Essay #2 POLS 326

oct 2019

Essay #2 POLS 326

Climate change and the loss of biodiversity are both interrelated environmental issues that need to be addressed.  The increased levels of carbon dioxide produced by fossil fuels have lead to increased change within the earth's atmosphere.  Man made emissions cause changes within the earth's climate system resulting in new weather patterns that remain in place for an extended period of time.  

  These climate changes in the earth's weather systems affect the variety and variability of life on earth.  The biodiversity of all life on the planet are directly impacted by the earth's climate system and mankindʻs impact on the environment.  In summary our emissions are being trapped in the earth's atmosphere causing a complex and ever increasing change in our planet. Humanity is the one responsible for these increasing changes in our climate.   

   Some examples include; Japanʻs Nuclear waste struggle that are affecting local fishermen, islands disappearing such as Tuvaluʻs sinking islands, and the desecration of the island of Kaʻaholawe.  Each of these examples have a direct connection to man's struggle to care for this sacred earth and all of the sacred creations within it. Each of these are examples of greed, selfishness, and apathy that bring out the fruits of destruction and theft.  The problem that Adam and Eve faced in the garden of choosing to eat from the tree of good and evil instead of choosing the tree of life is the problem that humanity is still facing today. Should man only choose what is beneficial to him?, or will he choose abundant life for all?

  In the April 2002 IPCC Climate Change and Biodiversity paper, some of the summaries include that at the global level human activities have caused and will continue to cause a loss in biodiversity.  Many species will move poleward or upward from their current locations due to climate change, and globally by the year 2080, about 20% of coastal wetlands could be lost due to sea-level rise.  Event further, the risk of extinction will increase for many species that are already vulnerable.  This paper by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change gives us a tangible report that our globe is changing.  The data is in, the reports have been made, and humanity's power is at an all time high. In these reports it has been shown, man is still choosing only to benefit himself.   

In the paper “The Historical Roots of Western European Environmental Attitudes and Values” Callicott gives us some insight on how humanities disregard for earth might have come to be.  Here he analyzes the early chapters of the book of Genesis and the actions in the garden of eden and how three different interpretations are given to influence man. In one interpretation called the “Despotic Interpretation”, man is master, and nature is its slave.  Here earth's natural resources and environment are unruly and need to be conquered. In this kind of interpretation creation is just another tool needed for survival, therefore any means necessary is justified. In another interpretation called the “Stewardship Interpretation” man has special duties and responsibilities given to by God.  To abuse the earth is to violate the trust God has placed to mankind. Here this interpretation is closer the idea that he should care for the earth. And finally the third interoperation called the “Citizenship” interpretation mankind was once a part of the community of Godʻs creation.  But because of His disobedience he chose to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  What was useful to him was called good, what was less comfortable he called evil. Thus the imbalance of Godʻs creation created by mans ability to choose himself over the environment.

Climate change and the loss of biodiversity can be seen to the connection that was first seen in the garden of eden.  That old temptation from the snake that man could be indeed like God, deciding good from evil paired up with the idea of the despotic interoperation (mostly in modern times), that since now there is no God, he is master.  And thus started the first hundred thousand years of cultivation of his brokenness taking earth's ecological systems for his own benefit and good, and in more modern times the rise of industries and private organizations calling their own interest “good” and everything else “evil”.  But what can stop this generational disconnect and man's lust for power?

Thomas Berry gives us a new story a paradigm shift in his writing “Earth as Sacred Community”.  Here Berry brings us back to a “bio-spiritual” consciousness that calls all of humanity to reflect within and see themselves not only as characters (or subjects) within a story, but in reality they (we) are the story of the universe.  Berry talks about how tiny elements such as atoms to the universe itself is all moving and living in a particular flow and dance interdependent on one another. He challenges us to take the issues in climate change and loss of biodiversity as something personal.  As if your physical body was sick with a kind of cancer, or with a kind of high fever. He likens even humanity to all of creation as one family unity under one body. As if one part of our globe was ill, each of the members of the body would have been affected.  

