultures and not of Hawaii. We helped roll out mats under the trees next to the heiau. All of us that weren't a part of her group stood on the sides and I guess we all thought we were just going to watch what they were going to do. But we were mistaken because Kaleo asked us to come in closer for a blessing. She asked me to help her grind some Olena ginger roots against a small lava stone and then she mixed it with water and sea salt in a wooden bowl with ti leaves. She placed some of the mixture on each individual. First on the head, then from the shoulders to the hands, and then some sprinkled on the feet. While offering a quiet prayer.

As the ceremony began, Kaleo and another woman began to blow their pu'ohe to the four winds. Then Kaleo began to softly chant another prayer. When she was ready, she began to tap on her pu. The drummers in the back began to set the rhythm. A slow tap and not too loud. After about ten minutes of drumming by the specialists that brought them, the instruments surprisingly were being passed around. I caught a couple of rotations myself and reconnected with my "Explorations" days at Kamehameha School. This went on for about an hour and we all got blessed again with the mixture Kaleo made in her bowl. Later she decided to empty her bowl around the well and everyone that didn't get a chance to see it went up to it to get a look.

 

As we were leaving, one of Kaleo's friends Anne Marie. Invited me to her film premier on Tuesday Night during the Oiwi Film Festival. Entitled "Short Kine Stories." During her film she interviews peoples from all over Hawaii as they share short stories of a particular area. In one story she is with a man living in Waimanalo and he shares a story of a rock that was given to him to care for near his home. The story led me to take a trip to Waimanalo to look at it for myself...



Museum Friday

Sorry for not posting for a couple of weeks. That's actually how long I haven't been behind a computer screen. I Just had my wedding last weekend at Bishop Museum's courtyard, but posting that would totally be out of context.

 

Continuing with the chest ornaments of the Pacific. This pearl shell breastplate was polished and drilled to be worn on the upper chest. It was discovered on a site at Paeao, Maupiti, Society Islands and dated to about 600 years ago. Now a part of the new Pacific Hall at Bishop Museum.

 

I have some good stuff brewing this weekend at Hawea Heiau's monthly clean up Saturday morning and a special ceremony there on Sunday night... the drums will sound again.

 



Museum Friday

Last night I learned a mo'olelo mostly concerning the whale. The two species that visit the islands in the pacific are the humpback Kohola and the sperm whale Palaoa. I usually keep the new mo'olelo I learn from someone to myself. Until I can absorb it onto myself and make it my own at some later time in my life that relates to it. But when I woke up this morning and saw on the news that a dead sperm whale was found floating in the sea off shore of Kaneohe, I knew I had to share this.

Observing the migration of birds and whales were possible motivating factors for early voyagers from the south pacific to Hawaii. Sometimes the whales would die and wash onto the shore on the windward side of Oahu. The Palaoa tooth ivory would be used to make the Lei Niho of the Ali'i. The ali'i of Maui / Hawaii island and were recognized with the curved tongue shape, and the ali'i of Oahu / Kauai wore the flat oblong shape.

When Kahekili II recognized a member of his own court, Kahahana to become the Al'ii Nui of Oahu. It was very treacherous when Kahekili II asked to keep Kualoa and the whale ivory that washed onto the shore for himself. No future Ali'i of Oahu would be able to attain the level of Kapu Ai, and Kahekili II with the Maui kingdom would virtually rule over Oahu and one of it's most sacred areas. Eventually it happened anyway but not before Kahahana's kahuna, Kaopulupulu realized Kahekili II's intentions and foiled his plans for a short time. By rejecting Kahekili II's offer and keeping Kualoa under Oahu rule.



Kupopolo Heiau, Kawailoa

This large heiau at the flat land of Kawailoa just before Waimea. Was said to have been created during the reign the last sovereign Mo'i of Oahu, Kahahana.  His Kahuna Nui, Kaopulupulu was the high priest presiding over it.

