Tag Archives: waa

Tourism and the revival of lauhala, 1936.

Posted on by
Reply

Tourist Business In Hawaii Booms As Result Of Publicity

An influx of visitors to the Hawaiian islands during the past few years has revived many of the interesting traditions and practices of Old Hawaii.

This paradox was recently pointed out by Percy A. Swift, manager of the merchandise department of American Factors, Ltd., in a discussion of Hawaii’s tourist industry.

“An interesting sidelight of the travel business here has been the way it has encouraged Island customs and activities,” he said. “The nourishing influence of tourist interest has given added impetus to the lei tradition, for example; and it has revived native sports such as surfing and outrigger canoe riding, which were on the point of dying out 15 years ago.” Continue reading →

Advertisement

Z. P. K. Kawaikaumaiikamakaokaopua’s treatise on canoe building, 1922.

Posted on by
Reply

CANOE BUILDING AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS.

(Written by Z. P. K. Kawaikaumaiikamakaokaopua.)

Canoe building is one of the greatest trades; it is with great knowledge and thought that this is done. And when the important high chiefs of Napoopoo were living, they being Kamakau; Kahalau; Kanuha; Kekukahiko; and Kanihomauole, the son of Kiilaweau; Kanihomauole decided to go to Maui in search of a number of canoe building kahuna for himself. And that alii Kanihomauole did indeed go with some attendants from his royal court.

When they went, they landed at Hana, Maui. Kaahumanu was there living at the time, and was married (hoao) with Kamehameha, who was away on Oahu. And because it was heard often that Kanihomauole was the child of Kiilaweau, the alii of highest blood, and that he was kin to Kamehameha, the Conqueror of the Nation, they were welcomed along with those who came, they being Kahula, Kamaka, Naili Sr., Keaka and Puuki.

The queen asked, “why have you come?” The alii Kanihomauole replied, “I have come in search of a kahuna kalaiwaa for myself, and I have come to see the two of you to get my kahuna kalaiwaa.” “Yes, you will have one. Let us remain until Papa Keeaumoku and the boy Kamehameha returns; they will be back tomorrow.” And they waited, and spent the night, and those that came were treated well by the kamaaina of the place.

…

[This is how the piece on canoes by Kalokuokamaile begins on 10/26/1922, and it continues on in the Kuokoa until 2/15/1923. This is one of the many priceless translations appearing in the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum’s Hawaiian Ethnographic Notes (HEN) Collection.  HEN: Newspapers, October 26, 1922.

Kalokuokamaile was very prolific. This series is then followed by yet another, this time on net making!]

(Kuokoa, 10/26/1922, p. 7)

KE KALAIWAA ANA AME KONA MAU ANO.

Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Buke LXI, Helu 43, Aoao 7. Okatoba 26, 1922.

Old canoe, 1902.

Posted on by
Reply

Waa of the Olden Days

There is a tiny waa of the old sort, like those of the time of Kamehameha or perhaps before that; it is being displayed at the store of McInerny [Makanani] on Fort Street. The small waa is in good condition, and is truly beautiful to see. Antiquities are something those of today have much interest in. Canoe building will be demonstrated as a means to earn some money for that festive day of June, the holiday for Ka Na’i Aupuni, Kamehameha.

[Anyone know what became of this waa?]

(Kuokoa, 6/6/1902, p. 1)

Ka Waa o ke Au Kahiko

Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Buke XL, Helu 23, Aoao 1. Iune 6, 1902.

The latest from Hana, Maui, 1877.

Posted on by
Reply

News from Hana.

On the 21st of July, that being Saturday, on that day, Uaiwa fought with Wahine, both of them being contract laborers; they live at Oloewa, Hana, and Uaiwa stabbed Wahine with a knife in the cheek, and the reason for their quarrel is not known. Wahine is an actual cousin of Uaiwa, and here yet his temper soon flared up [pii koke ke kai o Kaihulua] and he lost his senses.

A fishing canoe pounded by a wave.—On Friday, the 3rd of August, Kekahawalu and his fishing canoe was hit by a wave right outside of Mokaenui and Makaalae. The canoe came ashore first carried by the waves, and as for Kekahawalu, he was pounded by the waves and escaped nearly dying; without receiving help from those on shore he would not have escaped.

