Our visit to Kawainui Marsh-Ulupo Heiau and Na Pohaku O Hauwahine

Our organizer Deborah Lau Okamura, Doc Burrows, Kahu Ryan and members of our group






Our visit on a recent Monday morning to the great expanse of freshwater known as Kawainui (The Great Fresh Water), the center of Kailua’s ahupua'a (Hawai'i’s traditional land division) started with protocol. Here we had the honor of having Chuck “Doc” Burrows, President of 'Ahahui Malama I ka Lokahi Association, and Kahu Ryan Alena Kaimana Kuhio Kalama,President of Kailua Hawaiian Civic Club, take us on an educational tour of the area that they areKahu Kumu (Care Takers and Teachers). It is customary when in a place of such cultural significance as Kawainui and Ulupo Heiau to begin with a protocol of entry, a kahea (calling) and a request to enter the area to do righteous work. The oli that was chanted by Doc Burrows and Kahu Ryan was composed in 2000 by S.M. ‘Ohukani’ohi’a Gon III, who trained under respected practitioner Kumu John Keola Lake. For me, it was a chicken skin moment to be part of this. The tour was to learn about the Hawaiian archeological, historic and ecological resources of Kawainui Marsh.


It is the objective of the Association and Civic Club to preserve Hawaiian cultural traditions through the conservation of native ecosystems. It is through education, active stewardship and research that we can protect our native cultural and natural heritage. The goal is to balance the concepts of malama (stewardship and responsible behavior), ' ike kalaola (ecological knowledge) and loina (Hawaiian values and practices). This is all done for the purpose of preserving the Hawaiian people and culture, by embracing our land and sea with love and respect.

We saw ethno-botanical restoration at Ulupo Heaiau and at Na Pohaku O Hauwahine. I have already written an article on Ulupo but was surprised to see the fresh water spring this time. Kailua was a favorite residence of the ali'i 200 years ago because of the many fishponds, plenty of taro and the great waterways and canoe landings. Their “church” was Ulupo, the center of their source of life. The goal of these two groups is to continue in the production of taro. Growing food is very important for the future of Hawai 'i, its culture and its people.


Interesting to realize that many centuries ago the area that we now know as Kawainui Marsh was part of Kailua Bay. Now it provides nesting areas for migratory birds and endangered waterbirds.

Ulupo Heiau


Offerings given at Ulupo Heiau





















Fresh water spring

Menehune path









View of Kawainui from Ulupo

Taro lo'i and irrigation system








Taro

Noni







Na Pohaku O Hauwahine

Across from Ulupo is Na Pohaku O Hauwahine.This site is along Kapa'a Quarry Road at the western edge of the marsh and is being restored with native plants by Doc Burrows and Kahu Ryan and their members.

The rock formation of the Hawaiian Mo'o goddess and the guardian of Kawainui is located here. You can see a panoramic view of Kailua, from its mountains the the ocean. Twelve acres are being planted with native plants to create a dryland forest ecosystem. What both the association and civic club need is volunteers to help in clearing and preserving these areas.

Service projects are held on Saturdays.Please check their website for schedules http://www.ahahui.net

The rock formation of the Hawaiian Mo'o goddess and the guardian of Kawainui

Views from Na Pohaku Hauwahine

Cattles grazing

Entrance to marsh

Area where the waves of Kailua Bay once hit the rocks


Service volunteers make path into Kawainui





Views from Na Pohaku Hauwahine

Gourds

Loulu Palm

Rock formation with water inside used to study the constellations

Doc Burrows with plans for future of Kawainui Marsh

Our snack...Starfruit

Milo

Wiliwili

Pili

Napanapa

I learned so much in the half day that we visited the two places. It is an endless task, what these two organizations do. But if everyone helps, their goals can be accomplished and our state is better for it. It reads accordingly in the brochure of 'Ahahui Malama I Ka Lokahi , "He hana no 'eau ke aloha. (Aloha is a work of proficiency.) This Hawaiian expression is a core value of the 'Ahahui. When we become experts at something, we can't help but fall in love with it. As we learn the intimate details of our native Hawaiian species and ecosystems through research and traditional, appropriate caretaking, our aloha for them strengthens."

So true.
Aloha.

