Ige Signs Act 32: Licenses Midwives in Hawaii

MEDIA RELEASE – May 5

In celebration of International Day of the Midwife, Hawaiʻi becomes 35th state to regulate midwives

HONOLULU, HI – International Day of the Midwife “Midwives: Defenders of women’s rights” is being celebrated today all around the world, and Hawaiʻiis joining in by honoring midwives with a licensure law! Governor David Ige signed the bipartisan legislation to license midwives into law on April 30, 2019 as Act 32.

The law was introduced as part of the Women’s Legislative Caucus Package to regulate midwifery practice in Hawaiʻi, providing public health protections through adoption and implementation of global and national standardsfor midwives. Act 32 provides exemptions for traditional Native Hawaiian healing practices, as they are protected under the State Constitution; and birth attendants until July 1, 2023 if disclose they are practicing without a license. A task force is included in the law, which legislators have suggested be used by birth attendants to define themselves, their scope of practice and educational pathway for regulation by 2023. 

Dani Dougherty, a certified professional midwife (CPM) on Hawaiʻi island who specializes in community based care, states “This bill has been a long time coming! Hawaiʻi families who choose community birth will have access to providers who are willing to prove their competency by meeting the appropriate educational, training and credentialing standards.” Dani Dougherty intends to apply for licensure in 2020.

Midwives were regulated in Hawaiʻi from 1931 through 1998 through the Department of Health. The midwifery law was repealed when nurse-midwives were placed under the board of nursing, resulting in a lapse of midwifery regulation. Certified nurse-midwives have continued to be licensed as advanced practice registered nurses. Act 32 recognizes and provides a pathway to licensure for certified professional midwives and certified midwives in Hawaiʻi after 21 years of legislative efforts.

“Recognizing midwives is critical,” says Leʻa Minton, Board President of Midwives Alliance of Hawaiʻi , “as they are part of the solution to our healthcare provider shortage, and they generally live and work in rural and neighbor island communities. There is a misperception that midwives only take care of pregnant women and deliver babies. This is definitely one aspect of their beloved care services, and midwives are also trained to provide well woman exams; pap smears; breast exams; counsel on reproductive life plans and some prescribe contraceptive methods; screen for sexually transmitted infections and some prescribe treatment; screen for depression, tobacco and substance use disorder, provide brief interventions and/or refer out as needed for treatment; and care for newborns in the first 4-6 weeks of life. Licensing midwives recognizes them as part of the healthcare team, and provides the opportunity for them to work to their fullest scope of practice, which is when Hawaiʻi gains the maximum benefitof midwifery care. We are so grateful to everyone who helped with this effort, to Governor Ige for signing Act 32 into law, and we are absolutely thrilled with the opportunities that lie ahead!”

Resources

Midwives Alliance of Hawaiʻi

Hawai’i Affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives

People may now choose any middle or last name upon marriage

Effective April 17, 2019, Hawaii law is changed to allow parties to a marriage or civil union to choose any middle or last name to use upon the marriage or civil union.

Chapter 574-1 Married persons; civil union partners. Upon marriage or civil union, each of the parties to a marriage or partners in a civil union shall declare the middle and last names each will use as a married person or civil union partner. 

No person shall be required to change that person’s middle or last name upon entering into a marriage or civil union. Parties to a marriage and partners in a civil union shall not be required to have the same middle or last name. Every person may adopt any middle or last name upon entering into a marriage or civil union.

“Stories of Hawaiian Stars” set for 23 March at Maunakea VIS

Award-winning storyteller Leilehua Yuen and her husband, musician Manu Josiah shares Stories of the Stars at this month’s Ma lalo o ka Pō Lani. This presentation is presented as part of the week-long global story-telling celebration which begins each year on the Spring Equinox with World Storytelling Day.

This year, the theme of World Storytelling Day is “Myths, Legends, and Epics.”

As in many cultures, the stars are Hawaii’s calendar, clock, map, and library. From ancient times, our navigators used the stars as a guide across the ocean. Farmers and fishers used them to as an almanac. By their movements, people told the seasons and the times. And the constellations illustrated the great myths, legends, and epics of the Polynesians who traversed the ocean for millennia.

Join Manu and Leilehua at 3 pm in the Presentation Room of the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy at the 9,000 ft elevation on Mauna Kea for an hour of sharing a brief glimpse into some of Hawaiʻi’s storytelling traditions, as illustrated by the stars.

For details, visit the Maunakea Visitor Information Station page for Ma Lalo o ka Pō Lani. Or phone: 1-808-961-2180

You can also visit the program FaceBook page, “Ma Lalo o ka Po Lani”

Sign up for the Ma Lalo o ka Pō Lani mailing list for information on future programs and activities.

Piʻopiʻo, on the banks of the Wailoa

The first Hawaiians to settle the banks of the Wailoa River found it a rich wetland where the fresh waters spread out before mingling with the salt of Hilo Bay. As they cultivated Piopio, they built loko ʻiʻa (fishponds) and loʻi (taro paddies) which eventually would feed generations of chiefs who ruled the district of Hilo from its bountiful heart.

The renowned chief Alapaʻinuiakauaua dwelt at Piʻopiʻo, and it was the final home of Keōua Kalanikupuapaʻīkalaninui Ahilapalapa, father of Paiʻea Kamehameha. Keōua died at Piʻopiʻo in the 1760s. Kamehameha himself would spend time at the royal compound while constructing the vast Peleleu Fleet. Kauikeaouli, Kamehameha III visited Piʻopiʻo in his first trip of state as king.

Later, Ruth Keanolani Kauanahoahoa Keʻelikōlani, great granddaughter of Paiʻea Kamehameha, would be heir to the lands, and had a home that was located on the boarder of Piʻopiʻo and Kūkūau, what is now the grassy lawn near the Chevron gas station.

In the mid 1800s, Piʻopiʻo was luxuriant with coconut trees, as referenced in this line from an 1864 chant:

I ke one o Waiolama, I ka uluniu o Piopio,

Ka Nupepa Kuokoa: Vol. 3, No. 1 (2 January 1864): page 3

“To the sands of Waiolama, to the coconut grove of Piʻopiʻo.”

