HANALEI — Through the collaborative efforts of teachers at Kilauea and Hanalei schools, about four dozen fourth graders from both schools were given an opportunity to experience their own makahiki, Wednesday at the Hanalei Pavilion Beach Park. Makahiki coordinators from
HANALEI — Through the collaborative efforts of teachers at Kilauea and Hanalei schools, about four dozen fourth graders from both schools were given an opportunity to experience their own makahiki, Wednesday at the Hanalei Pavilion Beach Park.
Makahiki coordinators from both schools were on hand during the Martin Luther King holiday Monday to finalize plans for the makahiki that has been a tradition with the two schools for the past 10 years.
Kumu Ito of Kilauea School explained that the first makahiki were held at Wanini (now more commonly referred to as ‘Anini) Field, but with the inclusion of the state Department of Education’s Eastside Complex schools (those from Kapa‘a Elementary north), the event was moved to more spacious facilities at Lydgate Park.
However, when the Kapa‘a schools dropped out, there was a danger of the makahiki disappearing altogether, they said. It was at this point that instructors at Kilauea and Hanalei schools agreed to continue the traditional event that gives students an opportunity to learn about the makahiki through experience.
It was at this point that the games were relocated to the Hanalei Pavilion Beach Park, where they are now held site annually.
“When the skies grow darker, the rains fall harder, and the seas get rougher, the Hawaiians of old knew they would get a break from their hard work, and be able to celebrate a time of peace, harvest, and games,” read the introductory letter penned by Karla Rowan of Hanalei School and addressed to parents of the North Shore schools’ fourth graders.
Kumu Ito explained, “The festival of Makahiki is one of the happiest of the ceremonies of the year. Its beginning was announced each year by the kahuna when they first observed the rising of the (stellar constellation) Pleiades (Makali‘i) over the eastern horizon at sunset.”
This was usually about mid-October, but due to changes through the centuries, these dates do not correspond with those in the Hawaiian Moon Calendar distributed by the Prince Kuhio Hawaiian Civic Club, and other Hawaiian calendars on the market.
Ito told the students that during the makahiki, a kapu was placed on war, ceremonies in the temples ceased, and all unnecessary work stopped.
Drawing on materials prepared by leaders at The Kamehameha Schools prior to their first makahiki, Ito said the preparation and serving of food continued, but work such as house- and canoe-building, the making of kapa, and lauhala products, and the planting of crops were suspended for the four-month festival.
During this time, people assembled tributes which they were to present to their high chiefs as taxes, and since the makahiki was a harvest festival, the products of the gardens and plantations were of special significance.
Flesh-food presentations included dogs, fowl, fish, and other edible sea creatures. Hogs, a form of Lono, were not considered suitable.
Garden products included taro, sweet potatoes, bananas, breadfruit, yams, arrowroot, coconuts, and sugar cane.
The workers who presented these gifts understood that they were to receive the blessings of the chief in return, and through these blessings, the blessings of the gods which would assure them a year of good crops, sufficient rain, and general prosperity and happiness.
With each school offering a chant of greeting and a hula of tribute, the banner of Lono was presented along with ho‘okupu from each school that included fruit as a thank you to the visiting kumu and kupuna.
Throughout the morning, the students rotated through the rounds of competition in five arenas of Hawaiian games, starting with haka moa (chicken fight), where combatants would hold one leg and do battle by bumping bodies against each other similar to chickens.
This was followed by kukini, or foot race, ‘o‘o ihe, or spear throwing, ‘ulu maika (similar to bowling), and topped off by the popular hukihuki, or tug of war.
When the dust had settled, Hanalei School started off strong with Sunny Check taking the haka moa competition, but Kilauea responded by taking the remainder of the events.
James Paik sped to the top of the kukini competition, with Dusty Psaila topping the ‘o‘o ihe throws. Robin Raza topped the ‘ulu maika rolling, and Kilauea pulling down Hanalei in the hukihuki finale.
Members of the victorious hukihuki included Lilinoe Olanolan, Kawika Wellington, Reese Hicks-Whetsel, Jessica Gomes, Payton Bryan-Chung, and Satya “Cy” Whitlock.
Following the competition, the schools gathered together for lunch and song.
