Uncategorized – Kaʻahele Hawaiʻi

Kaunaʻ oa Beach

by Leilehua Yuen

Feature photo credit: Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau (IHVB) / Tyler Schmitt

Often found inhabiting lists of the top beaches in Hawaiʻ i, Kaunaʻ oa [kah-oo-nah OH-ah] is probably one of the closest beaches to the mental image of sparkling turquoise water gently laving the shore of a white sand tropical paradise. It is gorgeous.

Because the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel was built on its edge, some people call it Mauna Kea Beach. Say “MAH-oo-nuh KEH-ah,” NOT “mana kay-uh” or “mana kee-uh.” Mauna translates to English as “mountain.” Mana translates as “supernatural power,” among other things. Kea translates as “white,” at least for the short version I’m going to post here. Keep an eye out for a post on our beloved mountain!

The correct name for the site, however, is “Kaunaʻ oa,” and so that is what we shall use here.

Kaunaʻ oa Beach probably is named for the kaunaʻ oa shellfish (Vermetidae or tubeworms), and the native dodder (Cuscuta sandwichiana). In my lifetime, the shellfish as been more commonly found there than the dodder, as few native Hawaiian plants remain in the area. It is possible that prior to development both the shellfish and the dodder were abundant there.

Growing up, we were taught that a cut from the kaunaʻ oa kai (“ocean kaunaʻ oa,” the shellfish) was terribly poisonous. You often will find these coiled shells firmly attached to rocks near the shore. Running about barefoot, I once stepped on one which punched a hole in my foot, removing a plug and leaving behind a terrible infection which required a long course of antibiotics. Sharp as razors, those critters!

By Wilson44691 – Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37588453

The kaunaʻ oa kahakai (“shoreline kaunaʻ oa,” the dodder) is a beloved lei plant. Its waxy sherbet-orange tendrils are twisted in the wili, hili, or hilo styles of lei. It also is a traditional medicinal plant.

Photographers: Forest & Kim Starr. Images created by Forest Starr and Kim Starr are licensed under a Creative Commons

Knowing the correct names of places tells us a lot about them. Names can contain history, knowledge of the environment, and the importance of an area to those who came before us. So, this beach may once have been abundant with kaunaʻ oa of one or both kinds. Was it possibly an important place for harvesting the medicine? Does the kaunaʻ oa kai have some medicinal property we have forgotten about? So many questions to explore!

In traditional Hawaiian poetry, of which the Kumulipo is one of the most well-known examples, in one section paired couplets explore the relationship of land life and sea life. Hawaiian taxonomy is not based in a “vertical” hierarchy as in Linnean taxonomy, but in a “lateral” network of relationships. By observing the behavior of land-based life forms, we can understand sea-based life forms, and vice-versa. And so Hawaiian understanding looks at the relationship between the kaunaʻ oa kahakai and the kaunaʻ oa o ke kai – the land forms and the sea forms of kaunaʻ oa.

Both the land and sea forms have curling tendrils and can form clustered communities in their habitats. Both provide habitat for other species. Both grow near the kahakai – the edge of the sea. Our ancestors had a deep relationship with their environment developed over generations of careful observation. It behooves us to preserve and reclaim their knowledge and wisdom!

Students of Kamehameha Schools created this animation of the opening lines of the Kumulipo.

Amenities

The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel at the Kohala end of the beach has many amenities available. Dean Itagaka’s June 2018 photo shows the lūʻ a u torches my family and I handcraft!

The hotel opened in 1965. Rockefeller’s original concept was a cluster of individual cottages, with no televisions or air-conditioning to interfere with the natural environment of the Kohala Coast. Architects Skidmore Owings Merrill produced a dome-shaped model that was nearly washed out by a tropical storm, so a single building mid-century modern design was refined by lead architect Charles Bassett to take advantage of tropical breezes and ocean views, but added air conditioning. From 1965 until 1995, the hotel operated without guest room televisions, just as Rockefeller intended.

Safety

Use especial care when swimming, snorkeling, or even just relaxing on the shoreline in the winter months, as the waves can be quite high, pounding in the shore break, and there is a strong rip current.