In 1885, the first large group of Japanese immigrants arrived in Hawaiʻi to work on the sugar plantations. By around 1900, they were starting to lease land to farm. By then, many of the stone walls, temple platforms, and other structures of Waiākea, including at Piʻopiʻo, had been dismantled for construction projects, such as the new wharves and roadways of bustling Hilo.

Many of the new immigrants had been farmers in Japan. They found the fertile lands of Piʻopiʻo perfect for rice, taro, and other crops with which they were already familiar. Soon, a thriving village grew, and was named “Shinmachi,” “New Town,” by its inhabitants. Bon dances and other festivals were celebrated by the tight-knit community on the banks of Hilo’s great fishponds. But four decades later, in 1946, at 6:54 am on April 1st, a tsunami pulled the ocean away from Hilo, and then pushed it back over the waterfront and Shinmachi. Across the island, 159 people died.

With the resilience for which Hilo is known, people re-built. Hilo, and Shinmachi, rose again. But, only 14 years later, in 1960, “New Town” was destroyed by another great wave. The successive waves reached as high as 35 feet, and killed 61 people.

Shinmachi would not be rebuilt.

Instead, the State of Hawaiʻi turned the area into a 132 acre green zone, creating the Wailoa River State Recreation Area along Hilo’s bay front. An art center, tsunami memorial, veterans memorial, and statue of Paiʻea Kamehameha now stand where chiefs once lived. Instead of boardwalks zig-zagging across the watery landscape, gravel and asphalt paths meander about the area. Many trees – coconut, banyan and mango – which survived the tsunami remain. Tsunami survivors tell stories of being saved when their homes were washed against the trees, and they scrambled up the strong limbs to safety. Bridges now cross the fishponds and river in graceful arcs, reflecting in the waters below.

Shinmachi Tsunami Memorial, a wave-shaped lava amphitheater with a ceramic mosaic set in the courtyard, honors the people of Hawaiʻi Island who were lost to tsunami. The mosaic, titled “Submerged Rocks and Water Reflections” was designed by Maui-born abstract expressionist artist Tadashi Sato.

The Vietnam War Memorial was dedicated in 1988. Built by volunteers, with the assistance of Fair Contracting and Fukunaga Electric, the 20ft by 20ft platform is faced with black granite. An eternal flame flickers at the center of the upper platform. A grove of 50 palm trees border the pathway, commemorating the 50 Hawaiʻi County men who lost their lives in the war.

Across the Waiolama Canal from the Vietnam War Memorial is a statue of Paiʻea Kamehameha. At 14ft (4.3 m), it is the tallest of the four statues of the mōʻī, (sovereign). Originally commissioned by the Princeville Corporation for their Kauai resort, the people of Kauaʻi objected to its being erected on that island, as he had never ruled Kauaʻi. Through the assistance of the Kamehameha Schools Alumni Association, East Hawaii Chapter, Princeville Corporation donated it to Hilo, a place which figured prominently in the mōʻī’s rise to power. Hilo was his capitol while he prepared his fleet to move northward, and his highest ranking son, Kalaninui kua Liholiho i ke kapu ʻIolani, also known as Kamehameha II, was born. Legend tells that Kamehameha gave the town its name when a rope fashioned in the style called “hilo” was used to prevent his canoe from being carried away by the tide. Sculpted by R. Sandrin at the Fracaro Foundry in Vicenza, Italy, in 1963, the statue finally was installed in its present location in 1997.

The Wailoa Center was designed by Oda & McCarty Architects and completed in 1967. Now a half century old, it retains the classic 1960s architecture. Then-governor John Burns shepherded the center’s construction as a mahalo to Hilo for supporting him, and placed Tadao Okimoto as its first director. Governor Burns asked Hilo educator Mary Matayoshi to help Okimoto set up the new center. The first exhibit was of sterling silver, which ran for four years. That was followed by a kimono exhibit which ran for almost two.

When Okimoto was ready to retire from the center, Kathleen “Pudding” Lassiter was asked to apply for the position. By 1999, it was time for some refurbishing. The center needed new paint, inside and out. The asphalt floor was cracked. The storage room was full of unused items, and the office was cramped. Lassiter was given $6,000 for paint. “The whole community pulled together,” she says. George Iranon at Kulani Prison brought 30 of the inmates to the center, where they worked for three weeks. They cleaned the storeroom and made it into an office, and turned the small office into a small gallery. “I had no money to feed them,” Lassiter says. “I went to all the okazuya and each one donated bentos. . . Safeway and KTA donated watermelons. . . Pepsi donated sodas. . . So, they could eat and they had all the soda they wanted for the three weeks.” After their release, several came back to work at the center as volunteers.

Lassiter recruited volunteers from all walks of life, including seniors from the county RSVP program. Her oldest volunteer was Caroline Johnson, who began at the center in her 90s. When she was 105, she told Lassiter she would need to retire, as she could no longer hear the phone.

The loving maintenance provided by a variety of entities has kept the building in excellent shape for its age. Throughout the years, local businesses and individuals have lent their time, talent, and other resources to mālama, to care for, the center.

Codie King, the current Wailoa Center director, says, “Without our supportive community, without our volunteers, without individuals who find the value in culture and art, Wailoa Center would not still be here 50 years later. I feel the momentum growing for Wailoa Center to continue well into the future by celebrating our community’s shared diversity, ideas and perspectives. We will grow, side by side, with our many cultures, with our varied beliefs in our delicate environment, hopefully to perpetuate a meaningful, positive lifestyle we can share with the world.”

The most recent refurbishment includes a series of murals, by Hawaiʻi island artist and educator Emily Leucht, which enwrap the building. Each of the mural panels references a different place-based story of Piʻopiʻo.

