Hala

Aloha kakahiaka Morning Mana'o listeners! I've been thinking about hala lately. Probably has to do with the beautiful lei hala I saw this past weekend. Let's spend some time exploring this plant. Hawaiian Hala is the Pandanus tree. It is one of the most resourceful plants and was used in many different ways by our kūpuna. The leaves are woven into mats, sails, fans, bracelets and hats. The dried fruit is used as a paint brush. There are both male and female versions of hala. Even the talc of the male flower was used by our ancestors. The beautiful bright yellow and orange fruit are sewn into lei hala. Hala literally means to pass, elapse as time, to pass by or even to pass away. With that in mind, we should be careful when we use lei hala. So, what are some appropriate occasions to use hala or to give it? When someone is passing from one phase of life to the next, graduation perhaps, a hula 'ūniki or a moving up in their career or field, hala is very appropriate. I received lei hala at my 'ūniki signifying my transition to Kumu Hula. Lei hala would also be an appropriate lei at a funeral, symbolizing the passing from this life to the next life. It is an exceptionally beautiful lei! Hala is referred to in mele as well. Puna on the island of Hawai'i is famous for its hala and ka hala mapuana is associated with Kaua'i and in chant we hear of the hala from Naue. Hāmākuapoko here on our island of Maui is known for ka ua pe'e pūhala, the rain that makes one hide under the hala leaves. There are many 'ōlelo no'eau associated with this plant as well. Join me tomorrow as we explore some of them. Aloha nō, a hui hou!

CLICK HERE to listen to and download the Morning Mana'o Podcast.

Paulele - Faith

Aloha kakahiaka e nā hoa pepeiao! Today's word is Paulele which means faith, confidence, trust, to believe implicitly, to lean on. Paulele au i ke Akua. I have faith in God. Paulele au iā 'oe. I trust you or I believe in you. When we think about our journey in life we realize that paulele, faith is so important. We don't always know why things are happening, we don't often know what the exact outcome will be, however, we exercise faith and we continue to press forward. There are times in life where we must paulele, trust in others, in the bigger plan and in ourselves. Depending on our current circumstances, especially in these unpredictable and uncertain times, we will have to paulele, lean on others. As we face life's experiences we learn to develop our faith and begin to trust implicitly in Ke Akua's plan for us. There's a beautiful song translated into Hawaiian called Hea I Ka Haku that speaks about paulele, this kind of faith. Holunape does a beautiful rendition. You can check them out at www.holunape.com. If you get a chance today, listen to the words, think about it and enjoy! Aloha nō, a hui hou.

CLICK HERE to listen to and download the Morning Mana'o Podcast.

E pi'i i ka pali me he papa'i la . . .

Ke welina aloha iā kākou a pau e nā makamaka! Last night as I sat with two of my sons I asked them to share with me some of 'ōlelo no'eau that they know. I was happy to hear that they knew quite a few and that we've discussed most of them through Morning Mana'o. Then Kamalei shared one that made me think and started a great conversation. E pi'i i ka pali me he pāpa'i lā. Climb the cliff like a crab. I asked Ehu and Kamalei to share with me their mana'o pertaining to this 'ōlelo no'eau. Kamalei said that he felt it was like the mana'o Kūlia i ka nu'u, to strive for the summit for strive for the top of the cliff. Ehu said that to him it meant that we can do anything as long as we try. I then asked them why they thought the analogy of a crab was used. What advantage does a crab have in climbing the pali over anything else? In our discussion we talked about how crabs seem to glide over the rocks with such ease. Even if the rocks are moving upward, the crab is able to scale the rocks and even the sides of cliffs very easily. It moves quickly and doesn't let anything get in it's way. As we look closer at the kaona we find that pali, cliffs are often used to symbolize pilikia, challenges, difficulties and obstacles. When we ask someone, pehea 'oe? one of the responses we can get is, 'o ia mau nō i ke alo o nā pali, a poetic way of saying, I am fine as usual in spite of my trials. This 'ōlelo no'eau that Kamalei shared tells us how to face the pali in our lives - with determination, not letting anything get in our way. So, dear listeners, I live you with this charge inspired by my children - E pi'i i ka pali me he pāpa'i lā. Climb those cliffs like a crab! Aloha nō, a hui hou.

CLICK HERE to listen to and download the Morning Mana'o Podcast.