Honolulu Festival

'Ahahui Malama I Ka Lokahi

Santa’s German Gingerbread Village with touches of Hawaii in Waikiki

‘Tis the season to be jolly…yes, it’s Christmas! And we do celebrate it even in Hawai'i, “the land where palm trees sway,” in winter time. Today I’d like to write about the gorgeous Santa’s German Gingerbread Village that is displayed at the Sheraton Princess Ka'iulani Hotel in Waikiki. It’s huge, 14 ½ feet tall and 24 feet wide. Chef Ralf Bauer and his staff spent over 250 hours using 120 gallons of icing, 60 pounds of dark chocolate, 20 pounds of white chocolate and 30 sheets of gingerbread to construct this replica of a village that could be found in Germany, where Chef Ralf comes from. It includes medieval churches, bell towers, train stations, aerial cable cars and an ice skating rink. Chef Ralf has been constructing this beautiful display for the past fifteen years at the Princess Ka'iulani. Why? He says, “When I started at the Princess Ka'iulani Hotel, I wanted to create something special, what nobody else has. So 15 years ago, when Christmas came around, I started to build a Gingerbread Village. I try to get something different every year, but stick to the overall theme. This year we have a few new carousels, and of course for the first time, Kawaiaha'o Church, the first Christian church built in Hawaii in the 1830’s, including palm trees!” Chef is self taught in the art of gingerbread village making. His solid, basic culinary education definitely helps but perhaps just as important or even more important is that he is a big kid at heart. When I say big, I mean big and tall, since Chef Ralf towers over all of us at six feet plus. Perhaps a former basketball player in Germany?











So what exactly is gingerbread and where did it come from? Gingerbread is a sweet dessert made of ginger and sugar that can be made into a cake or cookie. Historically, it was brought to Europe by the Crusaders, quite possibly from the Middle East. They brought back the spice ginger, known for its preservative qualities, in the 11th century. During the 1200-1300 it was brought to Sweden by German immigrants. It was the custom to bake white cookies and paint them as window decorations. Swedish nuns baked it to cure indigestion in the 1400’s. Gingerbread cookies were first sold in monasteries and markets in the 1500’s. Gingerbread became widely available in the 1700’s. It quickly became popular, especially in Germany. Nuremberg, Germany is the gingerbread capital of the world. Gingerbread treats were made for special holidays and festivals. The Brothers Grimm, who wrote Hansel and Gretel in the early 1800’s, made gingerbread houses even more popular. They inspired the German "hexenhaeusle," or witch's house. "Lebkuchen" is the German word for gingerbread. "Lebkuchenhaeusle," the gingerbread house, was made with large slabs of lebkuchen and decorated with sweets.

Early German settlers brought this gingerbread house tradition to America. Baking gingerbread cookies and gingerbread houses to celebrate the Christmas holiday became a tradition in the United States that is still popular today. I know my children loved making gingerbread houses in school. It’s fun because you can stick all sorts of candies on the gingerbread and be creative.

So I asked Chef Ralf if his Gingerbread Village tastes good and he replied, “Even if it is made with real chocolate, icing and gingerbread, we add non-edible glitter and other materials. But it tastes delicious before I work with it. ” And so, what happens when the holiday season is over at the Princess Ka'iulani? Chef Ralf keeps all the hardware such as the trees, figurines and carousels…for next year. The houses are sadly thrown away.

I encourage all of you to go to the Princess Ka'iulani in Waikiki and take a look at this magnificent masterpiece before it is too late. And be sure to take a picture in front of it…I did.



Mele Kalakimaka or better yet, Frohe Weihnachten!







Iolani Palace and Kawaia'hao Church in back of me
















The Moana porte cochere, Christmas tree in the lobby and the view of the ocean and the Banyan Tree...Christmas in Hawaii!
























Hyatt Regency Waikiki's Christmas decorations and the view from their lobby



Honolulu Festival

Sheraton Princess Kaiulani

Native Hawaiian Plants Part IV - Taro, the heartbeat of Hawai'i, its land and its people

Lo'i at Ulupo Heiau, Lo'i at Lyon Arboretum


My last piece on Native Hawaiian plants is dedicated to the king of Hawaiian plants, the Hawaiian Taro. Did you know that when the first Polynesian settlers arrived on the Hawaiian Islands about 1,700 years ago that only a few edible plants existed on the new land? There were a few ferns and fruits that grew in the higher elevated areas. Research shows that the voyagers introduced about 30 plants to the islands, mainly for food. And the most important one was taro or in Hawaiian, kalo. Poi, the sticky paste made from the taro tuber was the main staple of the Native Hawaiians’ diet for centuries and it is still enjoyed by many today.

I’m jumping a little ahead of myself, but according to Chuck “Doc” Burrows, a Hawaiian naturalist and a former Kamehameha Schools teacher, who conducts the tours at Kawainui Marsh which I was fortunate to encounter last week and which will be the topic of a future blog, their goal as preservationists and economists is to achieve sustainability for Hawai'i’s future by cultivating taro in the Kawainui Marsh lands.

Taro represents the “staff of life” for Hawaiians. An ancient Hawaiian legend tells of Wakea, Father Heaven, who had a child with Ho'ohokulani , Daughter of Earth Mother. The deformed infant, Haloa (meaning “everlasting breath” in Hawaiian), was born prematurely. It has been said that Haloa’s body, shaped like a kalo bulb, was buried by Wakea at one corner of his house. It grew to be the first kalo plant. The couple’s second child, also Haloa, was a healthy boy and became the ancestor of the Hawaiian people. Haloa was to respect and look after his older brother for all eternity. The elder Haloa, the root of life, would always sustain and nourish his young brother and his descendants. Thus Hawaiians are very respectful of kalo.