Lokelani Brandt, whose master’s thesis is an ethno-historical study of Piʻopiʻo, uncovered a list of place names recorded in 1925 by Mrs. Kaʻouli Kaʻai and documented by Theodore Kelsey. It is these place names that are inspiration for the imagery within the mural. Brandt says, “Recalling the old stories is one part of maintaining a connection to our past. The history and heritage of a place are realized when we retell and internalize its stories. As we move forward and are required to make decisions about how we will utilize a place, knowing the cultural history allows us to make informed decisions that are founded on the generational layering of knowledge and wisdom that are place specific.”

The simple blocked out shapes – swirls, triangles, reticulations – contain the essence of a complex and deeply storied past. While it would be impossible to include all of the place names, each panel depicts carefully selected wahi pana within the area that the panel faces. Most of names are within Wailoa or Piʻopiʻo. The mountains of Maunakea and Mauna Loa also are included, as they are an essential part of our water gathering systems.

Leucht says, “I hope that the representation of these names in this visual and public manner will encourage our community to question the history of Hilo that they already know, and then to look deeper. I hope to honor those that have come before, and that this peek into the past will give us a path towards the revitalization of Piʻopiʻo, a central part of Waiākea, and Hilo.”

Included in that revitalization of Piʻopiʻo is an ethnobotanical garden.

In traditional Hawaii thought, plants have a genealogy that connects them to humans. Urbanization and agriculture have removed many native plants from the daily lives of people, severing this connection. The Piʻopiʻo Ethnobotanical Garden, proposed in March of this year, seeks to honor and renew the connection, and to revitalize the area by providing an interactive garden that features food crops as well as plants for the making medicine, lei, dye and cordage. The garden is planned to be a community resource of plants high in ethno-botanical importance. As a centrally located space that curates these vital species, the garden will provide a place where the public can interact with these plants, form stronger relationships with them, and practice cultural traditions, all of which will ensure that these “plant people” have a seat at our table for generations to come.

Supporting an ethnobotanical garden, providing space for teaching art, and hosting exhibits throughout the year makes a busy calendar, quite a change from the early days of the center when a kimono show once ran for two years. Over the years, exhibits have changed from primarily cultural shows to more art type shows and exhibits. 

There are eleven exhibits a year with the most popular being the Woodturners (March), the MAMO (Maoli Art Month Show-in April), Woodworkers/Ukulele show (October) and the Hawaii Nei Show (November –mid-December) which occur on a yearly basis.  People have been known to plan their vacations around attending the Woodturners and Woodworker/Ukulele Shows.  Another very popular show is the “Abstract Only” show in August which has been a staple for 14 years.  Many of the exhibits have ties with various community groups, the University of Hawaii-Hilo and Art Galleries from all over the island. 

The Wailoa Center is part of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of State Parks, and is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. free of charge.

The Rivers of Hawaiʻi

Hurricane Lane brought more attention than usual to our streams and rivers. Hopefully, we can learn from the flooding. One place to look for clues is in the ancient legends. One, associated with the Wailuku, has to do with the arrival of Paʻao.

When Pāʻao arrived in Hilo, he built his hale and planted pili on the rock called Maui’s Canoe. Locals told him that it was a poor place to build, as the islet was often awash when the river flooded. Pāʻao replied that as long as the pili grew there, the rock would not be covered.

It is said that many generations passed, and the rock was not covered, no matter how high the waters rose. Hurricane Lane, however, utterly covered the rock. Even Koloiki (Reed’s Island) was awash.

Re-examination of this moʻolelo makes me think that our kūpuna considered tending the riverbed to be an important part of flood control. We have not been tending the Wailuku river bed. It has become clogged with invasive trees and brush. When Lane came and washed logs and brush into the river, they were trapped by the invasive trees and contributed to the flooding of the island.

As Maui’s Canoe is really too small for a proper home, and I have seen it covered several times in my own lifetime, I wonder if the story originally was attached to Koloiki.

The Floodplain of Hilo

Aloha no! I would like to share a little history of Hilo’s soccer field area, as I learned it from my kūpuna and some others who have researched it:
 
Back when Paiʻea Kamehameha was building his Peleleu Fleet, the beach went all the way back to the canal. This is why this part of Hilo, from the Wailuku to the Wailoa, is named Hilo One, “Sandy Hilo.” Behind the beach, and throughout the area where Wailoa Park is now, were lush taro fields, as well as fish ponds.
 
The entire area between the Wailuku and Wailoa are Hilo’s natural floodplain. Waiākea is also part of this natural floodplain, as you can see by the name, “Broad Water.”
 
From Hilo One to mauka, and crossing where Komohana Street is now, were Haili Forest and Mokaulele Forest. The remnants of Mokaulele are above the ʻImiloa Astronomy Center.
 
This forest created a natural sponge which helped to absorb the famous rains of Hilo. Many ancient chants describe the heavy rainfall of Hilo, and how it fills the waterways and tears at the edges of the shore.
 
Paiʻea Kamehameha logged huge swaths of the forest surrounding Hilo One to build the Peleleu Fleet.
 
Later, more of the forest was logged to build Hilo Town. Haili Church is named for the forest that its lumber came from.
 
Later, when Sugar was King, railroad tracks were built on the beach. A berm was created to protect the railway.
 
Over the years, communities grew up along the railway and in the Wailoa Park area (most famouly, Shinmachi). Roadways were installed, in addition to the railways.
 
The communities were destroyed by the tsunamis of 1946 and 1960.
 
After 1960, the devastated areas were made into parks so that people could not rebuild there and suffer such losses again.
 
The Kaikoʻo area was created with fill, to elevate governmental and commercial areas above the worst of the tsunami’s reach.
 
By then, Hilo had grown so much there was no place to put a replacement for a major road to serve the makai areas, so the bay front road would have to remain, and because it is so close to sea level, it would have to be protected by a berm. Still, when the sea is rough, the road must be closed.
 
I often hear people say that the berm needs to be cut through and opened up to allow the water on the so-called “soccer field” to drain into the bay. The problem with that idea is that the “soccer field” is only 10 feet above sea level. If that berm were removed, there would be little difference between the floodplain and the bay. Rough seas would use the entire area for a beach. 
 