 

On my last blog entry about Waimea, while visiting some of the burial caves of Waimea. I was only able to see Kupopolo from the hills above. 

 

 

 

 

 

KSBE owns the land and UH uses the heiau now as a open classroom for students practicing archeology techniques. Although, McAllister and Emory have both surveyed the area years ago and found much disturbance due to curio relic hunters...

 

Hopefully this heiau will be carefully preserved for the future generations and not privatized... 

 

 

 

The kahuna nui Kaopulupulu and his son Kahulupue may have started their dreaded journey at this very heiau after being summoned by Kahahana. The priests tattooed their knees black as a sign that the communication and counsel of the kahuna were not heeded by the ali'i. This breakdown led to the fall of the Oahu kingdom to Maui rule... 

 

I'm unsure if this large upright stone has any connection with the heiau but it has the look of a shark fin.

Museum Friday

This pā kiʻi meat platter originally made for Kahekili to honor his victory over Oahu. The two figures represent the last sovereign Oahu Mo'i, Kahahana and his wife Kekuapoiʻulaokalani.

 

 

Return to Hawea Heiau

 

Every second Saturday of the month Hawea Heiau Complex and Keawawa Wetlands hosts a volunteer clean up of the five acre parcel. This was my second visit and I actually got to become sort of a steward for the new visitors this time. Some of the volunteer students from Kalani High School and I made a human chain to help clear out the rubbish bags from the ridge. Then a couple of them helped me plant a couple of ti leaf plants at the entrance. Later I got to conduct my own tour with a third grade teacher and was able to pass on what I have learned about the complex so far.

The importance of Hawea as a ceremonial heiau is evident with the two types of coconut trees found here. The football shaped Hewa would have been used to carry water and the spherical Nelo would have contained the awa during Awa ceremonies to honor the akua...

 

Kaleo told me that these offerings were placed on the corners of the five acre parcel lot. As a blessing by the caretakers when the landowner agreed to sell it to them for preservation. Just in the back ground you can see the honu petroglyph that I also posted on my first visit. Kaleo says one should offer the opposite to the akua. A mountain should receive something from the see and an akua on the shore should receive something from the mountains. This area is somewhere in the middle of either during present day. Although it would have been just at the foot of the ocean in the past...

The main volunteer, Sam is just doing some awesome work. He's done so much within the last month and has rediscovered so much more things that were lost to overgrowth. Here is a small wall that was just waiting to be revealed....

Here is a terrace wall on the upper perimeter slowly being brought out to the light of the sun again.

 

 I missed the information from Kaleo about this curved wall the last time. She pointed out that curved walls aren't really found at Oahu sites. Most of them are on Molokai and she suggests that this heiau may have had practitioners from across the Kaiwi in Molokai during it's construction.

 

Another lesson I learned was about these little ili ili stones. They don't really gather like this naturally and Kaleo suggested that ili ili are used to level ground within terracing. While terracing holds ground and prevents it from eroding...

Here is a wili wili tree almost in the center of the ridge at the top of what has already been cleared. It seems to have significance to the structure like those of the Hewa and Nelo. Wili wili wood would have been used as floaters for fishing nets, outriggers and wa'a for the canoes, and surboards for ali'i even though surf might not have been too good in the fishpond of Maunalua. Wili wili trees are indigenous and in quick decline due to a certain wasp infestation. Wili wili would have been abundant in the leeward areas in dry land forests.

 

Lower near the marsh and just under the coconut grove are more structures. Such as this other small curved wall... 

 

...and this large terrace wall which contains some faint petroglyphs...

 

Here is one of the nelo trees we planted last month next to a dead one and an upright stone altar. Kaleo suggested that it may be a kapua stone....

 

Here is a view of the marsh and where the students were sent to gather tennis balls from the nearby courts of the country club...

 

I heard Kaleo mention that there was a survey marker at the top of the ridge and by this time in the day my curiosity took over and I skipped out to see if I could find it.

 

 

Here is the view from the top of the ridge.