Tsunami Warning Signs

As with all beaches, if you see the tide going way out, exposing more of the beach than the usual low tide, it’s time to head inland. That is a sign of a possible tsunami.

Earthquake
Unusually low receding of the water
Unusually rapid or high incoming surge
Odd looking currents or whirlpools
Unusual sounds coming from the water

Learn more at the Pacific Tsunami Museum website.

Ka Poʻ e Moʻ o Akua

I just realized it has been ages since I did a blog post here, so this book inspired me to get back in the groove. Ka Poʻ e Moʻ o Akua – Hawaiian Reptilian Water Deities by Marie Alohalani Brown needs to be in your reference works.

The preface, list of Hawaiian terms, and bibliography alone make it worth having and reading. Not only will the reader learn so much of value about akua moʻ o, but also the reader will learn about ʻ aumakua and Hawaiian concepts of familial relationships.

Brown has taken an incredibly complex and multi-layered set of concepts and made them accessible for the discerning student of Hawaiian culture/philosophy/religion. And the bibliography! If you love comprehensive citations, you will love this book! Also, it is well indexed.

Chapters are:

Moʻ o Akua and Water
The Moʻ o Akua Form and the Kino Lau Associated with All Moʻ o
Moʻ o-Specific Kino Lau
Kinship and Antagonism between the Moʻ o and Pele Clans
Moʻ o Roles and Functions Past and Present

You need this book.

You can purchase this book at Basically Books in Hilo.

How ʻIole Saved the Hawaiian People

by Leilehua Yuen
illustration: watercolor by Leilehua Yuen

The Pleiades, though a tiny constellation, is striking in appearance. It is so noticeable that cultures around the world use it in navigation and to mark the seasons of the year.

The star cluster Pleiades, Πλειάδες in Greek, is known by many different names. In ancient India it was known as क्रृत्तिका Kṛittika. In ancient Arabia, الثريّا al-Ṯurayyā. In English it is called The Seven Sisters, and in Irish, Streoillín. Every culture which can see them has named them in its own language. Astronomers know it as M45 is known, an open star cluster. It contains over a thousand stars that are loosely bound by gravity, but it is visually dominated by a handful of its brightest members. Each group of people who name the cluster use a name which suites the way they relate to it. Hawaiian people gave the cluster several names, depending on whether they were using it for agriculture, navigation, religious rituals, or other purposes.

Huhui – cluster, Huihui – cluster, Huihuiamakaliʻi – the cluster of Makaliʻi, Huihuikōkōamakaliʻikauiluna – the netted cluster of Makaliʻi hung above, Kahuihuiomakali’i – the cluster of Makaliʻi, Kūpuku – clustered thickly, Makaliʻi – little eyes, Nāhiku – the seven, Nāhui – the group, Nāhuihui – the collection, Nāhuihuiomakaliʻi – the collection of Makaliʻi, Nākokoamakaliʻi – the net of Makaliʻi, and other names.

Legends and myths are associated with the names. In the winter, wwe like to tell the story of how ʻIole, the Hawaiian Rat, saved the Hawaiian people from starvation. There were different chiefs named Makaliʻi. One was a great navigator. Another was a great farmer. The one in this story is a bad chief. Selfish and greedy.

Chief Makaliʻi had taxed the people so heavily that they were starving. He had taxed the fish and the fruits, the pigs and the chickens, and even the plants the people needed as seed for the next season. He so selfish that after he taxed them, he put all the food in a net which he hung high in the sky where they could not reach it.

The people were tormented, seeing the food hanging there out of reach. The entire world was angry with Chief Makaliʻi for his selfishness. At last the elementals of the world decided they would withdraw. The wind stayed away. The rain stayed away. Only the sun shone, burning down, even in the winter. It was so dry that even if there were seed plants, they would not be able to grow. The people were starving. There was not enough food for even an ʻiole, a rat.

ʻIole sat in the barren sweet potato fields and thought about this. He decided to go up to the net and get that food! He found a coconut tree and climbed it, and from there was able to grab a rope woven from moonbeams. He climbed the rope to the moon and when he was close enough to the net he chewed a hole in the side.