Yes, there was poor planning, but the poor planning was done in the 1800s. The city should not have been developed makai of what is now Kinoʻole St. All of that area is part of the natural floodplain. But what is done, is done, and the current situation is the best possible solution taking into account the various needs of Hilo. 
 
In 1994, plans were made to mitigate the problems through the Alenaio Stream Flood Control Project. Draining the water into the remains of the floodplain keeps it out of the rest of Hilo, and allows it to slowly seep away, rather than “bite the shore like an angry dog,” as the old chants describe.
 
Rather than be angry that the soccer field and park get flooded, I think we should be happy that enough of the floodplain was opened up to provide for much of the storm waters, and when it is not storming, we have a wonderful soccer field and park to use.
 
Just my manaʻo. If I have made any errors, please give me links and documentation, as I am passionate about the history of our town, and always seeking to learn more!
 

Malama pono!

Mahalo to Baron Sekia for the info about the Alenaio Stream project.

For some amazing photos, check out Extreme Exposure’s Facebook page.

The Urban Kīpuka Project

The Urban Kīpuka Project – More information

This may look like a lush tropical landscape, but there are ZERO native Hawaiian species in this image. Except for the avocado tree (a 20th century introduced food crop) buried under an aggressive philodendron, all of the visible species at this site are highly invasive. Philodendron, running bamboo, and thunbergia have created an almost sterile biome lacking in diversity. Left alone, they will kill the avocado tree. There are virtually no understory plants, resulting in significant erosion of topsoil. The only fungi are molds.

A healthy biome comprises diverse species which fill many niches. The Urban Kīpuka Project will explore ways to re-create ecosystems with healthy diversity for small urban/suburban environments.

Hawaiʻi has the unfortunate distinction of being “the extinction capitol of the world.” Many of our native birds are gone due to habitat loss and introduced diseases and predators. Many of our plants have been bulldozed away by development.

LeiManu Design‘s Urban Kīpuka Project seeks to find ways that individuals can create kīpuka, oases of native plants, in their own yards to provide habitat for native flora and fauna. We believe that if each of us creates a kīpuka, we can slow, if not stop, the rampant loss of native and cultural plants, and the native animals that inhabit them.

Click here for more information:
The Urban Kīpuka Project

Hilo and Kamehameha

By Leilehua Yuen, copyright October 2015, Hilo, Hawai`i

Early Life and Battles of Pai`ea Kamehameha

Pai`ea was born around the year 1758 at Kokoiki, Kohala, Moku O Keawe. Immediately after his birth, he was taken to Waipi`o to be reared until he matured enough for training as a warrior. Due to political considerations which placed his life at risk, he was reared as a solitary child, and thus given the sobriquet Kamehameha, “The Lonely One.”

Although the inculcation of Western literature into Hawaiian schools has made common the names “King Kamehameha” and “Kamehameha the Great,” he is more correctly called “Pai`ea Kamehameha.”

When referring to him as the founder of the Kamehameha Dynasty, he is called Kamehameha I. “Kamehameha Nui” is the name of the ruler of Maui, Lani, and Moloka`i who lived two generations before Pai`ea Kamehameha. In genealogies of Ka`ū, Puna, and Hilo people, he is sometimes called “Kamehameha the Conqueror.”

Upon reaching his teens, Pai`ea Kamehameha was sent to the district of Ka`ū to train as a koa (warrior). He swiftly proved his skill in battle, strategy, and diplomatic negotiations and rose through the ranks to become a well-respected battle chief for his uncle, Kalaniopu`u, the ruling ali`i of Kona, Kohala, and Ka`ū. In 1779 Pai`ea was one of the court members who met with Capt. James Cook onboard the Discovery at Kealakekua. Being an astute tactician, he immediately recognized the usefulness of the European weaponry.

Pai`ea Kamehameha was reared and trained to become the military leader for his cousin Kiwalaō, heir of Kalaniopu`u. In 1781, on the death of Kalaniopu`u, Kiawala’o inherited rulership of the leeward portions of the island of Hawai`i. However, although Pai`ea Kamehameha was of lower rank, and only a nephew of the late king, he had inherited custodianship of the war god.

Pai`ea Kamehameha soon began to challenge Kiwalaōʻs authority. During the funeral for one of Kalani’opu’u’s chiefs, Kamehameha stepped in and performed one of the rituals specifically reserved for Kiwala’ō. This was an insulting act, foreshadowing open rebellion.

In 1782 Pa`ea Kamehamehaʻs and Kiwalaōʻs forces met in battle at Mokuōhai. Kiwalaō was killed. Among Kiwalaōʻs relatives who escaped was an uncle, Keawemauhili (half-brother of Kalaniopu`u, the deceased chief), who was married to the Ali`i Nui of Hilo. Escaping with his life, he returned to Hilo.

Over the next several years Pai`ea Kamehameha instigated and responded to many battles to expand and consolidate his territory. He captured the daughter of Kiwalaō, Keōpūolani, and married her. As the highest ranking woman in the southern Hawaiian Islands, she would produce heirs of unassailable lineage. He also married Ka`ahumanu, who had been betrothed to Kiwalaō.

In marrying Keōpūolani, Pai`ea Kamehameha also adopted her `aumakua, her family god, Kihawahine. From the time of his marriage to Keopuolani, Kamehameha I carried the image of Kihawahine with him. He credited her with his victories in uniting the islands of Hawai`i, and erected her image dressed in deep saffron and light yellow kapa at several Maui and Hawai’i heiau.

In 1783, an incident occurred which would affect all Hawai`i in later years. Pai`ea Kamehameha had just lost a battle with the warriors of Hilo, then in its 7th generation of rule by the powerful `I family which also had close kinship ties with Puna and Ka`ū.

