Synopsis: In following the latest trends in farming techniques to teach our keiki, tendencies are to mix various media, amendments and organic nutrients to create the optimal soil to feed the crop. However, our kūpuna show us through simple allegory that through clothing Papa- hānaumoku by extensive mulching, and mimicking the natural processes of the forest, we rebuild the systems that have sustained both the life and the modesty of our eldest ancestor.
‘Auhea ‘oukou e nā hoa makamaka, nā kupa ‘aiau o ka ‘āina aloha. No ke a‘o ‘ana i nā keiki i ka mahi‘ai, nui nā wahi e loa‘a mai ai ka nonanona ‘ike no ke kanu ‘ana i ka ‘ai. I ka huli ‘ana ma YouTube, hō‘ike ‘ia nā wikiō o nā ‘ano like ‘ole o ke kanu ‘ana, e la‘a nō ke kanu lālani, ke kanu poho ‘ana, a me ke kīhāpai ho‘i. ‘O kekahi mea i ‘ike pinepine ‘ia, ‘o ia ho‘i ka hānai ‘ana i ka mea kanu ma ka ho‘opiha ‘ana i ka mākālua i nā pulu like ‘ole, ‘o ia ho‘i ‘o ka pulu koko malo‘o ‘oe, ka pulu iwi wilia ‘oe, ka pauka pōhaku ‘oe, a pēlā aku. Maika‘i kēia ‘ano hana no ka māla hale me ke kenikeni e kū‘ai ai i nā lako. Akā, pehea lā e hana like ai ma ka māla kula?
I ka MH 2020, i ko‘u wā i ho‘omaka ai i ka papahana Ho‘opulapula ma ke Kula Ki‘eki‘e O Nānākuli, ‘o ia nō kahi pilikia nui a‘u e nūnē ana. Mahele mai ke po‘okumu i kahi ‘āpana ‘āina (1 ‘eka me ka hapa) no mākou e mahi aku ai. He ‘ano pālahalaha ka nui o ia kula, me ka hiō iki ma ka ihona a hiki i ka palena. ‘Ehā hi‘ohi‘ona nui o ua māla nei: he ‘āina mānā, he ‘āina lepo pa‘a, he ‘āina wī, a he ‘āina kāhihi ho‘i i ka nahele i ka wā ua. Pehea e ho‘omalu ai i nā mea kanu a me ka wai i ka pā nopu kō‘eha‘eha mai a ka lā kapakahi o Wai‘anae nei? Pehea e ho‘owali ai i ka lepo inā he ‘eku wale ka hana a ka ‘ō‘ō me he pua‘a lā? Pehea lā e ho‘omomona ai i ka lepo me nā lako ola o ka mea kanu? A pehea ho‘i e pakele ai ka māla i ke kāhihi ‘ia e ka nahele i ka wā nui o ka ua? Kolekole ka no‘a i ka ‘ōlelo no‘eau iō kikilo mai. Hahai nō ka ua i ka nahele.
E ka hoa heluhelu, e kau ka maka i ka nahele, i ka wao, i ka ma‘ukele. He ‘āina ua ka nahele, he ‘āina nolu pē ka nahele, he ‘āina momona ka nahele, a he ‘āina uluwehi ka nahele. E ho‘opili i ka ulu o ka nahele. Ulu nui nā kumu lā‘au like ‘ole i ka nahele. Ulu nā kumu nui a ki‘eki‘e, ulu ho‘i nā hua ‘ai. ‘Olu‘olu ka ‘ili i ka malu. Pa‘apū ka lepo i ka lau pulu. ‘A‘ohe wahi e waele ai. Pulu ka pulu i ka ua. ‘A‘ohe komo pulu koko! Ulu ka nahele i kona ‘ai! Ma kahi kīpuka e pā ai ke kukuna lā, ma laila nō e kanu ai ke kanaka i kona ‘ai.
Ua lilo nei kilo ‘ana i mea ha‘awina kahua no mākou – E kākua i ka pā‘ū o Papahānaumoku. ‘A‘ole e hele kohana ke kupuna o kākou i ka lole ‘ole! He pā‘ū ka pulu! ‘O ka pa‘apū o ka lepo i ka lau pulu ka mua, ‘o ke kanu o ka nahele ‘ai ka hope. Ola ka ‘ai i ka momona o ka ‘āina, no laila ‘o kā mākou ha‘awina nui ‘o ia ho‘i ka hana pulu momona. Halihali a ho‘omoe iho nā haumāna i pulu lā‘au mai kahi kihi a kahi kihi o ka māla a pa‘apū ho‘i ka lepo i ka moena pulu mākolu. A laila, kanu lākou i nahele ‘ai, me nā papa nahele ho‘i.
‘Ehā makahiki o Ho‘opulapula i ka lā 28 o Novemaba nei. ‘Ehā hi‘ohi‘ona ho‘i o ka māla: he ‘āina kū‘ono‘ono i ka pulu, he ‘āina pulu i ka pulu, he ‘āina momona i ka pulu, a he ‘āina uluwehi i ka pulu. Nīele akula au i kahi kamali‘i – i kākua aha mākou i ka pā‘ū o Papahānaumoku? Pane maila ua kamali‘i nei – i hilahila ‘ole ke kupuna o kākou.
E ho‘ouna ‘ia mai na ā leka iā māua, ‘o ia ho‘i ‘o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:
>> kwong@hawaii.edu
>> rsolis@hawaii.edu
a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:
>> 808-956-2627 (Laiana)
>> 808-956-2627 (Kekeha)
This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
