Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 31, Number 11, 1 November 2014 — A Hawaiian sense of place [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A Hawaiian sense of place

In times past, chanters, songwriters and historians frequently extolled the beauty and virtues of theirhomelands. "Grand is Hanalei in the pouring rain"; "All eyes are on Hi'ilawe and the sparkling lowlands of Maukele"; "Hilo, of Chief Hanakahi, in the Kanilehua rain"; and "Beautiful are the bays of chief Pi'ilani, flanked by the majestic cloud banks"; are opening lines of old, familiar and traditional mele (chants and songs). The mele honor the plaee, its oeean, winds and rains that are characteristic and specific to these places, and thus, are remembered by the song. It is clear that the eomposers felt great pride and love for these places. Actually, Hawaiians of old held mueh appreciation for the physical beauty of their island surroundings. The ancestors' pride and appreciation was eommon . . . usual and frequent. Some of us learned the history that went with the mele of the famous places, while others just enjoyed the melody. We all found pleasure in singing and perpetuating the mele. In old Hawai'i, extended families developed settlements consisting of families and friends in places throughout Hawai'i. Fishermen, farmers and builders shared in daily activities of the kauhale (housing compounds). They formed close bonds as they worked to provide themselves and their families with a safe and comfortable living. Eventually, the settlements, or kauhale, were made up of several hale (buildings), some structures served the entire kauhale, such as a men's house, a women's house, a hale 'aina (women's eating and general meeting plaee), and some private structures that were reserved for indi-

vidual families. Any chiefly part of a kauhale was noticeably larger and finer than that of the maka'āinana. For generations, families remained in the kauhale, establishing strong affiliation and a "sense of plaee" for the area, as they contributed to its history. Hawaiian chants, songs and tales of history refer to particular places and note the special relationship individuals had developed for their home. 01d songs, that are still sung, hail the virtues of geographieal locations and characteristics that are still held in high esteem. Specific winds, rains, oceans and geographical features are heralded in mele and chants. The people of the area still exhibit great pride in their home and, in turn, the kauhale contributes mueh to their feelings of belonging and satisfaction. After arrival of the first Western explorers, Hawaiian life began to change. Soon, Hawaiian family members moved from the kauhale in search of employment in the towns and cities. More recently, educational opportunities and marriage have been reasons for leaving the homeland. As more generations have passed, the descendants experience diminished feelings of belonging and bonding to the old kauhale. George Kanahele, author of Kū Kanaka - Stand Tall, refers to this as the "trauma of rootlessness," noting that it is seen especially in children and teenagers. He found the sense of plaee was strongly linked with self-esteem and self-identity and provided the security of links to a plaee, and the security of links to family and friends and history. For the current Native Hawaiian who has moved from plaee to plaee, our affiliation with our current home is built on fewer years, lives and history. It is more difficult to feel the productivity of the soils around us ... unless we are farmers. We share the space with many who are strangers. And, personally, I have witnessed changes to the homeland that are not positive. Auē! I think George Kanahele makes a lot of sense. ■

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