After retreating, Pai`ea Kamehameha decided to make a stealth attack on Hilo to capture victims for sacrifice. Not finding what he was seeking in Hilo, he continued sailing along the coast to Pāpa`i, in Puna. There, he sighted a group of fishermen and their families. As soon as the people onshore realized it was a war canoe, they ran inland. As his men beached the canoe, he jumped out and gave chase, leaving his men behind. As he chased the commoners, his foot slipped into a crack in the lava and he was trapped. One of the fishermen ran back and hit him over the head with a canoe paddle, stunning him and breaking the paddle. The fishermen and their families escaped.

To be overcome by commoners was a humiliating thing for a ranking chief and warrior, and his men would be blamed for not guarding him properly. Pai`ea Kamehameha tried to keep the incident quiet and protect his companions, but his steersman was killed by the other chiefs, who felt he had failed in his duty. The incident remained in Pai`ea Kamehameha’s mind.

After a decade of warfare, Pai`ea Kamehameha engaged his last major Hawai`i Island rival, Keōua Kūkahau`ula, a younger brother of Kiwalaō who was in the successive line, in two major battles. In the second, Keōua Kūkahao`ula lost much of his army in a volcanic eruption. These were the last major battles fought with indigenous weapons.

Between battles, Pai`ea Kamehameha had captured and traded for European weaponry. He became the first Hawaiian chief to use guns and cannons against Hawaiian people. Other chiefs quickly followed his example.

Pai`ea Kamehameha had been building a great war temple in his home district of Kohala, and completed it in 1791. Under diplomatic guise, he invited Keōua Kūkahao`ula to the consecration. Keōua Kūkahao`ula was killed and offered as the consecratory sacrifice. This action consolidated Pa`ieaʻs rule of Kohala, Kona, and Ka`ū.

Hilo chiefs had a long-time relationship with Ka`ū chiefs through alliance and intermarriage. Ululani, Ali`i Nui (High Chief) of Hilo, had been married to the Ka`ū ali`i Keawemauhili, half brother to the late Kalaniopu`u. After his death she married another Ka`ū ali`i of the same lineage, Keaweaheulu Kaluaʻapana.

Keaweaheulu Kaluaʻapana, however, was a high-ranking advisor to Pai`ea Kamehameha. Well versed in court intrigue, it was he who had been the bearer of the invitation to Keōua Kūkahao`ula which resulted in the latter’s death and sacrifice. Pai`ea Kamehameha now had a supremely loyal infiltrator with the ear of Hiloʻs Ali`i Nui.

Hilo

The great Polynesian navigator and culture hero Hilo is said to have been one of the discoverers of Hawai`i, and so the fertile district of Hilo was granted him and named in his honor.

“Hilo” also means to twist fibers into a double helix, as when making rope, string, or thread. It also is the name of the first visible moon of the month, as the thin twist of moon looks like a piece of thread, and it is the name for the thin twisted thread of light that appears briefly on the ocean horizon just at dawn.

Hilo has been populated since ancient times. Many people lived above Hilo One, from where the police station now stands to the medical center, and farmed the fertile lowlands. The area where the Wailoa Art Center and the Tsunami memorial now stand is Piopio, an exceptionally fertile area on which the royal compound for the chiefs of Hilo was built. Pai`ea Kamehamehaʻs own father, Keoua Kupuapāikalani, spent his final days and died there. The area where today’s soccer fields are now was covered with taro fields.

The shoreline portion of Hilo is divided into three areas: Hilo Palikū–the area fronted by the sea cliffs, Hilo One–reaching from the Wailuku River to the Wailoa River, and Hilo Hanakahi–named for the beloved chief Hanakahi whose reign was marked by peace and prosperity.

Much of the prosperity of Hilo Hanakahi derived from its position on the windward side of the island, combined with the rich flood plain of Waiākea (“broad water”), where taro could be cultivated in abundance.

Many heiau (temples) attested to the prosperity of Hilo. Pinao Heiau, mauka in Pi`ihonua, was where Pai`ea had overturned the Naha stone. Just back from the northern bank of the Wailuku River was Kanoa Heiau. Kaipalaoa (Sea Whale) Heiau sat on the southern banks. The village of Kaipalaoa was major trade center, where people from Hilo Palikū and the northern districts met the people of the southern portions of Hilo and Puna.

Makai of Piopio, approximately where Lili`uokalani Park is today, was the luakini heiau (temple of human sacrifice) for Hilo. Just offshore in the bay a pu`uhonua (place of refuge) occupied Moku Ola.

Pai`ea Kamehameha was familiar with the Hilo district from his youth. Kaipalaoa, across the Wailuku River from Pu`u`eo was a favorite surfing area, and at least eight excellent breaks could be found from Pu`u`eo to Waiākea.

Also, just a few years before the arrival of Capt. James Cook, Pai`ea was taken to Pinao Heiau in Pi`ihonua, where he overturned the Pōhaku Naha (Naha Stone), a foundation stone of ancient times, indicating he would fulfill the prophecy of a chief who would overturn the old order of Hawai`i.

He continued to visit Kaipalaoa throughout the years. On one visit, he decided to travel to Koloʻiki, the area now known as Reedʻs Island, on personal business, and ordered his bodyguard to stay behind to guard his canoe. He was gone far longer than expected, and the men became concerned and discussed heading mauka (inland) to see if their chief needed their aid. The incoming tide, however, would raise the canoe while they were gone, and it would float away. One of the men suggested they make ropes to secure the canoe to the nearby coconut trees. He instructed the others on how to gather dry lā`ī (tī leaves), soak them in the sea water, and then twist them into strong ropes in the method known as “hilo.” They did this, and once the canoe was secured, they headed mauka to aid their chief. They soon met him, safe and sound, walking back to the canoe. Angry that they had not stayed with the canoe, he questioned them as to how they had assured its safety. They explained they had made a rope of lā`ī and secured it to the nearby coconut trees. The chief expressed surprise, as only people from Waipi`o practiced the hilo style of rope making. The man who had taught them explained that he was, indeed, from Waipi`o. To commemorate the event, Pai`iea Kamehameha re-named the village “Hilo.”

