Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 17, Number 12, 1 December 2000 — Pū koʻa kani ʻāina-- a hard rock of the land said of a strong fighter [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Pū koʻa kani ʻāina-- a hard rock of the land said of a strong fighter

By Claire Hughes, Department of Health LOHELOA TRAVELLED from Waipi'o to Keauau at Lē'ahi, where he couId see a strange glow like a ball of fire. He asked some fishermen and was told that the light belonged to the cruel chief 'Ōlohe. The fishermen wanted Loheloa to leave because he was scaring the fish. Instead. Loheloa called upon Kū and Hina to bring a school of fish. whieh the fishermen welcomed with gratitude. Loheloa pulleei his huge eanoe onto land, resting one end at Haula and the other at Nāmahana at Waikīkī. He indicated that he_wanted to wrestle with he chief, who lived nearby at 'Āpuakēhau. He bet his bones and eanoe, and the chief accepted the challenge. Loheloa suggested that they wrestle in the open field that is now Kapi'olani Park. 'Ōlohe punched his opponent and raised a gale that flattened the 'ihma bushes. Undeterred, Loheloa slapped the chief's ear so hard, 'Ōlohe flew up into the air. When he fell down, he made a depression in the ground whieh is still known as Ka Lua 'Ōlohe. Loheloa had won. The people shouted with joy over the death of their cruel chief. Such feats indicated the great strength, vigor and fighting skill of our warrior ancestors. The characteristic stature of our ancestors was muscular with narrow hips. Their bones revealed the vigor and hard work required in their daily lives. Kamehameha, to this day, is acclaimed as a great battle strategist and warrior. 20,000 men are said to have fought with Kamehameha and Kekūhaupi'o against Keawema'uhili in Hilo. Kamehameha himself led three

mano of warriors (12,000 men) on foot. His fleet of two lau of canoes (800) and 8,000 warriors sailed under the direction of Ke'eaumoku. Keawema'uhili's army was triple that of Kamehameha's and was further strengthened by Maui warriors under Kahekili. 80,000 men clashed on that battleground in Hilo. Kamehameha made sure his warriors were healthy and strong by encouraging farming in order to have ade-

quate food supplies. This was an essential part of being prepared for hfe and war. Ali'i could easily be distinguished from maka'āinana by their larger stature and height. The ali'i physique was far superior to that of the first European visitors. One story relates that Captain Vancouver was very curious about the imposing stature of an ali'i wahine. He was given permission to stand next to the beautiful, highranking chiefess in Kamehameha's court, and merely eame up to her chest. The court broke into laughter and teased the captain about his fascination wiht this stately ali'i wahine. We know that our ancestors were spared the type of childhood illnesses that nowadays sap strength and detract from growth in height. Hawaiians ate only fresh food and mueh of the diet eame from vegetables — nothing canned, prepared, preserved, highly sugared or salted. Agriculture was dominated by kalo and 'uala; banana was the prominent fruit. Fish and seafood were the major source of protein and there was an abundance of limu. Undoubtedly, people got a lot of good rest, as there were few nighttime distractions. Sufficient and good quality sleep is an important ingredient for linear growth. In addition, the stresses of life were different from ours, and were handled promptly, in a very personal way. Today, our heahh status is not good. We have stopped many of the health practices of our ancestors and lead in those that detract from heahh. We ean honor our ancestors and restore health to our nation by following their example and adopting their basic, common-sense practices. ■

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18th century depiction of boxing, one of many sports and physical feats documented by malihini of that era

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