'Ohana Series - I maika'i ke kalo i ka 'oha.

Aloha mai e ka lehulehu! Hau'oli Pō'alima Aloha! Happy Aloha Friday! It's all about 'ohana today. I maika'i ke kalo i ka 'ohā. The taro is judged good by its offspring. There is so much kaona in this 'ōlelo no'eau. First, the word 'ohā translates as taro corm, growing from the older root. It also means offshoot or offspring and youngster. 'Ohā is the root of the word 'ohana and so we see the connection between kalo and the 'ohana. This connection goes all the way back to the creation. In the story of Papa and Wākea we find that Ho'ohōkūkalani has a still born child who is buried and from that spot sprouts forth the first taro plant. Her second child is Hāloa, our first ancestor. Understanding these things further deepens our understanding of the pilina, or relationship we have as Hawaiians to this plant. Now, the 'ōlelo no'eau says that we, as parents, or kalo are judged to be good by the actions of our 'ohā, our offspring, our children. Our children then become a reflection of us as mākua. Again, we see the tremendous kuleana we have as mākua. Think about it. When a child does something good or bad the first question often is, "Who's your mother or father?", particularly if the child is doing something negative. We do the best we possibly can with our keiki and then we allow them to make choices in life, choices that hopefully reflect positively on us as parents. Our kūpuna who left us words of wisdom to help us as we raise their mamo, their descendants. I hopenapule maika'i. Aloha nō, a hui hou.

CLICK HERE to listen to and download the Morning Mana'o Podcast.

'Ohana Series - 'O ka makua ke keiki o ka hale . . .

Welina me ke aloha e nā 'ohana o Maui nei! We're talking about 'ohana today and so our 'ōlelo no'eau relates to family. 'O ka makua ke ko'o o ka hale e pa'a ai. The parent is the pillar that holds the family together. Our physical homes are built upon good, solid foundations. Every home has essential beams and pillars that literally hold the house together. If the foundation slips, the entire house can shift and crumble. So it is if one of these beams or pillars breaks. Our ancestors related this to our 'ohana, our families. The makua, the parent is viewed as the pillar that fastens the structure of the home together. Now, let's think about our homes. Ever heard the saying, if Mom's unhappy, everyone's unhappy? Indeed, as parents we have the power to greatly influence our families. We set the tone in our homes. Are we creating heavenly homes, filled with joy and happiness? Our our homes a safe haven for our 'ohana, where we can find peace, love unconditional and comfort? Some homes have two pillars holding it together while other homes have just one strong, steadfast pillar holding up the entire house. Whatever our circumstances may be, as parents, we have the kuleana of upholding the structure of our homes. Yes, it is a heavy kuleana at times and keeping a family knit together in love is challenging and takes hard work, but the rewards are eternal. A wise man once said, "No earthly accomplishments can compensate for failure in the home. The greatest work we will ever do is within the walls of our own homes." Does this mean we will be perfect? Absolutely not, but words of wisdom like these help to inspire us to continue onward and to fight the good fight for the sake of our 'ohana. 'O ka makua ke ko'o o ka hale e pa'a ai. Aloha nō, a hui hou.

CLICK HERE to listen to and download the Morning Mana'o Podcast.

Aloha mai e nā hoa pepeiao! I’ve been thinking about 'ohana lately and thought we would spend some time looking at various 'ōlelo no'eau and vocabulary that describe the pilina, relationships within an 'ohana. Let’s begin today by discussing four basic words - keiki, 'ōpio, makua and kūpuna. Keiki literally means child, but it can also mean boy or son. We differentiate by saying keikikāne for boy and either keikiwahine or kaikamahine for girl. In the next stage of life, around 12 or 13 we become 'ōpio, youth or juvenile. This is the term we use for adolescents and teenagers. Now, if we say 'ōpiopio we are referring to someone who is immature, still young or on the positive side, you could be referring to someone who still looks youthful. For example, He 'ōpio 'o Kamalani. Kamalani is a teenager. 'Ōpiopio 'o Luana. Luana looks so young. As we grow and mature we become makua. This is the parent age and makua literally means parent or any relative of the parent age, aunts, uncles, cousins of this age were all referred to as makua and likewise they all had the kuleana of being parents to the younger family members. Makua eventually age, gain wisdom and become kūpuna, the elders. Kūpuna literally means grandparent, ancestor or relative of the grandparent age. Four phases in life all intertwined, each playing a vital role in the 'ohana. Aloha nō, a hui hou.