The challenge here is for people of all professions, cultures, and nations to acknowledge this kind of knowing.  This kind of knowing and awareness that everything is sacred and everything is spiritual. That if you were to harm the earth it would be like harming your own body.  It would come with a perspective of no one should be harmed, and so should our planet. What would you do if you saw your mother being attacked by a stranger wanting to use her for personal gain?  And thus feeling those same kind of emotions when corporate private organizations and industries want to harm our mother earth for their own gain should be a natural reaction. We need the majority having this kind of emotional experience and reaction to speak to these large companies that are harming our environment.  Within the area of loss of biodiversity. When likened to the human race, we are full of culture, languages, and types. For humans to only prefer one race would be a loss to humanity. Each culture has generations of wisdom to pass down, loaded with knowledge and information for us to share and delight in. It is the same with the biodiversity of plants, animals, and terrain.  Each distinction subtle or unsubtle can teach us more than we will ever know.  

In conclusion, we need to bridge the head knowledge with the heart.  The dialog between the sciences and the humanities should happen filling out industries, government, and educational institutions.  With this kind of education the science of climate change will become a more personal one.   

Intergovernmental Pannel On Climate Change. “Handling the Impacts of Climate Change on   Biodiversity.” Climate Change     

Berry, T. (2006). Chapter 4/Earth as a Sacred Community. In Evening Thoughts: Reflecting on Earth as a Sacred Community (1st ed., pp. 43–58). San Francisco, CA: Sierra Club 

Books.Callicott, J. B. (1994). Chapter 2/The Historical Roots of Western European Attitudes and Values. In Earth's Insights (pp. 14–43). Berkeley and Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press.

POLS 326 Biodiversity loss and Deforestation

Biodiversity loss and Deforestation
October 2019

The removal of forests is a cause for the loss of diversity in nature. Forests maintain diverse organisms and landscapes. They are a habitat for wildlife. Forest help to prevent erosion. Forest filter large amounts of water and air. And forest provide food, medicine, and resources for humanity. With the removal of forest we take away whole ecosystems. Many wildlife, plants, and organisms  depend on forests for survival. Many indigenous people groups also depend on forests to maintain their lifestyle and culture. When deforestation occurs wildlife, plants, and indigenous tribes lose their shared and very complex habitats. This loss of complexity and shared environments sometimes are not able to recover when deforestation happens making the ecosystem less diverse. For a rich complex ecosystem to exist there must be biodiversity. This biodiversity helps all of nature to thrive. Deforestation has a direct connection to the lost of biodiversity in our ecosystems.  

In “Thinking like a Mountain” by Aldo Leopold we are introduced to the idea of a biotic community though his experience of watching a wolf die. Though this experience he reflects on the idea of the ecosystem having mutually interconnected and interdependent parts. To lose one part would have negative consequences to the whole. His reflection is key to understanding that each part of the ecological system (including humans) have direct effects upon one another that can be helpful or destructive. Humanity has been a major contributor to the destruction of ecological systems though deforestation. Humanity has created imbalance within our ecosystems. Humanity has not been a friendly neighbor to our plants, animals, and landscapes. With the perspective from “Thinking like a Mountain” humanity is challenged to be sensitive to the complex interconnectedness of natures ecosystems.

Another movement called “Ecofeminism” calls humanity to draw on the concept of gender to analyze the relationships between humans and the natural world. There is a principle based on the feminine qualities to nurture and enhance the quality of life for all. Patriarchal hierarchy has dominated decision making in the west. Ecofeminism emphasizes that both woman and nature should be respected. Both masculine and feminine qualities should be balanced. Harmony and sustainability should replace anthropocentrism and destruction of our ecosystems. In ecofeminism, nature and women produce life and bring balance to masculine. Ecofeminism is challenging the status quo of the patriarchy in environmental issues by being a voice like a mother protecting her children from predators. 

Industries today should be made conscious of the idea that we are all part of this universal ecological system. The injustice done to our environment has been overlooked for the profit of humanity. Deforestation is not just about trees, but about everything that it contains. This universal ecological system is a part of our human history therefore should be treated with great reverence. Each part of the bio-system could be related to different parts of our human body. One would not say to oneself that they donʻt need a certain part of the body. With the perspective of “Ecofeminism” and ideas of “Thinking like a Mountain” we should be treating our environment not as something to benefit from, but as a child or infant that is needing to be cared for, loved and understood. To nurture, make sacrifices for, and strengthen as we would our own bodies. 

With this mindset motivation to restore and sustain our forests so that it can continue to be environments of biodiversity and growth come naturally. The kind of ancient wisdom and modern science ecology become tools humanity can use to be an advocate for planet earth and her ability to restore and heal. Resources can be allocated to reforestation and education. Policies can aide to the health and healing of the planet. Humanity can regain consciousness of their part in the whole. 