All of the sweet potatoes, taro, bananas, and other food tumbled back down to earth and the people, and the rats, were saved!
For a full-length version of the story, visit Leilehua’s Kindle Vella page.

Below is an image of a page from Sidereus Nuncius showing Galileo’s drawings of the stars in the Pleiades star cluster. Image courtesy of the History of Science Collections, University of Oklahoma Libraries. The image is from the History of Science Collections, University of Oklahoma Libraries – http://hos.ou.edu/galleries/17thCentury/Galileo/1610/Galileo-1610-016c-r%20-%20Version%202-image/ via Wikipedia.

History of Science Collections, University of Oklahoma Libraries - http://hos.ou.edu/galleries/17thCentury/Galileo/1610/Galileo-1610-016c-r%20-%20Version%202-image/
Image of a page from Sidereus Nuncius showing Galileo's drawings of the stars in the Pleiades star cluster. Image courtesy of the History of Science Collections, University of Oklahoma Libraries.

Learn more about the Hawaiian night sky here.

Links:

Kuʻu Pua i Paoakalani

One of the mele, songs, that I love is Kuʻu Pua i Paoakalani, written by Liliʻuokalani. The moʻolelo, story, of it that I was taught is this:

On September 4, 1895, the monarch of Hawaiʻi, Lydia Liliʻu Loloku Walania Wewehi Kamakaʻeha, who ruled as Liliʻuokalani, was imprisoned in her own palace. She would be held in a small room there for eight months.

One of her very few companions was Eveline “Kitty” Townsend Wilson, the Queen’s protégé and lady in waiting. Kitty agreed to share her friend and mentor’s imprisonment.

Kitty’s husband was Charles Burnette Wilson, had held various posts in the Kingdom, and struggled to balance loyalty to his sovereign and expediency in the new régime. And so, he must participate in the imprisonment of his Queen.

While imprisoned, Liliʻu was under a news embargo. Her letters were read before being given to her, her windows were painted over, and no newspapers were allowed to be sent her.

Here are the Queen’s own words:

“It was the duty of the guards to search whatever was sent to me before it was delivered into my hands; so the baskets, whether of food, flowers, clothes, or papers, went to them first, and at least at the start were closely examined; yet there were some kindly disposed towards me and not over-critical. Every newspaper, however, had to come through the hands of Mr. Wilson; and if he detected in it anything whatever relating to the government, he would take it away, not permitting me to see it. I used to find great comfort in the bits of newspaper that were wrapped around my bouquets which were brought to me from my own garden at Uluhaimalama.

“These were generally wrapped in the newspapers, foreign and local. . .”

“Flowers from home I unwrapped myself, so as to be sure to save these bits of news which I sought opportunity at intervals to read. There were times when I saw something of such interest that I could not resist the temptation to mention it to my companion, Mrs. Wilson. Then it seems she would faithfully report all that I said to her husband, whose custom it was to call every other day, . . . for the purpose of ascertaining if there was anything required. At such times he would withdraw with his wife to the boudoir, where she would repeat to him what had been said by me. . . By some things she occasionally mentioned, he thought that newspapers had been secretly sent in; but when finally he discovered that they had come as wrapping-paper, it made him very angry, and his poor little wife had to suffer for it, even bursting into tears at his sharp reproaches. For this reason I became quite guarded in what I said to her.”

The person who brought these bouquets to the queen was Johnny, the young son of Kitty and Mr. Wilson. Usually the flowers came from Uluhaimalama, a project the Queen had organized with her friends as something like a community garden. One day, Liliʻu noticed that the bouquet included flowers from her own beloved garden at her home, Paoakalani.

As a gift for Johnny, Liliʻu wrote a song, Kuʻu Pua i Paoakalani, cast in the form of a riddle, asking him to name that special flower among the others.

Well, Hawaiian people love nane and kaona, riddles and layered meanings. And so I was taught that the mele also is a love song for her people – the many beautiful flowers of her islands. The fragrance is the news of her beloved people, and the gentle breeze which brings it is young Johnny.