CLICK HERE to listen to and download the Morning Mana'o Podcast.

Waiola

Aloha kakahiaka e nā hoa aloha o ka lekiō! Hau'oli Pō'alima Aloha! Happy Aloha Friday! Today I will be heading to Maui Komohana, West Maui to the land known as Ka malu 'ulu o Lele, the shaded breadfruit trees of Lele to the Moku of Waine'e and the area known as Waiola. Waiola translates as the living or life giving waters. Quite an appropriate name for this place. Although we may not see water there today, we know that ka wai ola once maintained the traditional fishpond of Mokuhinia and that fresh water springs lined the shore. We can see evidence of the fresh water that once flowed in abundance ma kai where bubbling springs can still make their way from below the surface to the lihikai, the shoreline. We know that our ali'i lived at and frequented this area. Right in the heart of this place is historic Waiola Church where Keōpūolani, the sacred wife of Kamehameha chose to be buried and many of our high ranking ali'i followed in her footsteps. We can visit Waiola today and still see the names of these ali'i marking their final resting places. Today, I will be there with some of our students, working, cleaning and honoring this sacred wahi pana. When was the last time that you visited this place? Just think, when visit these sites and more importantly when we add our mana by taking care of these place, we reinstate the ola, the life force that once existed. E ola mau nō ka mana o Waiola! Aloha ō, a hui hou!

CLICK HERE to listen to and download the Morning Mana'o Podcast.

Mana'o

Aloha mai e nā hoa makamaka! Each day I share with you Morning Mana'o, but have we ever discussed what the word mana'o means? Well, today is our opportunity. The word mana'o literally translates as thought, idea, belief, opinion or theory. It can also mean desire, want, to think. We have many opportunities to formulate our own mana'o, opinions and ideas. We also have the opportunity to share our mana'o. When we are asked the question, Pehea kou mana'o? What do you think?, we should be prepared to have an answer. Whatever your mana'o is, be prepared to share it. There will be times when your mana'o may be different from other people's mana'o. It is at these times when we need to be 'onipa'a, steadfast in our beliefs and ideas. So how do we gain mana'o? As we gain 'ike, wisdom and intelligence, as we 'imi na'auao, seek after learning, we begin to create our own mana'o. We listen to each others mana'o, we digest it, but ultimately we form our own mana'o. That's what makes us unique. The mana'o I share with you each day is my perspective, my take on our culture, language and the wisdom of our kūpuna. You have the opportunity to hear it, absorb it, ponder it, share it, whatever you wish. 'O ko'u mana'o wale nō kēia, after all, it's just my mana'o. So, the next time you are asked to share your mana'o or the question is posed, pehea kou mana'o, what will you say? How will you respond? Aloha nō, a hui hou!

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO AND DOWNLOAD THE MORNING MANA'O PODCAST.

Mehana

Aloha kakahiaka e ko Maui! Today's word is mehana, which can also be said, mahana. It means warm, warmth, warm as in temperature. You can ask the question, 'Ehia ka mehana o kēia lā? What's the temperature today? Mehana also means warm as in feelings. The word pumehana means warm, affectionate, warm hearted. Me ke aloha pumehana translates as with warm aloha. Ho'omehana means to warm or to create warmth. So we see that the day can be mehana, warm as in temperature - mehana kēia lā, today is warm. In addition we can say, pumehana kēlā wahine - that woman is warm and affectionate. Ka mehana o ka lā, the warmth of the sun. We are blessed to live in a place where we can feel the warmth of the sun and at the same time we are surrounded by people who are filled with ke aloha pumehana, warm feelings of love. Take some time today to notice the mehana o ka lā and to share some of that warmth through your words and actions. Me ke aloha pumehana . . . Aloha nō, a hui hou.

CLICK HERE to listen to and download the Morning Mana'o Podcast.

