Synopsis: How much do we know about ‘aumākua? We know enough to know that sharks should be protected for cultural as well as humanitarian and ecological reasons.

Aloha mai kākou e nā makamaka heluhelu. Eia mai kā ‘oukou wahi mea kākau ua ‘ō’ili hou mai ma hope o kahi ho’omalolo pōkole ‘ana. Ke mihi aku nei nō ho’i no ka waiho wale ‘ana aku nei i ka’u mo’olelo no ka hana ho’omāinoino a kekahi po’e lawai’a i ka manō. He mau ‘ao’ao ko kēia nīnau ‘a’ole ho’i i pau i ka hō’ike ‘ia i loko o kēlā ‘atikala ho’okahi wale nō i puka mai i ka lā 17 o Iulai. A no laila, eia mai kahi ‘ao’ao pili i nā loina Hawai’i.

Ua ‘ikea ke ‘ano o ia mea he manō ‘o ia kekahi o nā mea ola o ka honua nei i mana’o ‘ia he ‘aumakua no kekahi mau ‘ohana. He aha lā na’e ia mea he ‘aumakua? ‘O wai lā ho’i ka po’e e ola nei i kēia wā i pa’a iā lākou kēia ‘ano ‘ike? I kēia wā e ulu nei ka hoihoi o nā mea Hawai’i, ke ulu pū nei me ka ka mana’o mālama i nā akua kahiko. ‘O ka mea ‘āpiki na’e, ma hope o ka wā i hiki mai ai ka ho’omana Kalikiano, ho’okahuli ‘ia ka ho’omana kahiko, a i ka hala ‘ana o ho’okahi kenekulia a ‘oi, ua kāohi ‘ia ka ho’oili mai o ia ‘ike mai kahi hanauna a i kekahi, a ua poina loa.

No ka ‘aumakua, wahi a M. K. Pukui, he mau ‘ano nō. ‘O ka mea nui, ‘o ia ka hua o ka noho ‘ana he akua a he kanaka. I ka nui o ka manawa, ‘a’ole hiki ke ‘ike ‘ia kēia akua ‘aumakua. Eia na’e, i kahi wā, e kū mai ka ‘aumakua ma o ke kino lā o kekahi mea ola e la’a me ka manō. ‘O kēia ‘ano ‘aumakua, he kōkua mai i nā kānaka i kekahi wā, a he hana kolohe mai i kekahi wā. Eia hou, he ho’opa’i mai kāna hana inā ‘a’ole ‘o ia i mālama pono ‘ia. ‘O ka ‘ai ‘ana i ke kino o ka ‘aumakua, he hana kūpono ‘ole nō a he ma’i a he make paha ka ho’opa’i. ‘O ia kekahi kumu o kekahi mau ‘ohana e mālama ai i ia mea he manō. He ‘aumakua ia no lākou.

‘O kekahi ‘ano o ia mea he ‘aumakua, ‘o ia kekahi lālā o ka ‘ohana. Ma hope o ka hala ‘ana o ia pilikana, wahī ‘ia kona mau iwi i loko o ke kapa a kiloi ‘ia i loko o ke kai. Na ka ‘aumakua manō e mālama ia pū’olo ma lalo o kona kualalo a lilo i manō hou. He ‘ano kākū’ai kēia hana a he lilo ia pilikana i ‘aumakua ‘ohana. ‘O ia ihola nō kekahi kumu e mālama ai i ka pono o ka manō. ‘O ka manō hea na’e ka ‘aumakua? No ka nui o ka po’e o kēia au, ‘a’ole maopopo.

Wahi a Pukui, ‘o ka ‘aumakua manō, he manō kiko’ī nō ia a he mea inoa ho’i. Aia nō paha kekahi po’e ‘ohana o kēia au i ‘ike maka i ko lākou ‘aumakua pono’ī a i maopopo ho’i iā lākou ka inoa o ia manō kiko’ī. No ka nui na’e o kākou i kēia wā, ke kuhihewa nei he ‘aumakua nā manō a pau o ke kai. ‘A’ole paha pēlā. Nui nā ‘ano manō o ke kai, he manō kihikihi ‘oe, he niuhi ‘oe, a he mau ‘ano hou aku nō, ‘a’ole na’e maopopo nā ‘ano i hiki ke lilo i ‘aumakua, a ‘a’ole maopopo ka manō kiko’ī. Aia ka pono i ka pule ‘ana i kekahi manō kiko’ī ma ka hea ‘ana i kona inoa pono’ī – ‘a’ole paha nā manō a pau. ‘A’ole na’e e hihi, he kūpono ka mālama i ka pono o nā manō a pau. E ho’omau ‘ia ana.

E ho’ouna ‘ia mai nā 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:
» 956-2627 (Laiana)
» 956-2624 (Kekeha)
This column is coordinated by the Hawaiian Language Department at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, supported by the Initiative for Achieving Native Hawaiian Academic Excellence.