Liliʻuokalani left legacies in both land and music. Her lands have benefited the Hawaiian people through the Liliuokalani Trust and Queen Liliuokalani Children’s Center. Her music has preserved valuable knowledge and poetry of an important era in Hawaiian history. “To compose,” she once said, “was as natural to me as to breathe.” Hui Hānai was organized in 1969 to assist in carrying out the objectives of the Queen Liliuokalani Children’s Center and to perpetuate the memory of the Queen and her accomplishments. In 1973, it decided that the most meaningful contribution it could make would be to collect and publish the Queens Song’s, and a Songbook Committee authorized by the Hui Hānai Council compiled The Queen’s Songbook with lyrics, musical scores, and stories of mele written by Liliʻu and of mele associated with her.

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Tiny Eyes

To gain wider perspective and further develop my art, I belong to a number of forums, including some on cultural inclusivity and anti-racism. Among the topics we have recently been discussing is describing eyes. “Almond eyed” is so . . . . dated? Overused? Problematic? Look at an almond. Really look. Do you know anyone with eyes that look like that?

Anyway, I shared this anecdote about an event that happened a few years ago which inspired me to reexamine how I tell my stories:

In one of the stories, the Chief Makaliʻi has tiny squinting eyes because he is evil and always squinting around looking for things to tax. Because I am thinking of the Hawaiian imagery while telling the story, I don’t really “think the story” in English, even though I tell it in English.

The name “Makaliʻi” can be translated several ways:
“Eyes of the Chief”
“Tiny Eyes”
“Pleiades”

For this particular story, I use “Tiny Eyes” and “Pleiades” in a pun, somewhat the way the name of Xiaoping (小平) became Xiǎo Píngzi (小瓶子).

A few years ago, I was telling it and there was the cutest chubby-cheeked Chinese girl in the audience, and at the end of the story, I realized by the look on her face that she was really hurt by the description.

I cannot change the name of the chief, or the meaning of the name, because those are traditional in this story. So, I have changed the description to, “His people called him Chief Tiny Eyes for his habit of making his eyes hard and seeing the smallest thing to tax.”

Because we do a lot of interactions during the story, I have the children relax their faces and “look at something with love,” and then harden their faces and “look at something with jealousy.” Then we go back to our relaxed faces and listen to the story with love.

So, I am going through all of the stories I learned from my kūpuna (elders) and learning new ways to tell them.

Why don’t people build with lava rock in Hawaiʻi?

This was a question that came up on one of the social media feeds I get distracted by. “It would make a fine house, be efficient, and long lasting.”

People supporting the idea made comments such as, “Heiau were built of lava rock, and they last hundreds of years.” “Hawaiian walls are made of lava rock, and they last hundreds of years.” “Hawaiians used to build houses out of stone.” “The stone church in Kailua-Kona is still standing and strong.”

Now, I am not going to say, “don’t build with lava.” I actually like the idea, and have seen some very nice lava construction. But I want to point out some things in the earlier comments.

“Heiau were built of lava rock, and they last hundreds of years.” Yes, they were. But the stonework was, and remains solid throughout. They are lava rock platforms on top of which wooden structures were built. The stone portions we look at today are foundations, not the entire heiau. Check out Kamakahonu Heiau and Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau to see how the structures are used on the foundation.

“Hawaiian walls are made of lava rock, and they last hundreds of years.” True. But, like the heiau, they are solid structures. Some have withstood earthquakes and tsunami, but many have been destroyed. (And like the heiau, many also have been disassembled for use in more modern structures.) In general, heiau and walls require regular maintenance which includes the replacement of rocks that fall off, and “chinking,” a process of surveying the entire face of the structure and using a rock or mallet to tap the rocks back in place and “chink” in small rocks to tighten the structure (the word comes from the sound of the tapping, “chink, chink, chink”).

“The ancient Hawaiians used to build houses out of stone and thatch the roofs.” No, they built stone platforms on top of which they build wooden frame structures and thatched the walls and roofs.

“The stone church in Kailua-Kona is still standing and strong.” It’s also undergoing a $3,000,000+ retrofit. Throughout the islands, there are actually a number of notable buildings made from lava stone and coral lime. Mokuaikaua Church, Huliheʻe Palace, I’ll add more as I think of them. There also are numerous ruins of lava stone buildings from the same era which collapsed over the years due to earthquakes and lack of maintenance.