Hawaiian protocols relate deeply with taro in many ways. For example, no one is allowed to fight or argue when a bowl of poi is open. According to Hawaiian custom, it is disrespectful to fight in front of an elder. And as the living embodiment of Haloa, taro is the "elder brother" of all Hawaiians. There is also the story about keiki. In the book called “A Little Book of Aloha” by Renata Provenzano, it says, “Traditionally, a bowl of poi sits in the center of the kitchen table in Hawaiian homes. Children are taught to only take from the center of the bowl of poi and never scrape the sides of the bowl. Perhaps this teaches children the principle to always take the best of what is offered to them in life.”

By sitting together and eating poi, one at a time, from the same poi bowl('umeke) placed in the center of the diners, the ceremony of celebrating life is conducted. This brings the people together and supports the relationship of 'ohana (family) and of appreciation with the 'aumakua (ancestors). The Hawaiians attach the suffix -na to 'oha (kalo shoot) to build the word 'ohana. 'Ohana are the off-shoots, budding and branching from the parent stock. The Hawaiian people value this concept very deeply.

The kalo plant is said to be kinolau, the body form, of Kane, the procreator. The small round depression where the taro stalk meets the leaf surface is called the piko, which is the Hawaiian name for “the human belly button.”

It has been said that the early Hawaiians ate as much as 15 pounds of poi per person per day. That is a lot of taro! Taro was such a revered source of nourishment that only men were allowed to grow it. Then again, growing of taro was hard work. The men worked knee-deep in mud and water in deep valleys (wetland method) far removed from the conveniences of modern society. Taro cultivation is also affected heavily by weather. There was an article in the newspaper just recently that due to adverse weather that our taro crop this quarter is down by 20% compared to last year. This means that poi is going to cost more and may be harder to find.

Taro grows in tropical Africa, the West Indies, Pacific nations and in countries bordering the Indian Ocean in South Asia. I’m not sure to what extent these other countries rely on taro compared to the people of ancient Hawai'i. In ancient Hawai'i kalo was the food of choice because it was dependable and adaptable to grow. Most people depended on wetland kalo, which was dependent on water. The planters were engineers because much skill was involved in growing it. They had to create pond field (lo'i) terraces, create irrigational streams and build and maintain the walls with soil and stone. This was all done through the cooperative work of the community thus social and political abilities were needed as well. This whole scheme of streams and water ditches produced wealth and security for the people and became the model for the community sustenance. Varieties of taro grew based on the conditions and location of the fields. Dryland taro was also grown in the lower forests where the soil was rich and the rainfall sufficient. The planters knew which kind of taro makes the best poi, which variety has the most tender leaves and which has the necessary medicinal properties.

The hearty plant is comprised of a starchy tuber (kalo), succulent stalk (huli), and large, arrowhead-shaped , dark green leaves (lu'au). All parts can be eaten. Kalo is steamed and pounded to make poi, the main staple. Poi is fed to babies as their first whole and natural food, as well as to the elderly, for its ease of digestion and high vitamin content. Some people call poi the "soul food" of Hawai'i. Poi is eaten fresh or allowed to ferment for a few days, creating a sour taste considered pleasant but not alcoholic. Chips can also be made from taro. It has a nice blend of sweet and salty.

Taro tubers, Poi











Lu'au is a nutritious and tasty leaf, similar to spinach. It is used to make lau lau. It is also medicinal. Lu'au supplies high amounts of vitamins A, B and C, as well as calcium, iron, phosphorus, thiamine and riboflavin.





Lau lau wrapped in lu'au leaf , Lau lau opened
The kalo plant has medicinal uses. Poi is used to settle the stomach. A mixture of poi and ripe noni fruit is applied over boils. Poi with pia (arrowroot starch) cures diarrhea. A piece of taro stem, haha, touched to the skin stops surface bleeding. Some infections respond to the use of taro leaves mashed with Hawaiian


salt. This paste can be applied to an injury, covered and wrapped with a large taro leaf. The stem can be cut and rubbed to your skin when you are stung by an insect.

Mud from the taro patch was used as a black dye for lauhala and kapa cloth. Some leaf-stem juice yields red dye. Also, diluted poi was used as a paste to glue pieces of kapa cloth together.

The huli is used to reproduce the kalo plant as well as the 'oha, the shoots growing underground.

I realize that I have talked a lot about this special Hawaiian plant. As you can see, it is very important as a source of food but more than that, it is the foundation of the way of life for the Hawaiians, in body and mind. It truly is the heartbeat of Hawaii, its land and its people. May we continue to perpetuate the Hawaiian culture by honoring and growing taro.
E malama pono.

Honolulu Festival