Ho'ohanohano

Welina me ke aloha! Hau'oli Pō'alima Aloha, Happy Aloha Friday! Today's Hawaiian word is Ho'ohanohano, which comes from the word hanohano. Hanohano translates as glorious, magnificent, noble, stately, dignified and grand. Hanohano 'o Maui, Maui is glorious. When we add ho'o to it we get ho'ohanohano which means to honor, exalt and glorify. To conduct oneself with distinction. We ho'ohanohano people in our lives, particularly our kūpuna. We take the time to honor and praise them. We ho'ohanohano accomplishments, progress, milestones. This weekend we will ho'ohanohano the many people who have been a part of the Hawaiian language revitalization through Ke Kula Kaiapuni. We celebrate 20 years of hanohano, glorious work and contributions from Kumu, Mākua and Keiki. When we learn our language and when we speak it, we ho'ohanohano, honor our ancestors who came before us. I ulu nō ka lālā i ke kumu, for we are here because of them. Ola nā iwi, the bones of ancestors live. Our kūpuna live on through us. He mea hanohano ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i, the Hawaiian language is a glorious thing. E ola ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i, may it live forever. Aloha nō, a hui hou!
to listen to and download the Morning Mana'o Podcast.

Kaona

'Ano'ai me ke aloha e nā makamaka aloha nui i ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i! Our Morning Mana'o today focuses on kaona and was inspired by Jamaica Osorio and her poetic interpretation of Kaona. Kaona literally translates as hidden meaning, as in poetry. It can be a concealed reference to a person, place or thing. Kaona is the double meaning that can bring good or bad fortune. When we look at Hawaiian music we find layer upon layer of kaona. A good haku mele composes a song rich with kaona. So rich that as you peel away the layers you find stories hidden within stories, messages and suggestions that play on our imaginations. So intertwined that you are left to wonder what the true meaning of the song is. Learning hula as a child Aunty Nina would share all kinds of Hawaiian music with us. As a child, I knew one level of kaona. As a grew up and began to understand the language, my understanding of these mele expanded as well. But, as I've gone through life experiences the kaona has become even richer and my understanding has deepened. When I first learned the mele Hi'ilawe I knew it to be a song about Waipi'o and the famous waterfall there. Later in life I came to understand that the kaona of the mele revealed a secret love affair talked about like the chattering of birds among the people of Waipi'o. Now kaona is not just limited to Hawaiian mele. There can be kaona when we speak. Our 'ōlelo no'eau are filled with kaona. Even our actions have kaona, double and hidden meanings to them. When Lili'uokalani was imprisoned in 'Iolani Palace, her people would bring her flowers wrapped in newspaper. There was kaona in their actions. This allowed Lili'u to be kept abreast of the latest news happening outside the palace windows. See the kaona. Their gift was much more than just flowers. Yes, indeed, he kaona ko nā mea a pau, everything has kaona. The more we understand our language, the more skillful we become in the art of kaona. Aloha nō, a hui hou.

CLICK HERE to listen to and download the Morning Mana'o Podcast.

I ka 'olelo no ke ola, i ka 'olelo no ka make

He leo aloha kēia iā 'oukou e nā hoa pepeiao! E ola ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i. Indeed, the Hawaiian language lives. As I think about our language one particular 'ōlelo no'eau keeps coming to my mind. I ka 'ōlelo nō ke ola, i ka 'ōlelo nō ka make, in the language there is life, in the language there is death. Now, I know I've shared this one before and we've talked about how there is mana in the spoken word. Our words can used in both positive and negative ways and words have a lasting impression on us. Let's look at this proverb from a slightly different perspective today. In the language there is life. When we learn our mother tongue and then when we use what we have learned, and speak the words, our language becomes alive and our culture more vibrant. When we do not learn our language and we do not speak Hawaiian, there is death. For many years our language suffered and was on the verge of extinction. People were forced to speak English, punished for speaking Hawaiian. Hawaiian was not heard very often in public, if at all and those who spoke it often felt ashamed. But today, things have changed. We hear our language being spoken in public, on the radio, even on television. You can hear a daily news program in Hawaiian. You can read newspapers written in Hawaiian. You can even legally write your checks in Hawaiian. Times have changed. Now why is it so important to speak Hawaiian? You see, when a culture loses it's language, it ceases to exist. Our language is vital to the perpetuation of our Hawaiian culture, of our people, of the legacy left for us by our kūpuna. No laila, so then, if you don't speak Hawaiian yet, it's never too late. E ola ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i! Aloha nō, a hui hou.

CLICK HERE to listen to and download the Morning Mana'o Podcast.