Hilo was a wealthy district with easy access to fresh water, the largest rivers on the island, and abundant forest resources. Koa, needed for building large canoes, hau, and niu, needed for rope making, taro, needed for carbohydrates to feed large numbers of people, and fishponds needed to provide protein and sea vegetables, were all in abundance in Hilo. Personally, Pai`ea Kamehameha was especially fond of the young mullet from the Wailoa pond.

With one of his closest advisors, Keaweaheulu Kaluaʻapana, married to the Ali`i Nui of Hilo, the high chiefess Ululani, Kamehameha had easy access to its resources.

In 1794, he decided to move his base of operations to Hilo, and celebrated that yearʻs Makahiki, the Hawaiian New Year and a major religious observance, at Moku Ola.

By 1795, Pai`ea Kamehameha had subjugated Hilo, Puna, and Ka`ū on Hawai`i, as well as the remaining southern Hawaiian islands: Maui, Moloka`i, Lāna`i, and O`ahu. The continued independence of the northern islands, Kauai and Ni`ihau which were ruled by Ali`i Nui Kaumuali`i, rankled him and he decided to do whatever it took to overwhelm Kaumuali`iʻs forces. He moved to the district of Hilo to build his Peleleu fleet, the largest navy the Pacific Ocean had known.

Keaweaheulu Kaluaʻapana was from a family with traditional ties to the Hilo chiefs, but in this case his loyalty lay with the Kohala chief, Pai`ea Kamehameha. With his chief now privy to all the strengths and weaknesses of Hilo, Ululani had had a choice of leading peaceful agrarian Hilo in a fight against the largest, best trained, and most heavily armed military force Hawai`i had ever known, or save her people’s lives by graciously playing hostess to the invading forces.

Heavy taxes were levied on the people of Hilo to provide food for the many artisans, shipwrights, rope makers, weavers, kahuna, and all who were needed to build the great broad canoes of the fleet, as well as the warriors who would man them.

The people of Hilo also paid taxes of koa logs, felled and dragged down the slopes from Haili, Mokaulele, and Kaūmana to the broad black sand beach of Hilo One. When complete, the flotilla was so large that the first wave of the invasion was landing at Lāhaina, Maui before the last canoes were launched from the sands of Hilo – a distance of about 150 miles by sea.

While he was living in Hilo to oversee the building of his fleet, some of Pai`ea Kamehamehaʻs wives joined him. Keōpūolani became pregnant, and it was his wish that the child be born at Kukaniloko on O`ahu, a sacred birth center. However, she was too ill to travel, and so in 1797 Liholiho, the royal heir, was born in Hilo.

It was at this time that Pai`ea Kamehameha recalled the incident with the fisherman of Pāpa`i. He had all of the people of Hilo and Puna questioned as to the location of the man. At last the fisherman was brought before him. Everyone was convinced the man would be executed. Instead, Pai`ea Kamehameha asked his forgiveness. The chief then proclaimed Hawai`iʻs first national law:

Kānāwai Māmalahoe 

E nā kānaka,
E mālama ‘oukou i ke akua
A e mālama ho‘i ke kanaka nui a me kanaka iki;
E hele ka ‘elemakule, ka luahine, a me ke kama
A moe i ke ala
‘A‘ohe mea nāna e ho‘opilikia.
Hewa nō, make.

 Law of the Splintered Paddle

Oh people,
Honor thy god;
respect alike [the rights of] people both great and humble;
May everyone, from the old men and women to the children
Be free to go forth and lie in the road (i.e. by the roadside or pathway)
Without fear of harm.
Break this law, and die.

Until that time, laws were not applied consistently, but at the whim of the ali`i or kahuna. Common people were essentially the property of the chiefs. With the proclamation of the Kānāwai Māmalahoe, Hawai`i counteracted centuries of royal prerogative with a law of human rights. In honor of the fishermanʻs attempt to defend himself, the law was named for the paddle which had been splintered over the chiefʻs head. To this day, the main road (known in English as the Belt Highway) around Hawai`i Island and runs more or less where the original royal road once lay, is named the Māmalahoa Highway.

In 1801, Hualalai, on the other side of the island, erupted. Pai`ea Kamehamehaʻs kahuna advised that he had not been generous enough with offerings to Pele, and that she wanted to eat the breadfruit in his orchards and the sweet fish in his ponds. He asked the kahuna to take additional offerings, but the kahuna stated that as the offence was the chiefʻs, the chief needed to go. He told the kahuna that if Pele was so angry, it was likely he would be killed. His two most prominent wives, Keōpūolani and Ka`ahumanu, said that if he were to die, they would be with him and die at his side. Ululani, the ali`i nui of Hilo, was related to Pele. As a member of the Pele clan, when her first child died in infancy the baby was taken to Pele to be deified and become an `aumakua. Ululani offered to go with the party to appeal to her child to intercede for them. At the flow, an unusual flame was seen dancing at the edge of the lava closest to them. The kahuna stated that this was Ululaniʻs child. The chiefesses followed Pai`ea Kamehameha in making offerings, but the eruption continued until he cut off his hair and cast it into the flow, which then stopped.

Shortly after the eruption, the Peleleu fleet was ready. “Peleleu” translates to English as “broad.” Compared to traditional Hawaiian war canoes, these were built short and broad with reinforced superstructure to accommodate European weaponry and rigging.

Since meeting Westerners, Kamehameha had astutely traded for goods to reinforce his social status and his military capability. By the time the 800 canoe Peleleu Fleet was complete he had amassed 14 cannon ranging from three to six pounders, 40 swivels, 6 mortars, and 600 muskets.

Shortly after returning from Hualalaiʻs cooling eruption, Pai`ea Kamehameha ordered the Peleleu Fleet to set sail for Maui

While the Peleleu Fleet was being constructed in Hilo, in his home district of Kohala, Pai`ea Kamehameha had ordered the establishment of a shipyard complete with forges and blacksmiths. There, Hawaiian and haole (foreign) shipwrights constructed between 20 and 30 European style vessels of between 20 and 25 ton burthen. As the Peleleu Fleet reached the Alenuihāhā Channel the western-style ships were launched. In 1802, the massive fleet landed at Maui for staging. After a year of sea trials, training, and staging, the fleet, with nearly 8,000 trained warrior-seamen launched for O`ahu.

