Moʻolelo Monday
On the first Monday of the month a traditional or modern moʻolelo depicting the culture, values, language or traditions of Hawaiʻi, will be shared through a virtual platform. These mo‘olelo promote literacy within the classroom and home, and encourage ʻohana to read and learn together. Moʻolelo are shared by staff and guest storytellers.
MOʻOKALALEO
In the 1820’s, Kauikeaouli, Kamehameha III was the catalyst for the rise of literacy in Hawaiʻi. He stated, “ ʻO Koʻu Aupuni, he Aupuni palapala koʻu. My kingdom shall be a kingdom of literacy”. Within our moʻokalaleo, we share a literacy component that extends our moʻolelo journey.
Haʻakolea
Many years ago, the lovely goddess Kāmehaʻikana, the wife of the sky father Wākea, lived in the cave of Kaualehu. This cave is found on one of the cliffs of Haʻikū Valley. One day, she travelled to the ma kai part of the ahupuaʻa of Heʻeia. She went to Ke-alohi at Heʻeia Kea to go fishing. Collecting food from the shallow ocean waters and streams was one of the kuleana of wāhine in old Hawaiʻi. Kāmehaʻikana gathered tasty limu along the shore and waded carefully into the shallow water to collect limu growing on the coral reef. She also spotted some crabs and started catching them. What an ʻono meal these fresh foods from the ocean would make!
Once she was pau gathering food, Kāmehaʻikana put them into a container that was fastened at the back of her waist with a pō-hue-hue vine. She travelled up to the ma uka area of the ahupuaʻa of Heʻeia, to ʻIole-Kaʻa. Here, where Haʻikū Stream flows below the pali of the Koʻolau Mountains, is the pond of Haʻakōlea. A puna, a spring of water, is found in this area. Kāmehaʻikana used fresh water from the puna to rinse off the food she had brought. As she worked, the salty ocean water, small pōhaku, and many tiny grains of sand were washed away. While Kāmehaʻikana continued cleaning, some of the crabs scampered away while limu from the sea started growing in the puna. A piece of the pō-hue-hue vine she wore broke off. Today you can find pō-hue-hue, which has purplish pink flowers and dark green leaves, still growing in the fertile soil along the edges of this puna.
Haʻakolea
He mau makahiki aku nui, ua noho ke akua wahine aloha ‘o Kāmeha‘ikana, ‘o ia ka wahine a ke akua lani ‘o Wākea, i ke ana o Kaualehu. Aia kēia ana ma kekahi ‘ao‘ao o ke awāwa ‘o Ha‘ikū. I kekahi lā, ua holo ‘o ia ma ka ‘ao‘ao kai o ke ahupua‘a ‘o He‘eia. Ua holo ‘o ia i Kealohi ma He‘eia Kea e lawai‘a. ‘O kekahi kuleana a ka wahine i ka wā kahiko, ‘o ia ho‘i, ka hō‘ili ‘ana i nā mea ‘ai ma ka lihi o ke kai a me nā kahawai. Ua hō‘ili mai ‘o Kāmeha‘ikana i nā limu ‘ono ma ka lihi o ke kahakai a hele nō ho‘i ‘o ia ma ke kai pāpa‘u e ‘ohi i ka limu e ulu a‘e ana ma ka hāpapa. E ‘ike maka nō ho‘i ‘o ia i nā pāpa‘i, no laila, ua hō‘ili pū ‘o ia i nā pāpa‘i. Hū ka ‘ono o kēia mau mea ‘ai mai ke kai.
Ke pau ka hō‘ili ‘ia ‘ana o ka mea ‘ai, ua ho‘okomo ‘o Kāmeha‘ikana i ua mau mea nei i loko o ka ipu i pa‘a ‘ia ma kona kīkala me ka pōhuehue. Ua hele ‘o ia i uka o ke ahupua‘a ‘o He‘eia i ‘Ioleka‘a. Ma ‘ane‘i nō e kahekahe ana ke kahawai ‘o Ha‘ikū a ma lalo iho o ia kahawai, ‘o ia nō ka punawai ‘o Ha‘akōlea. He wahi punawai kēia ma kēia wahi ‘āina nei. Ua holoi ‘o Kāmeha‘ikana i kāna mau mea ‘ai me ka wai o ka punawai. ‘Oiai ‘o ia e holoi ‘ia ana ka mea ‘ai, ua holoi ‘ia ke kai, nā pōhaku li‘ili‘i, a me ke one. I kā Kāmeha‘ikana holoi ‘ana, ua pakele nā pāpa‘i a ha‘alele, ua ho‘oulu ‘ia ka limu ma ka punawai. A, ua haki nō ho‘i kekahi ‘āpana o ka pōhuehue. I kēia lā, hiki iā ‘oe ke ‘ike i ka pōhuehue, he pua poni a ‘ākala me nā lau ‘ōma‘oma‘o, e ulu a‘e ana ma ka lihi o ka punawai.
Moʻo ʻŌlelo
Weekly, a Mo‘o ‘Ōlelo, a succession of Hawaiian words or phrases will be shared. The mana‘o behind each word or phrase relates to the mo‘olelo being presented. This component will enhance cultural awareness and knowledge through Hawaiian language.
General name for crabs; which Kāmehaʻikana gathers from the ocean and takes with her ma uka.
ʻŌlelo Noeʻau #624: Piʻi mai nei i ka pali me he ʻaʻama la.
Climbs the cliff like a black crab.
Said of one who goes beyond his limit.
Also known as Beach Morning Glory, pōhuehue is a shrub that travels along the ground. The vines are strong and flexible with a purplish / pink flower and used for medicines for broken bones, sprains and stomach aches to name a few. The moʻolelo (story) of the plant chronicles the intertwinement of two lovers, Pōhuehue and Kaunaoa, which you when you find pōhuehue, you will also find kaunaoa.
The ash-colored rain of Haʻikū valley, in the ahupuaʻa of Heʻeia Oʻahu. It is also the name of the cave in which the earth goddess Kāmehaʻikana lives. Resource: E Luku Wale E by Kapulani Landgraf and Mark Hamasaki
The name of the main character of the moʻolelo as well as a word meaning “a multitude of generations”. Kāmehaʻikana is another name for Haumea who is the Hawaiian goddess of procreation.