To build with lava, one needs to remember that not all lava is created equal. Some is quite porous and friable. Think red cinder. Some is extremely dense and strong. Think adz material. There is everything in between. And one rock may comprise a few different expressions, leaving you with strong portions bounded by fault lines which will shatter under stress. So you have to select appropriate lava for construction, or the structure can collapse under its own weight.

Assuming you have an expert in Hawaiian rock construction who knows how to select appropriate material, I see no reason not to use it to build. You will have to send your plans to the county (as with any house construction). There are specific codes for building traditional Hawaiian structures. To use lava rock to build the walls of a home may be possible. I would imagine you will need to hire an architect to draw up the plans and specify rock type, have the rocks approved by an engineer, and then get the county to approve your plans.

Some advantages of rock construction:

Strong
Durable
Stays cool inside
Stone walls become more beautiful as they age
If harvested properly, low environmental impact/carbon footprint
Low maintenance

Some disadvantages of rock construction:

Very heavy, so construction and foundation costs are high
Requires much greater expertise (thus cost) than many other types of construction
Natural stone tends to “de-stick” from mortar as it ages, requiring regular upkeep
When damaged (earthquakes, impact) it is far more difficult to repair than other types of construction

So, those are just some thoughts about building with lava rock.

Before beginning any construction in Hawaiʻi, you may wish to consider some of the Hawaiian traditions regarding blessings.

This book on building stone walls is not specific to Hawaii, but does have some good practical advice.

The Story of Naupaka and `Ōhikimakaloa

As told by Leilehua Yuen

There are many stories which tell how the naupaka blossom came to have its unusual shape. This is the one I have chosen to share because I believe it is one of the oldest. The chant on which it is based was composed in the mid 1600s or early 1700s for Oʻahu’s Chief Kualiʻi.

O Opuʻukahonua, o Lolomu, o Mihi, O Lana ka wahine.
Noho Wakea, noho ia Papa
Noho ia Kanananuʻukumamao Hānau ka Naupaka, ku i ke kahakai

O ʻŌhikimakaloa ka wahine
O Hoʻopiʻo, o Hulumaniani,
Ku i ka ʻena, a naia ilalo.

O mehe pā laoa, O Naholo, Mehe kai olohia a Manu, Oia alakai honua Ku.

O Lanipipili, o Lanioaka, O Lanikahuliomealani, O Lono, o Hekilikaʻaka, O Nakoloailani, O Kailolimoana, O Waia, O Hikapoloa, O Kapoimuliwaa, O Kane, O Ahulukaaʻala, O Kaueikamakaukau, Alua anahulu wau ia oe e Ku-e; E Kualiʻi.

Opuʻukahonua, Lolomu, Mihi, Lana the wife.
Wakea lived and took Papa,
Lived with Kanananuʻukumamao.
Naupaka was then born, which stands by the seashore.

ʻŌhikimakaloa the wife,
Hoʻopiʻo, Hulumaniani,
Heat rose up, he became insecure [Overcome by jealousy] Like one choking on a bone.
Naholo, Like the broad calm sea of Manu, The one who led Ku to earth.

O Lanipipili, o Lanioaka, O Lanikahuliomealani, O Lono, o Hekilikaʻaka, O Nakoloailani, O Kailolimoana, O Waia, O Hikapoloa, O Kapoimuliwaa, O Kane, And Ahulukaaʻala; Kane who is ever ready. Twice ten days am I with you, o Ku, O Kualiʻi.

The moʻokuʻauhau, or genealogy, of the great chief Kualiʻi, who lived in the 1600s, opens with the three co-husbands, Opuʻukahonua, Lolomu, and Mihi, and with Lana, the wife and progenitress of the family line. The chant then leaps back in time to the mating of Wakea, the Sky Father, with Papa, the Earth Mother. This mating created all things in the cosmos as we know it today.

Wakea then mated with Kanananuʻukumamao, establishing a lineage of chiefs. This lineage included Kualiʻi of Oʻahu, famed for his battle prowess even into old age. When he was old, he became unable to walk. He ordered his men to weave a net for him. Placed in the net, he was carried into battle so he could continue to lead his warriors and to fight. Eventually, through conquest, marriage, and gifts, he became ruler of all the islands from Kauai in the north to Hawaiʻi in the south.

