12 hawaiian moâ€õlelo pepeluali2017 www.oha.org/kwo | kwo@OHA.org HIStory english nat i v e hawa i i an Âť news | feat u res | e v ents Me Molokaâ€˜i nui a Hina (Like Great Molokaâ€˜i, Child of Hina) By Claire Kuâ€˜uleilani Hughes, Dr. PH., R.D. T he refrain, â€œMe Molokaâ€˜i nui a Hina, â€˜Ă„ina i ka wehiwehi, e hoâ€˜i no wau e pili,â€? kept running through my mind so I consulted â€œHe Mele Alohaâ€? for a translation. According to the Hawaiian songbook, the phrase means, â€œLike Great Molokaâ€˜i, child of Hina, land of beauty and verdure, I shall return to stay.â€? The title originates from cultural lore about the formation of Hawaiâ€˜i, specifically, about WĂ¤kea and his wife, the god- dess Hina, who gave birth to Molokaâ€˜i. Hawaiâ€˜iâ€™s early history refers to Molokaâ€˜iâ€™s strategic location as a staging area for warring aliâ€˜i to launch assaults on neighboring islands, as well as a critical rest stop for canoes paddling between islands. Molokaâ€˜i history is amazing. The fifth-largest of Hawaiâ€˜iâ€™s eight islands, Molokaâ€˜i is comprised 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 â€“ the highest in the world. East Molokaâ€˜i is the wetter end, thus, historically both wet- and dry-land kalo were grown on the eastside. On Molokaâ€˜iâ€™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 ocean. Historically, the west endâ€™s Maunaloa and Kaluakoâ€˜i were considerably less rainy and warmer than the islandâ€™s east end and southern coast, therefore the area became known for cultivating sweet potatoes and deep-sea fishing. The southern coast of the central 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 commercial center and the most densely populated area of the island. Maunaloaâ€™s historical fame is associated with the first, and most sacred, school of hula. It was founded by Kapo, Peleâ€™s elder sister, who preceded Pele and the rest of their familyâ€™s arrival from Kahiki to Hawaiâ€˜i. Kapo lived at Maunaloa and created Laka, the patroness of the hula, and KĂ¤â€ãna, a school of hula. The site of KĂ¤â€ãna was destroyed by pineapple farming. However, fragments of the schoolâ€™s grounds and many of its chants and dances endure. A sacred symbol of KĂź, an â€˜Ăśhiâ€ã-lehua tree, was planted on Maunaloa. Ancient history tells how the gods KĂ¤ne and Kanaloa opened a fresh water spring there as they traveled around the island. Chants relate their practice of brewing â€ãwa with this water. Brewing of sacramental â€ãwa from the â€ãwa hiwa plant by kumu hula continues today. Moâ€õhelĂ¤ia was a place named for a kupua (nature spirit), Moâ€õhelĂ¤ia, who became an â€ãumakua of hula. Historical chants and hula continue to be practiced by the descendants of the early schoolâ€™s students. Before commercial pineapple farming, Maunaloa was a productive sweet potato growing area. Puâ€˜u Peâ€˜elua, a hill in Hoâ€õlehua, was especially well known for its sweet potatoes. An ancient moâ€õlelo about the naming of Puâ€˜u Peâ€˜elua tells of a beautiful young woman who lived nearby. She began to dream, every night, about a lover who came to her. The woman did not know the man. A priest was consulted and the woman was instructed to furtively tie a piece of fraying tapa onto a wart on her loverâ€™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 peâ€˜elua, asleep on the hill. They placed wood around the caterpillar and lit a fire. The fireâ€™s heat caused the peâ€˜elua See great molokaâ€˜i on page 27 NX`dXĂŽeXcf îX[lXk\j ]ifd k_\ 8l^ljk )'(- \eki\gi\e\lij_`g kiXèè^ ZcXjj\j% BXlXĂŠ`