Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 40, Number 2, 1 February 2023 — No ka Imu Ō Nui ma Hāmākua Hikina Concerning the Well-Filled Imu of Hāmakua Hikina [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

No ka Imu Ō Nui ma Hāmākua Hikina Concerning the Well-Filled Imu of Hāmakua Hikina

Na Uakoko Chong, Hui Mālama i ke Ala 'Ūlili

Mai ka hikina a ka lā ma Hawai'inuikuauli a hiki loa aku i ka welo a ka lā ma nā pali kahakō o Nīhoa, iā 'oukou kēia welina o ke aloha. I ka hala 'ana o kēia mau malama 'o la'a ua ma Hāmākua nei, ua kilo mākou, ka Hui Mālama i ke Ala 'Ūlili, i ka huli o ka lani, ka huli o ka honua, a me ka huli o ke kai. Moe pono 'ole ko mākou pō i ka ua loku o ke ao polohiwa, ka o 'ana o ka uila, a i ka nākolo o ka hekili. Leha a'ela nā maka i ka pua 'ana 0 ke ahi o uka, o Moku'āweoweo, a me ke kū'ena o ka pele e kahe ana ma Mauna Loa. Pa e maila ka 'olē'olē hala 'ole o ka leo nalu nui i nā kumu pali, 'alawa ihola nā maka mai ka pali lele koa'e i ka imu puhi o ke kai, a 'ike mākou, ua ho'i mai ka i'a nona ka lā, 'o ke koholā. Ma kēia mau huli 'ana o ka aina e kū ana 1 ka maka, ma hea hou aku kahi imu puhi? Aia nō paha i uka, i kahi e ho'oulu 'ia ai ka 'ai a me ka i'a. Wahi a ke kupuna, "na ke kanaka mahi'ai ka imu ō nui." 'O kekahi mana'o mai kēia olelo, 'o ka imu ō nui ke hō'ike mai, na ka lima huli i lalo i ka aina ka 'ai a me ka i'a e haka 'ole ai ka lua imu. He wā nō ko kēlā lā kēia lā e mahi ai i ka 'ai. Ma ka hana li'ili'i 'ana ma kou wahi kīhāpai e ulu ai a lau ai ka hua o ka 'ai. 'O ia nō kā mākou ma Pa'auilo a me Koholālele, ka ho'okō 'ana i nā hana li'ili'i e hua ai ka 'ai i kēlā me kēia lā ma ka waele nāhelehele 'ana, ma ka ho'opulu 'ana i ka mea kanu, a me ke kanu 'ana i nā mākālua. Ua hele a ma'a ka lima i ka huli 'ana i ka lepo o ka aina me ka ho'omākaukau 'ai. Ke ahu ka imu a 'ena'ena ka pōhaku, akoakoa nō ho'i nā lima mākaukau e hana maiau a ma'ema'e ma ka ho'omākaukau 'ai. Ho'omoe 'ia ka 'ai a me i'a ma ka imu a mo'a. I ka hu'e 'ia 'ana o ka imu, 'a'ohe kanaka hele wale. Pa'a ka puolo 'ai ma ka lima me ka pa'apū o ka lole i ka uahi. Hū ka 'ono o ka imu puhi! No laila, e o'u mau hoa e mahi ana i kēlā pe'a kēia pe'a o ka aina, mai nā kualono a nā makalae, e kahu mau i ke ahi o kō wahi imu, no ka mea, ke 'ono nei kākou i ka 'ai a me ka i'a a ke kupa o nei aina. E huliāmahi like kākou! ■

From the sunrise in the east at Hawai'inuikuauli to the sunset in the west at the steep precipitous cliffs of Nīhoa, we extend greetings of aloha to you all. During these past few months of our rainy season here in Hāmākua, we, Hui Mālama i ke Ala 'Ūlili, observed the changes of seasons with transitions in the atmosphere, transitions on the land, and transitions in the oeean. We experienced restless nights, awakened by the pouring rains from the dark clouds, the striking of lightning, and the rolling of thunder. Our eyes were drawn up to the rising of smoke in the uplands at Moku'āweoweo, and the red burning glow of Pele flowing down Mauna Loa. The unmistakable, incessant sound of enormous waves crashing at the base of the cliffs strike our ears, and our eyes peer down from the cliffs of koa'e birds towards the spouting "imu" (hlowhole) in the oeean. That is when we know the koholā (whales) have returned. As these changes of the aina heeome apparent to the eyes, where might one observe another "spouting" imu? It is, perhaps, in the uplands, where food crops are cultivated and meats are raised. According to kūpuna, "the well-filled imu belongs to the kanaka who cultivates the aina." One interpretation of this saying, lends itself to credit the hands of cultivators that are turned down to the land for filling the pit of imu with food. Everyday is an opportunity to cultivate food. Small tasks daily in your garden accumulate towards an abundant growth of food. That is the work we do in Pa'auilo and Koholālele, completing the small tasks everyday to produce food by removing invasive species, watering crops, and planting in the planting holes. Our hands have beeome accustomed to cultivating the soil and preparing food. When the imu is set and the stones are glowing hot red, our hands gather together, ready to work neatly and thoroughly in the preparation of the food. The food is then laid down in the imu, and it remains there until cooked. When the imu is uncovered, no one leaves empty handed. Bundles of food are secured at hand, and the aroma of the imu smoke sticks to our clothes. Hū! The imu is so 'ono! And so, my fellow cultivators of aina, from that edge to this edge of the land, from the mountain ridges to the shores, continue to tend to the fire of your imu, because we are all 'ono for the cultivated foods of the natives of this aina. Let us all work together! E huliāmahi like kākou! ■

Uū ahu ko imu, uo 'eno'eno ko pōhaku. The imu is set ond the stones ore glowing redhot,- Photo: Aoianikū Chong

'Ākookoū nō ho'i nō limo mōkoukou e hono moiou o mo'emo'e mo ko ho'omōkoukou 'oi. The honds gother together, reody to work neotly ond thoroughly in the preporotion of the food.- Photo: Noni Weleh-Keli'iho'omalu