Kuali`i’s genealogy eventually led to Kamehameha Paiʻea, who united the Southern Hawaiian Islands into one kingdom, and negotiated with Kaumualiʻi, ruler of the northern Hawaiian islands, (Kauai, Niʻihau, Lehua, Mokumanamana, and the small islets) which became a tributary state.

An early ancestor of note is the legendary Naupaka, symbolized by the native plant which grows on the Hawaiian shoreline. Naupaka kahakai, Scaevola taccada, is indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands. It is found in coastal areas throughout the Pacific. Hardy and attractive, it is a commonly used landscaping plant. There are at least five different species of naupaka. All but the naupaka kahakai are endemic to Hawai`i, and evolved from it, moving up the mountain slopes into unique niches in the Hawaiian ecosystem.

The Naupaka of legend married the beautiful, but lower ranking, ʻŌhikimakaloa, named for the small crab which lives in the makaloa sedges growing in the intertidal zone.

Hoʻopiʻo (High Ranked Birth) had wanted ʻŌhikimakaloa as a lover. Hulumaniani (Feather Fan), had wanted to marry Naupaka. Hoʻopiʻo spread evil gossip about the bride, careful to be sure that Naupaka heard it. Hulumaniani fanned Naupaka’s jealousy, and he allowed his jealousy to overrule his reason.

ʻŌhikimakaloa, not understanding his anger toward her, tried to win back her husband with soft words and flower lei she wove with her own hands, but he would have nothing to do with her. She followed him from shore to mountain, and back again, entreating him with her words and gifts, but he tore them from his heart and neck, letting the broken blossoms fall to the ground where they grew into shrubs that continue to bloom with torn flowers today. Eventually ʻŌhikimakaloa headed back down the mountain.

Returning to her home in the sedges, she pined away, becoming more and more withdrawn until she looked like a small crab hiding in its shell.

At last, Naupaka returned to the sea, thinking he would distract himself with surfing. But the sea was flat and calm, not a wave in sight, brooding like himself. Hulumaniani came to him and tried to place a lei about her neck, but he rebuffed her. She then placed the lei on the neck of Hoʻopiʻo, and together they chanted a song of victory. Naupaka suddenly realized what had happened. He ran to the sedges where ʻŌhikimakaloa lived, but could not find her.

Walking back up the beach alone, he sat staring out to sea until he turned into the shrub which bears his name. His face has the shape of the torn blossom, but you can tell he is still a chief, because under his chin he still wears the lei niho palaoa, emblem of royalty, that he wore as a man.

ʻŌhikimakaloa continues to live as a little crab in her sedge home at the water’s edge, but now that Naupaka understands the truth, she often runs up the beach to visit him and take shelter in the embrace of his branches and roots.

Is writing Hawaiian science fiction cultural appropriation?

One of the social media forums I participate in is currently having a discussion on whether or not is is cultural appropriation to write Hawaiian culture-based science fiction. My own perspective:

If the writer is grounded in Hawaiian culture and extrapolates from actual Hawaiian culture (rather than from “tiki culture” or by using Michener as a primary source), then there is a strong foundation to build on. If that writer is Kanaka ʻŌiwi, I will jump up and down for joy.

So, the person in question wants to write manga-esque science fiction. You know, robots, colliding worlds, attractive young people in sexy space suits. . . but from a future Hawaiian perspective instead of the usual Euro-centric or Japan-centric perspective. Let’s call it a robotic dystopian science-fiction future which explores the question, “What will Hawaiians/Hawaiian society be like in a dystopian manga-esque future world?”

Of course, there are some nay-sayers, “How dare you appropriate Hawaiian culture in such a way?” “Our kūpuna never did such things!” “Only write historical things that are proven to be true.” My goodness! The raison d’être for science fiction is to extrapolate and explore what has never before existed!

AND, this young person is a Hawaiian, so it is his/her/their own culture and future he/she/they are exploring! I am delighted that this young person has the wisdom to ask where the cultural lines are that should not be crossed. So, rather than shutting it down, I would suggest responding by offering guidance!

