Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 12, 1 December 1989 — Na'iwa: home of the Hawaiian 'olympic' games [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Na'iwa: home of the Hawaiian 'olympic' games

Editor's note: The following article describes the Makahiki games onee held in central Moloka'i ata plaee known as Na'iwa (the ferns). Though the area fell into disuse about 75 years ago, many of the ancient Hawaiian sites connected with the games have remained in good condition despite being grown over by brush and trees. Moloka'i Ranch, under manager Ian Hurst, has agreed to recognize the cultural significance of Na'iwa and has attowed restoration ofsites by the community to begin. EdwardAyau, writerofthisarticlehopes to start holding Makahiki games again there, starting next January with a footrace. He noted that a mural in the Moloka'i High School gymnasium depicts the Makahiki games at the Na'iwa grounds, whieh are located mauka of the high school. By Edward Halealoha Ayau based on the mana'o of Harriet Ahiona Ayau Ne Aloha Mai. My name is Harriet Ahiona Ayau Ne. I am a kupuna (elder) and long time resident of the island of Molokai. I was born in Honolulu, October 21, 1915 to Rev. Edward Haleanini Ayau and 01ivia Kaleialohaokalahui Townsend. Due to birth difficulties, my mother was evacuated to Honolulu from our home in Pelekunu, located on the northeast coast of Molokai. When I was four months old my mother and I moved back home to Pelekunu, where I lived until I was six years old. There were eight to ten families living in the valley during this time, approximately 84 people. The only language spoken was Hawaiian. I am a kumu hula (teacher of Hawaiian dance). My kumu was Ka'o'o of Pelekunu, from whose halau (dance school) I 'uniki (graduated) from. I am recognized in Nanainaloeahula Look to the Hula Resources (Library of Congress Catalog No. 84-080164, 1984). I am also a retired kahu (minister) of Ka Hale La'a o Ierusalema Hou Church in Kalamaula. I am the historian of Molokai, having been commissioned in

1974 by the late Gov. John A. Burns. My knowledge and experience of the cultural history of Molokai has eamed me the title "living treasure." I wrote Legends of Molokai (Topgallant, 1981) and have been consulted regularly by Hawaiiana experts including the late Dr. Kenneth Emory and Mary Kawena Puku'i of the Bishop Museum, as well as other respected members of the community on the cultural history of Molokai. This is the story of the makahiki grounds at Na'iwa. Throughout its history, Molokai was noted for two distinctive things. First, it was known for the powerful kahuna (experts) trained at Pu'u 'Anoano and then at 'IH'ili'opae heiau (religious site). Indeed the most famous kahuna was a kaula (prophet) named Lanikaula, whose sacred kukui grove still stands at Pu'uohoku. The second distinction was athletic prowess. Molokai was noted for its athletes and the main event in whieh athletics were featured was the annual Makahiki. Na'iwa was the site where the land games were held. The oeean games were held at Kainalu. The makahiki was a reHgbus celebration conducted on all the islands. It was a celebration of the harvest, a Hawaiian thanksgiving whieh included religious ceremonies to the god Lono thanking him for bringing the rains that nourished the land and its people. Also there were hula performances. The makahiki season lasted from October to February, and began as soon as the

