Hawaiian Protocol When Entering Special Places

Hawaiian Protocol When Entering Special Places

Oli Komo (entrance chant)

Haku ‘ia e Kepā Maly (Composed by Kepā Maly)

Eia mākou i mua kou alo,
Nā hoa ‘āina ‘imi ika pono,
E a‘o mai mākou i ka hana
E ola i ka ‘āina o Kīlauea
E ola mākou a mau loa!

Why do we oli?

In the field, we start off with an oli because it is part of an intimate connection to our
environment. We want to acknowledge the space that we are in and ask permission to be here.
We are visitors here, this is not our home, and there are many things such as plants, animals and
insects that live here. We are visiting their home. We must be mindful and respectful as we visit
their home, being careful not to break any branches or step on little plants that are starting to
grow. The first line, Eia mākou i mua kou alo, means here we are before you. The second line,
Nā hoa ‘āina ‘imi i ka pono, states who we are, we are friends of the land seeking good or
balance. The third line, E a’o mai mākou i ka hana is asking this place to teach us what is to be
done. And the fourth line E ola i ka ‘āina o Kīlauea is so that the land of Kīlauea will have life.
Finally the last line E ola mākou a mau loa, means let us all have life. This in the Hawaiian
culture is proper protocol.

I ka nānā no a ‘ike, by observing one learns

This is a very old and important Hawaiian practice, I ka nānā no a ‘ike, by observing one learns.
Before beginning your field activities, take a moment to…

• Be still
• Be quiet
• Feel: is it hot, cold, rainy, misty, windy…
• Look and watch
• Listen
• Smell, do you smell sulfur, do you smell rain, do you smell flowers…

As you begin your inventory pay attention to everything that is happening around you. Why is
that bird landing on the tree? What is it looking for? What kind of soil are the plants growing

in? Why do some plants have fuzzy leaves? What kinds of insects live here? Where do they
live, on the ground, in the trees? How does the rain affect bird activity? How is everything
connected? Find those interactions between the Papahulilani (the space above our heads to
where the stars sit), Papahulihonua (the land and sea) and the Papahānaumoku (birthing cycle of
all plants and animals including man).

At the end of the biological inventories, the following closing oli is performed to show gratitude
for this time and opportunity of learning.

Oli Mahalo We are returning home,
Friends of the land, seeking good.
E ho‘i mākou i ka hale, We are full of gratitude,
Nā hoa ‘āina, imi i ka pono That the land of Kīlauea will have life.
O mākou no me ka mahalo,
E ola i ka ‘āina o Kīlauea. Let us all have life!

E ola mākou a mau loa!

Appendix I. Traditional Hawaiian Land Division and Land Management

Vertical land divisions – wedge shaped land divisions usually extending from the mountain to
the sea are known as ahupua‘a. These ahupua‘a system was used for political purposes.

Horizontal land divisions – were environmental demarcated by vegetation growth at various
elevations. The top of the mountain is known as the kuahiwi, it is very sacred because of its
height. Just below the Kuahiwi is the Kualono, a region where mamane and naio grow sparsely.
Below the Kualono is the wao ma‘ukele or waokele named for its wet soggy ground, because it
lies within the rain belt. ‘Ōhi‘a and Koa trees dominate the canopy. The wao akua is the forested
region just below the waokele. The forested region located below the wao akua was known as
the wao kanaka. Rightfully named because this region was where the people came to collect
material for domestic use. The kula region is the upland grassy plains where pili was collected
and used for thatching their homes. The kahakai or the shoreline is where niu (coconut trees),
hala (pandanus), and other useful plants grow. This horizontal division continued out to the
depths of the sea. These horizontal land divisions allowed the Hawaiians to manage their
resources appropriately.

Kuahiwi

Kualono
Wao Ma‘ukele

Wao Akua
Wao Kanaka
Kula
Kahakai

The wao akua is a distant mountain region believed, by Hawaiians to be inhabited only by the
gods and spirits. Traditionally the wao akua was not a place for common people, only highly
skilled individuals were able to enter into the wao akua and the upper realms. The wao kanaka
or the region just below the wao akua was specifically designated for the people living in the
ahupua‘a to use. This is where they were allowed access to collect forest resources for
utilitarian use. Hawaiians did not as a matter of course penetrate the wao ma‘ukele or the wao
akua if the trees they needed could be gotten elsewhere, because of the priority of promoting
new growth through non-disturbance of seed-producing forest areas. The wao akua is where the
forest has a great variety of trees. The trees in the area should be healthy so as to supply seeds
and regenerate new growth to keep the forest alive. From a Hawaiian perspective, the ‘ōhi‘a tree
is the most important tree. The word ‘ohi means to gather which is the purpose of the ‘ōhi‘a
trees to gather the clouds that bring life giving water. The rain that falls in the wao akua and
waokele is the water that fills our aquifers. This is a good example of the interaction between the
Papahulihonua (the wao akua and waokele) Papahulilani (clouds) and Papahanaumoku (‘ōhi‘a
forest that is growing out of the Papahulihonua).