Some wooden idols [kii laau].—On the 15th of August, brought by Momoa were a couple of amazing wooden images, along with one gourd calabash [hokeo] and some cordage [aho aha], to the Catholic teachers in Puuiki; there it was displayed, and the two of them are caring for them until this day. These old things were found by Welo in a hidden cave, seaside of Pukuilua, which was revealed to him in a dream, and was shown to him. The kii are made in the shape of people. It is said that these kii were procreative gods of the olden days, and were hidden away during the time that the god images of Hawaii nei were being destroyed. These old things have been hidden for fifty or more years, and it is the first time these revered things of the dark ages are being seen again.  L. K. N. Paahao.

(Kuokoa, 9/15/1877, p. 3)

Na mea hou o Hana.

Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Buke XVI, Helu 37, Aoao 3. Sepatemaba 15, 1877.

Reenactment of Kamehameha’s landing on Oahu, 1913.

Posted on by
Reply

GREAT PERFORMANCE OF THE LANDING OF KAMEHAMEHA

Some people of Hawaii of these new generations have committed to memory the arrival of Kamehameha the Great to Oahu and his landing in Waikiki, without however having witnessed it; today, at ten in the morning, it will be seen in Waikiki a scene very similar to that arrival of the war canoes of Kamehameha with the greatly distinguished King Kamehameha the Great sitting aboard his double-hulled canoes [waa kaulua] along with his war leaders, the chiefs, and warriors supplied with war implements of all sorts; King Kamehameha is adorned with a feather helmet [mahiole] and feather cloak [ahuula] along with a barbed spear [ihe laumeki] in his hand.

This is the first show of this type done here on Oahu; there was not one from the beginning; therefore, it is something new worth going to.  The preparations for and supervising of this great work is under John Wise, one of the people of this time that has memorized the history of Hawaii and the way of life of the people of old.

From amongst the waa that are being brought to show this day, is one of the huge, old waa; it is said that it belonged to Kamehameha the Great and is being brought from Kailua, Hawaii, from the estate of Prince Kalanianaole. It is said that this a huge and deep canoe, and the depth reaches the waste, and it is something new to see a huge waa of the old times being used these days.

(Kuokoa, 2/21/1913, p. 5)

KA HOIKEIKE NUI NO KA PAE ANA MAI O KAMEHAMEHA

Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Buke L, Helu 8, Aoao 5. Feberuari 21, 1913.

On Statehood, Republicans, Elepaio, and Voting Rights,1912.

Posted on by
1

STATEHOOD AND THE ELEPAIO

It has been many years during which the Republican party has held power in the governing of the Territory of Hawaii, and Hawaii has not at all been made into a state, where we’d be able to vote for our own governor, our chief justices, circuit court judges, Senators, and representatives in our legislature, and other many heads of government. However, the cry of those Republicans in their workplace to make Hawaii a State, does not cease.  It is ten years that Kuhio has been in the Legislature in Washington, and he has not put a bit of effort into making Hawaii a state. The Republicans are like the Elepaio bird who crying goes, “Ono ka ia! Ono ka ia! [I crave fish! I crave fish!]” This bird just cries out, but does not venture to the sea to catch fish. But its cry atop logs is what makes canoes bug ridden [pu-ha]. Ten years of crying “Mokuaina no Hawaii! Mokuaina no Hawaii! Mokuaina no Hawaii! [Statehood for Hawaii! Statehood for Hawaii! Statehood for Hawaii!]” But there has been no statehood at all; one session of the legislature passes by and the next comes, and then passes by, and so forth. But the Elepaio (Republican) continues to cry, “Ono ka ia! (I Mokuaina no Hawaii.) Ono ka ia! (I Mokuaina no Hawaii.) Yet they do nothing so that Hawaii would attain statehood.

(Aloha Aina, 10/26/1912, p. 2)

KA MOKUAINA AME KA ELEPAIO

Ke Aloha Aina, Buke XVII, Helu 43, Aoao 2. Okatoba 26, 1912.

Children rescued out at sea, 1924.