Personally, I think it is a fabulous idea. There is really no way to know exactly where the lines are until you run into them, so I would say “write first, then find cultural practitioners whose work pertains to the story and ask them to read it for you and give feedback.”

If we do not encourage young Hawaiian writers to stretch beyond the horizon we can see, how can we grow? If our ancestors had not wondered what was beyond all known bounds, none would have come to our own islands.

I would encourage this person to read the best writers in the genre, such as the works of the late Carol Severance. She wrote wonderful other-world fiction from a Polynesian perspective.

And, study Hawaiian culture. Inside and out. Read ʻIʻi, Malo, Kepelino, Kamakau, and others. You can find a starter list of primary sources on my reading list here. Read the Hawaiian newspapers on-line at Nupepa.org. Read the moʻolelo, the stories, of our navigator chiefs. Study, study, study. And write about that future. Explore it in the universe of your mind!

Our ancestors were explorers AND farmers – their eyes were on the stars and their feet were in the soil.

For the writerly side of writing, I think one of the misunderstandings beginning writers have is thinking that their first draft is a finished work. People have been handing me paychecks to write for 40 years, now. I’m lucky if the 5th or 6th draft is the one I submit for publication. When I decided to add historical fiction to my work, my first novel went through 16 drafts.

Another mistake beginning writers make is not having the work read by proofreaders and editors. I am blessed with wonderful readers. I’ve not asked their permission to post their names, but for that first novel I had the services of:

2 people to edit the Hawaiian history
2 people to edit the New England history
2 copy editors (they look for grammar and spelling errors)
2 general editors (they read for continuity and flow)
4 beta readers (they read the work when you think you are finished, and point out all the work you still need to do!)

Even if I do not agree with edits, having to think them over only makes me a better writer.

So, if you want to write, write! Don’t let anyone stop you! Explore those worlds in your mind, and then write it down and tell us all about it.

Dressing up Disney

I recently was in a forum where someone asked about cultural issues with dressing up as a Disney character. I thought that some of the points were worth sharing here.

1) My first problem with dressing up as a Disney character is that it supports an oppressive corporate culture with a long history of abusing employees.

2) My second problem is that the Disney portrayals of cultural stories (even those from white cultures) are inaccurate and misleading, and frequently gut the story of its intrinsic archetypes, cultural heritage, and of the life lessons it was created to pass on. (“Little Mermaid,” “Pocahontas,” “Moana,” I’m looking at you!)

3) My third problem is that the Disney portrayals of the characters often reinforce inaccurate white American stereotypes of the characters’ racial/ethnic/social backgrounds. (“Aladdin,” a story about a Turkic Chinese ethnic minority lower class young man, ʻAlāʼ ud-Dīn [nobility of faith], who seeks to win the Chinese princess Badr-ul-Budūr* [full moon of full moons] and overthrow the ruling oligarchy but is enticed by the riches and power)

But. . . kids LOVE Disney characters. SO we can use this as a way to teach the actual cultural heritage of those characters. Learn the traditional story that Disney appropriated, and go from there. Learn the reality about the awesome cultures and people (historical and/or legendary) Disney appropriated.

*High-ranking Chinese officials often married ethnic minority wives to seal bonds with the districts they were assigned to manage. In the telling I grew up with, Badr-ul-Budūr was the daughter of the ranking Chinese official of a city on the Silk Route, from the wife who was the daughter of the Turkic village leader.

Dressing as a specific historical person or legendary character can be a fun way to learn about amazing people and cultures. But, LEARN first.

And don’t use blackface, brownface, yellowface, or whatever-face.

One way to avoid cultural appropriation and whatever-colorface is to “flip it.” Does your daughter (a perfect Heidi, just look at those blue eyes and blonde braids) want to be Moana? Picture a Maori girl who wants to be Heidi. Would you put skin lightener and a blonde wig on her? Of course not. You just dress her in a dirndl and make two braids. So let a little girl who loves Moana dress up like Moana. Teach her the song, We Know the Way. Just don’t paint her brown. She does not even need a brown wig. Just brush her hair out over her shoulders.