Final staging would be held on O`ahu. Pai`ea Kamehameha planned to throw the entire might of his military forces against Kaumuali`i, the Ali`i Nui of Kauai and Ni`ihau, the last remaining independent ruling chief in the Hawaiian Islands.

In 1804, while staging the fleet on O`ahu, disaster struck, and Pai`ea Kamehamehaʻs forces were devastated by cholera. The plan to invade Kauai was abandoned.

At last, in 1809, fearing that as separate kingdoms the islands would be overwhelmed by the larger and aggressively expanding Western nations, Kaumuali`i traveled to O`ahu to formally join the northern islands to the southern as a tributary kingdom. The entire chain was now one nation under Pai`ea Kamehameha.

Pai`ea Kamehameha maintained his seat of government on O`ahu for the next three years, but in 1812 decided to return to the island of his birth. Settling at Kamakahonu in Kailua-Kona, he ruled over his kingdom. He turned his skills in managing warfare to managing diplomatic affairs.

Timeline

Appox 1758 – Pai`ea born, taken to Waipi`o

Approx 1760 – Pai`eaʻs father dies in Hilo

Approx 1763 – Pai`ea taken to court of Kalaniopu`u at Kailua, Hawai`i.

Approx 1770 – Pai`ea overturns Pōhaku Naha

1779 – Pai`ea meets Capt. James Cook

1781 – Kalaniopu`u dies

1782 – Pai`ea engages in open rebellion

1783 – Fishermen attacked

1792 – Pu`ukohola Heiau consecrated with body of Keōuakū`ahu`ula

1794 – Pai`ea Kamehameha celebrates Makahiki at Moku Ola, Hilo. Hilo begins to function as base of operations

1796 – Pai`ea Kamehameha moves full-time to Hilo, starts building Peleleu Fleet

1797 – Keōpūolani gives birth in Hilo to Pai`ea Kamehameha’s highest ranking son,  Liholiho (Kamehameha II)

1797 – Kānāwai Māmalahoe proclaimed

1801 – Hualalai erupts, Pai`ea Kamehameha, his wives, and Hilo Ali`i Ululani travel to the eruption to make offerings

1802 – Peleleu fleet sails for Maui

1804 – Plans to invade Kauai abandoned

1809 – Kaumuali`i and Kamehameha unite their kingdoms

1812 – Kamehameha returns to Moku Hawai`i

1819 – Pai`ea Kamehameha dies, Liholiho becomes Mō`ī

 

 

Living on a Volcanic Island – Filter Masks and Respirators for Hawai`i

Hawaiian volcanoes are fascinating, and their ease of access has made them important in the study of earth sciences. But for human health, we need to protect ourselves from some aspects of them.

Contrary to what the mass media would have you believe, we are not blowing up like Krakatoa. Most of Moku Hawaiʻi is perfectly fine, and the rest of the islands even more so.

As Hawaiians, we do not consider this a “disaster” or “destruction,” but, rather, the on-going building of the island by the elemental force, Pele. It is creation in all its glory, and we are privileged to be here where we can observe in relative safety.

Below, please find authoritative links to real information, instead of media hype, and explanations of the various types of filter masks and respirators.

The Islands of Hawaiʻi
The Islands of Hawaiʻi

Good Article from the San Francisco Chronicle:
Eruptions in Hawaii: What you need to know before traveling to the islands

Good article from Earther.com
Scientists fight volcano myths as Kīlauea erupts

For the most accurate current information, please visit the following sites.

Ignore the media that claims the volcano is blowing up, hurling truck-sized boulders into the air, and that locals are fleeing the islands. It just is not true:

Info on Vog:
https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/vog-dashboard.htm

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes Observatory News:
https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/

Kīlauea Volcanic Hazards:
https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/status.html

Asthma patients and others with respiratory issues:
http://mkwc.ifa.hawaii.edu/vmap/hysplit/animate.cgi?domain=bigis&variable=so2&ftype=ensmax01

How Halemaʻumaʻu works:
https://www.livescience.com/28192-how-hawaii-s-kilauea-volcano-works-infographic.html

Why Hawaiian volcanoes are not like Pacific Rim volcanoes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0tnqPmwWvk&feature=share

Protect yourself from volcanic fumes!

Our golden chow, Kaimalino, on a vog day, turns to Dad for comfort.
Rescued from the HOVE, our golden chow, Kaimalino, knows all about vog (volcanic smog). He’s been living with it for his entire six years! On a vog day, he turns to Dad for comfort.

On high-vog days, it’s a good idea to protect ourselves from the particulate matter and from the irritating and/or toxic fumes vented by the volcano. Some face masks are better at this than others.

Each mask is coded to tell you what it protects from, and how well it can do the job. Below, we de-code the codes.

Every type of face mask is made for a specific purpose. Using the wrong one only gives a false sense of security, and little to no actual protection. It’s always a balance between best airflow and best protection, so learn your masks!

Don’t risk getting sick as a dog. Choose the right mask or respirator for the right job!

Types of Masks

Surgical Masks


Common surgical masks, such as the ones above, are meant to catch your own body fluids, such as saliva and nasal discharge, when you cough or sneeze. They protect the people around you from any “bugs” you may have.

They are not designed to protect you from inhaling airborne bacteria, viruses and fine particles.

Surgical masks typically have two straps, one on each side, that hook over your ears. Some may come with one strap that goes above the ears.

Wear a surgical mask if you have a cold, flu, or cough when you are around other people. This is when sharing is NOT caring!

Surgical masks also are helpful in keeping your mucus membranes moist during air travel, helping prevent you from becoming ill from pathogens on the plane. We, of Kaʻahele Hawaiʻi, always pack a few in our carry-ons.

Surgical masks CANNOT provide adequate protection against fine particles present in smoke and haze!