Posted on by
Reply

CHILDREN RESCUED FROM DEATH

Because of the quick arrival of help at the right time, three small children were saved, named Alfred Vieira, Jr., Jose Lima, and Alfred Silva, Jr., from death, when their canoe overturned outside of Kahala, on this past Friday, and they were in dire straits.

According to the story of this near tragedy of the little children, they boarded a waa and travelled about Kahala; it was a day of rough seas and the waves were huge, and as they were approaching a crashing wave, their waa was covered over by the wave and went under.

There was but one of the three children who knew how to swim, that being Alfred Vieira, Jr., and he was the one who helped his two friends in holding on to their waa until help arrived: James Reid and Theodore P. Melin, who returned the little children to land safely.

[I wonder how this one act changed Hawaii’s future…]

(Kuokoa, 6/5/1924, p. 5)

PAKELE HE POE KEIKI MAI KA MAKE MAI

Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Buke LXIII, Helu 23, Aoao 5. Iune 5, 1924.

Canoe Building, 1924.

Posted on by
1

The Art of Canoe Building is Being Revived in Hawaii

In the olden days of Hawaii nei, canoe building [kalaiwaa] was one of the occupations deftly done by Hawaiians, but during the years since, this work has gone down to but a fraction; but these days, it is being started up once again in Honaunau, South Kona, Hawaii.

Charley Apo along with his assistants are undertaking this endeavor of carving waa from large koa trees growing on the land of Paris and Company [Hoahana Parika ?].

The koa is fell in the high mountains, then it is roughly carved out into the form of a waa, and then dragged to sea by animals.

Twelve large waa are being carved by Charley Apo in a building prepared for this work, and he is able to fill all orders that he receives as per specifications wanted, from large to small.

In the picture on the far left, Davis Paris can be seen with two waa that are unfinished; to the right is Charley Apo ; to the right of that are many unfinished waa. Below on the left is a nearly finished waa; in the middle is an assistant of Charley Apo; to the right of that is a roughly completed waa for Alika Dowsett.

[I wish the newspapers were reshot clearly so not only the words are sharp and legible, but so that pictures and images are as clear as possible…]

(Kuokoa, 6/5/1924, p. 2)

Ke Hoalaia Mai Nei ka Oihana Kalaiwaa ma Hawaii

Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Buke LXIII, Helu 23, Aoao 2. Iune 5, 1924.

Shark attack and heartless bystanders, 1872.

Posted on by
Reply

Escaped from almost being killed by a shark.—From Mr. Kahaawi, the Deputy Sheriff of South Kohala, Hawaii, we received this shark attack story at Kawaihae: On the 15th of this month, a Friday, an old man went fishing aboard his canoe, his name is Kaholo, from Kawaihae. It was not farther than a quarter mile away from land, while he continued paddling his canoe, a huge shark came up from the sea, its lower jaw bit up from the bottom of the waa and its upper jaw snapped down from the top edge of the waa, while some of the rows of its teeth caught the skin of his thigh, and he was pulled into the ocean. The man went down into the water with the shark, but here is the strange thing, the shark didnʻt bite him more. The man hurriedly got back on the waa and grabbed his paddle, at the same time the shark came up again; the man fended off the head of the shark with his hand. When the man got aboard the waa, the shark floated itself atop of the water and then disappeared. There were other fishermen on a canoe at the time, and when the two of them saw him, they paddled over to where Kaholo was floating. Here is how very bitter they were, they didnʻt come by to help the hurt man, they just asked him to give them some bait, and when they got it they just left to go fishing. Kaholo asked for one of them to help him paddle to shore, since he was in much pain and couldnʻt paddle well, but neither of them agreed. Because there was no one to help him, he kept paddling until he almost fainted from losing so much blood; he drifted and paddled until reaching land. The one who told us this news was the very one who stitched up the wound. He said, the fleshy part of the thigh was torn open and was dangling; it was cut [?] from the knee of the left leg up to the buttocks.

(Au Okoa, 3/28/1872, p. 2)

Pakele mai pau i ka mano.

Ke Au Okoa, Buke VII, Helu 50, Aoao 2. Maraki 28, 1872.