MULAN – Mulan did not wear makeup. She was a soldier. I grew up with her story as an example of filial piety. She was not actually Han, as Disney has pictured her. She was Xianbei (a Chinese ethnic minority). So, right there, the Chinese already were appropriating her as the Han rose in power, Disney just continued the process! Anyway, being a strong warrior who fulfills duty to family is very cool, IMO. Just don’t do it in yellowface. Again, would you put Caucasian makeup on a Chinese girl and give her a blonde wig to be Supergirl? No. So if a Caucasian child wants to be Mulan, focus on bravery and honor, not makeup and wigs. You might even sign her up for wushu lessons. Joining a good school is a great way to get exercise, develop poise and confidence, and learn Chinese culture. And your child’s sifu will be able to answer questions about appropriate costume vs appropriation.

POCAHONTAS – Don’t do it. The poor girl was misrepresented, worked as diplomat, then kidnapped from her husband, raped, and kept as a display piece. The popular story was written as a huge PR campaign to justify taking the lands of her and other indigenous people of North America. Don’t perpetuate the abuse and lies. Disney should be ashamed of itself on that one.

LITTLE MERMAID – Just about every culture that has bodies of water has some kind of mermaid, so go for it. But you should study up on the type of mermaid. Disney really does a disservice to Anderson’s amazingly powerful story about desire, self-sacrifice, and coming to terms with ourselves.
a) The Sea Witch was not evil. She was simply a force of nature who tried to keep Ariel from throwing away her voice (Hmmmmmm. . . how many times do we sacrifice our voices for the sake of something we cannot have?)
b) Ariel does not get the prince. She dies in the end. But she turns into an air spirit because she died for true love. (And then Anderson wraps up with a bit of moralizing).

The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s famous fairy tale. Unveiled on 23 August 1913, the statue was a gift from Danish brewer Carl Jacobsen to the City of Copenhagen. You can find some modern Danish mermaids at this link. You can learn more about *nøkke* here.

MOANA/MAUI – That thing where Disney was selling skinsuits with Maui’s tattoos was just gross, disgusting, and about as culturally inappropriate as you can get. If children want to be Maui and wear kākau, they should learn the stories of Maui, understand them, and then think of heroic deeds they, themselves, have done (saved a kitten? Reminded Mom to wear a seatbelt? Everyone has done something good and brave) and use an eyebrow pencil or something to draw their own kākau that tell their own story.

Costume Ideas

Girl Heroes! Your child can dress as a real-life change-making heroic woman.

Who are your heroes? Here are some ideas for dressing as the heroes we see every day!

Seventy five ideas you can check out!

Angiostrongyliasis – Ratlung Worm

Angiostrongyliasis, also known as rat lungworm (RLW), has been in the news a lot recently. Over the past ten years, more than 80 cases of people developing RLW have been reported. Two of the people died from the disease. Some of those who survived have reported continuing effects.

RLW affects the brain and spinal cord. It is caused by a parasitic nematode (roundworm parasite) called Angiostrongylus cantonensis. The adult form of A. cantonensis is only found in rodents, such as rats and mice. Infected rodents can pass larvae of the worm in their kūkae (feces). Then, intermediate hosts which eat the kūkae, such as snails, slugs, freshwater shrimp, coqui frogs, and similar animals can become infected by ingesting this larvae.

Humans can become infected with A. cantonensis by eating a raw or undercooked infected intermediate host, such as a small slug. This is easier to do than one might imagine, as they can be quite small and hide in the folds of leafy greens.

The parasite does not reproduce in humans, but when they are trying to grow, and when they are dying, they can make people very sick.

Pets can be infected with RLW if intermediate hosts such as slugs are crawling on their food, and the pet accidentally consumes the slug while eating.

Eliminating rats and slugs from areas near your home will help to reduce the chance you will come into contact with it. Manu and I have tried many different traps and pest-chasers. We have found the Rat Zapper to be the most effective for getting rid of rats. For slugs, I lay out sheet plastic, then (wearing plastic gloves) “harvest” the slugs from the plastic and squish them. The remains are bagged and disposed of rather than buried, as we do not want pets digging them up.

For more information on the life-cycle of A. cantonensis, visit the CDC website.