Makali'i (Pleides) became visible over the horizon. I was taught about Na'iwa and the makahiki celebration from two people. The first was my tutu wahine (grandmother) Lu'ukia Nakapuahi Holau, who was a trainer of Pelekunu athletes from 1916-1918. The other was a man named Ka'ilau Kaleikoa, keeper of Na'iwa and employee of Molokai Ranch from 1925-1928. In 1918, I went to the makahiki celebration with Lu'ukia, the last time a makahiki celebration was held at Na'iwa. I was three years old at the time. Although women were not allowed to attend the games, exceptions were made for female trainers. My tutu wahine took me along with her and I observed the events that year. Therefore, my knowledge of Na'iwa comes from both the mana'o (expertise, thoughts and feelings) passed to me from these two people as well as my own personal experience. Na'iwa is located in north central Molokai in the Pala'au ahupua'a (land division from the mountain to the sea). Na'iwa is an 'ili (district) in Pala'au ahupua'a. The physical boundaries demarcating Na'iwa include to the north Kauleonanahoa, to the southeast Umu Kalua Ua, to the southwest Pu'u Kauwamehameha, to the west Ho'olehua and to the northwest Kipu'u heiau. Kauleonanahoa (the penis of Nanahoa) is a significant site consisting of a large pohaku (stone) shaped in the form of a penis. Molokai Hawaiians worshipped this pohaku whieh stood atop a pu'u (hill) because they wanted to increase and perpetuate the Hawaiian race. It is said that if a woman wished to become pregnant, she had to spend time on Kauleonanahoa meditating. Umu Kalua Ua (rain-baking heiau) is another significant site. Chief Nanahoa loved to play good-natured tricks on his sister, who was a kapa (cloth) maker. Onee, Nanahoa asked his kahuna to pray for rains to eome and spoiI her drying kapa. To counter this the younger sibling sought another kahuna, who instructed her to build a heiau to bake the rains. The heiau eonsists of square, compartmentalized formations representing an umu (above ground oven). Like other heiau, Umu Kalua Ua features an upright piko (navel) stone. Pu'u Kauwamehameha (hill of the lonely warrior) is hnother physical boundary of Na'iwa. A man named Peleleu excelled at athletics and was known for the beautiful lei pupu he always wore. Henee, he was recommended by the makahiki high priest to Kamehameha for military training. Consequently, Peleleu was killed at the Battle of Nu'uanu. His father went to O'ahu to retrieve hisson's remains. Peleleu was buried on the south side of this pu'u. Haulaiian homesteaders living in Ho'olehua spoke of the sight appearing only at night, of a man sitting on the south side of the hill, puhi paka (smoking cigarettes). My mother referred to the hill as Pu'u Kauwemehameha (hill of the Ionely warrior). Ho'olehua is a homestead community in the Hawaiian Homelands Program, established after the first homestead at Kalamaula. My father moved our family after becoming a Kalamaula homesteader, and thereafter acquired a farming lot in Ho'olehua. Kipu'u heiau or ruins is a luakini (plaee of human sacrīfice). It is located just outside Na'iwa. Na'iwa got its name from the 'iwa fern that grows in the area, and not the 'iwa (frigate) bird as has eommonly been mistaken. A young man named Naula who lived at Kalaupapa had a girlfriend named Lehua who lived at Ho'olehua. Onee a week Naula would ride his horse up the pali (cliff) and visit Lehua. Eaeh time he did so, Naula always brought a gift for Lehua. However, one day, despite yeaming to see Lehua, Naula did not have a gift prepared for her. His mother agreed that she would prepare a gift for Lehua while Naula got ready. The gift was a lei po'o (head wreath) made of the 'iwa fern. At the time, this fern was the favorite of the Molokai people for lei making and only grew at Kalaupapa. Henee, the opening lines of the famous Molokai chant, " 'Aia Molokai" states: 'Aia Molokai ku'u 'iwa I kekula wale o Kalaupapa There on Molokai is my sweetheart, who is like the 'iwa fem That grows only on the plains of Kalaupapa Lehua loved the lei so mueh she refused to take it off. The lei eventually dried up and the strong winds near the pali blew the lei off of her head, where it rolled on the ground releasing the spores of the 'iwa fem. After a light rain, the fem began growing and the area eame to be known as Na'iwa. Later, Na'iwa was selected by the Molokai chiefs as the site of the makahiki games. The area where Na'iwa and Pu'u 'Anoano is located was in earlier times refer-

red to as Hanakeakua (work of the gods). It was a very special area to the people of Molokai, as is reflected in its name. The makahiki on Molokai began with the choosing of a man by the makahiki kahuna to carry the akua loa (Lono banner) around the island in a clockwise manner beginning and ending at Na'iwa. The reason being that communities to the east of Na'iwa were located on the shores and henee provided the banner carrier with food. If the carrier went west first, he would have to get his own food since those communities lived further inland. When the people saw the tall banner bearing the white kapa cloth of Lono coming towards their village, they would shout "Lonoikamakahiki," whieh means

"Lono in the new year." This was an exultation of thankfulness to Lono for providing the rains as well as a request for rains eome the new year. It was the duty of the banner carrier to go from ahupua'a to ahupua'a and register athletes for participation in the makahiki games. Eaeh ahupua'a had an 'aumakua (personal and family deity) that symbolized the people of that area. After leaving Na'iwa, the akua loa proceeded to bypass Kalaupapa because they traditionally did not have any athletes and proceeded first to Waihanau. Their 'aumakua was a stone that spurted water. However, I do not remember its name. Next, was Waikolu, whose 'aumakua was the manu koa'e (tropic or boatswain bird with black feathers and a white-tail). The akua Ioa then went to Pelekunu, whose 'aumakua was the honu kea (turtle with the white-spotted shell). Nextcame Wailau, whose 'aumakua was lau ho'oola (a medicinal leaf). The next ahupua'a village and 'aumakua I do not remember. The rest of the ahupua'a and their respective

The mother-daughter stone at Na'iwa is part of Moloka'i legend. In background is Pu'u Anoano, an important cultural site.

Topographical map of central Molokai shows district of Na'iwa (Molokai Airport is at left), and Kaulapapa peninsula to north. The Na'iwa