He poki'i no Makoa

Aloha mai e nō hoa makamaka, nā pōki'i o Maui nui a Kama! Greetings to you friends, younger siblings of Maui nui a Kama! Today's 'ōlelo no'eau is He pōki'i no Makoa. Literally this proverb translates as, Makoa's younger brother. It is said in admiration of a speedy athlete. In Hawaiian tradition Makoa was a speedy runner in Kamehameha's day whose swiftness gained him fame. These words are uttered when someone demonstrates exceptional athletic skill. As it is common in our culture, we honor and recognize those who came before us. In this instance, Makoa is acknowledged. The skilled athlete is compared to the skillfull Makoa. Pōki'i literally means younger sibling. This word was also uttered by Kamehameha the Great here in Maui during the Battle of Kepaniwai. He knew the battle would be firece and challenging and so he said to his warriors, "I mua e nā pōki'i, a inu i ka wai 'awa'awa" - onward younger siblings and drink of the bitter cup. His was a charge to forge ahead and fulfill their mission even it meant death. What committment, what loyalty was shown by Kamehameha's pōki'i. What power and respect Kamehameha had to be able to motivate them in this way. I wonder if siblings today still exhibit this kind of loyalty to each other. In this ever changing world hō'ihi, respect and kūpa'a, loyalty are not always valued attributes. But we see that hō'ihi and kūpa'a were essential traits in traditional times. So much mana'o wrapped up in this short, simple 'ōlelo no'eau. Mahalo to our kūpuna for their wisdom. Aloha nō, a hui hou.