Respirators

Respirators, also called particulate respirators, are more substantial in construction, and are designed to keep the wearer from inhaling dust, mold, other airborne particles, and/or fumes, vapors, or gases.

Good respirators will have one or two valves. These valves allow you to exhale CO2 (carbon dioxide), a natural byproduct of breathing. They are NOT filters. One way to tell you are building up too much CO2 is that you start yawning a lot. Just take a deep breath, then pull your mask away from your face and exhale hard. Seal the mask back up and breathe normally. 

If you will be in an area with significant S02 (sulphur dioxide), be sure to include goggles with a good seal to the skin to protect your eyes, or purchase a full-face respirator.

There are two main kinds of respirators, disposable and reusable. At the bottom of this post, you will find links to different types of respirators. As different respirators are recommended to us, we will add more. This list is only made based on anecdotal suggestions, and makes no claims or warranties of effectiveness.

Mask and Filter Cartridge Ratings

Respiratory Filters come in different ratings which tell you what and how much the respirator will filter out, and what kind of environment it is designed to be worn in.

The higher the rating, the greater percentage of stuff it will filter out. Be sure to pick a rating that is high enough to filter out what you need to. But, try to avoid going higher than you need. The higher the number the more difficult it is for air to pass through the filter, making breathing a bit more difficult and tiring. Sanding your new table before painting does not require the filtering capability needed for S02 and other gasses.

Generally, an N95 respirator will be cooler, and easier to breath through, than a P99 or P95 dust mask. But if you are dealing with volcanic ash and fumes, you’ll want to consider getting the best you can find.

Be sure to check the specs to learn how many hours of filtration you can get out of them. Most are around 40. Unless the instructs say you can, don’t try to blow them clean with an air gun or whatever. It won’t do much to clean them, and it will damage the fibers and their ability to filter out the bad stuff.

Respirator Rating Letter Class

  • N – Not oil resistant, indicates the mask removes particulate matter only.
  • R – Resistant to oil, indicates the mask will filter out some oil-based pollutants, as well as particulates.
  • P – Oil Proof, indicates the mask will filter out most of the oil-based pollutants.
  • C – Activated Carbon, indicates the mask helps with things like ozone and SO2. Notice, we say, “helps.” Don’t put one of these on and go traipsing into a hazardous area. Instead, think of it as a rescue device. If you get trapped in a hazardous area, this might help clean the air long enough for you to get out.
  • V – Valve, indicates the mask has a nifty valve which allows you to get rid of CO2 more easily.

Respirator Rating Number Class

  • 95 – Removes 95% of all particles that are at least 0.3 microns in diameter. The N95 respirator is the most common of the seven types of particulate filtering facepiece respirators.
  • 99 – Removes 99% of particles that are at least 0.3 microns in diameter
  • 100 – Removes 99.97% of all particles that are 0.3 microns in diameter or larger. HE or HEPA quality filter.

Disposable Respirators

Disposable respirators are masks will have the word “NIOSH,” and either “N95“, “N99“, “N100“, “R95“, “R99“, “R100“, “P95“, “P99” or “P100” printed on them.

NIOSH stands for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. NIOSH is a U.S. federal agency which  conducts research and makes recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. A product that bears the word NIOSH means it meets certain standard recommended by the agency.

N95 Respirators

N99 Respirators

N100 Respirator

R95 Respirator

Reusable Respirators

Reusable respirators have replaceable filters. We will add more links as we get more feedback.

N99CV

Vogmask – This stylish respirator was designed for people who live in high-smog areas, need to protect themselves, and want to look good. Runs US$25-$35. This is the most comfortable respirator we have found. It is washable if you are careful. Instructions are in the box.

R99 Respirator

 

‘Alalā Looking Good!

image Hawaiʻi DLNR

‘Alalā released on Hawaii Island in 2017 appear to thrive

MEDIA RELEASE

The eleven young ‘Alalā living in the Pu‘u Maka‘ala Natural Area Reserve on the Island of Hawai‘i continue to thrive, showing increased natural behaviors, foraging on native plants, and even challenging the occasional ‘Io, or Hawaiian Hawk. Conservationists are cautiously optimistic about the birds’ continued success in native habitat and are working together with researchers at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo to analyze vocalizations of these rare birds. Foraging and other social behaviors are also being studied to determine if historically seen activities are increasing now that the group has access to the surroundings in which they evolved.

“When the only existing ‘Alalā were living in the protected aviaries at the Keauhou Bird Conservation Center, we saw fewer types of alarm and territory calls in the population and the frequency of alarm calls was greatly reduced.” said Alison Greggor, Postdoctoral Associate, San Diego Zoo Global.

“We are beginning to observe behaviors that appear to be responsive to the changes and threats available in natural habitat and we are working on evaluating this scientifically to see if the birds’ rich behavioral repertoire is being recovered now that they have been reintroduced into the forest.” said Joshua Pang-Ching, Research Coordinator of the San Diego Zoo Global’s Hawaii Endangered Bird Conservation Program. Some of these behaviors include foraging on native fruits, searching for insects within bark of native trees, and interacting with ʻIo, which is their natural predator.

The eleven ‘Alalā were released into the reserve in September and October 2017. They represent what conservationists hope will be the beginning of a recovered population of the endangered crow species on the island. “ʻAlalā are important seed dispersers of native plants, and also were dominant voices of the soundscape of Hawaiian forests and forest bird communities. The presence of ‘Alalā, back in their habitat, is a benefit and revitalization for ecosystem health of managed State lands and reserves, such as Pu’u Maka’ala Natural Area Reserve” said Jackie Gaudioso-Levita, Project Coordinator of the ‘Alalā Project.

The ‘Alalā, or Hawaiian Crow, has been extinct in the wild since 2002, preserved only at the Keauhou and Maui Bird Conservation Centers managed by San Diego Zoo Global’s Hawaii Endangered Bird Conservation Program. Scientists hypothesize that the possible changes in vocalizations may represent the kind of behaviors necessary to the species’ survival now that they have been returned to their native forest home.

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