 Leopold, Aldo Thinking Like a Mountain

Vandana Shiva, Staying Alive: Women, Ecology and Development (London: Zed Books, 1989).

UHMC HWN 261 Literature and Translation: The Law of the Splintered Paddle

5/4/2019

The Law of the Splintered Paddle

Have you ever heard of the law of the Splintered Paddle?  This law can be found in the Hawaii State constitution, Article 9, Section 10 and states “Let every elderly person, woman, and child lie by the roadside in safety.”  It is a law that has been set in place since 1797 by Kamehameha I. Over the history of this law, many variances and translations have occurred regarding the story of the laws origin.  In this paper we will look at four different sources that reference this law of the Splintered Paddle. Each source comes from different times, places, and lenses that add or take away various aspects of this story.  We will also go over some of the similarities and differences in storytelling styles, details, and possible biases.

The first and earliest source we will look at comes from the 1906 “The Hawaiian Annual”.  This was an annual compilation of information regarding topics and data of Hawaii published by Thomas G. Thrum.  Topics included mythology, language, censusʻs, budgets, etc from around Hawaii by various sources. In this particular translation and the earliest of the sources we will go over regarding Kamehamehaʻs Law of the Splintered Paddle, we will be able to look at a translation done by C.L. Hopkins who was a Hawaiian interpreter for the supreme court.  In this compilation of Hawaiiʻs information and statistics we find our story titles in an article called “Mamalahoa, an Ancient Hawaiian Law” (pg. 81-86). Here it is is interesting to note that Thrum is not the one who has prepared this story. We find a name C.L. Hopkins and attached is his title as Hawaiian Interpreter Supreme Court. Some of the more noticeable aspects of this version is the tone in which the story starts, the kind of vocabulary used.  But more interestingly is the kind of dramatized details provided in this version that pulls the reader to engage in his emotions and follow the writers powerful storytelling methods. Hopkins version of the story is full of details, drama, and even historical names and stories that have cultural and political influence. Despite announcing in his opening of his article that this is a “true and complete narrative” which is quite questionable, Hopkins does give honor and respect to many of the ideas of Hawaii that include the history of Hawaii, historical and significant places, and important Hawaiian names and some moral characteristics.  Despite wondering how Hopkins has obtained the kind of details, quotes, and insights, within this story; for me it was an interesting read that gave provided context regarding how the law of the Splintered Paddle emerged. For readers during that time I would sense this kind of informational entertainment was the common way in which made this story memorable. Even more so, the position held by Hopkins would have made this story credible. Here in this version “Mamalahoa, an Ancient Hawaiian Law” we can remember the story of Kamehameha and his companion that He dearly cherished.

The second source we will look at comes from the 1923 “Westervelts Hawaiian Historical Legends” by W.D. Westervelt.  In this source we see less diversity in its cultural interpretation and rigid vocabulary in his descriptions. Westervelt’s brings attention to himself as author of many of Hawaiiʻs stories, legends, and mythology.  Within the preface of his book “Hawaiian Historical Legends” Westervelt takes freedoms to make off taste claims and highlight his ignorance of Hawaiiʻs history and mythology. Even a step further Westervelt builds himself up as now the hero of Hawaiiʻs “great assistants” for “searching for these fragments of Hawaiian history”.  

 Westervelt’s story of the “Law of Splintered Paddle” does carry a full story but his sentence patterns are shorter and less enthusiastic.  Unlike Hopkins version, Westervelt’s story is harder to read and lacks flow. Even more so, Westervelt bipolar descriptions of Kamehameha and hard to follow story line if filled with insertions of westernized perceptions and judgments of cultural practices and terms.  Kamehameha in this story is called “the Only-Only”, who was chosen to be king by a number of influential chiefs, who in this story Westervelt claims that this “pagan conscience” came to a sense of just dealing only after this incident.

Our third source comes from “Folktales of Hawaii” collected and translated by Mary Kawena Pukui and Laura C.S. Green published in 1995.  Here the story of the Law of the Splintered Paddle is told by a relative of Mary Kawena who’s name is Kaluhiokalani. Mary Kawena has been known to be one of Hawaiiʻs most beloved preservers of Hawaiian culture, language, and stories.  Her collected and translated folktales of Hawaiʻi gives us yet another perspective and version to compare and contrast Kamehamehaʻs law. Mary Pukuiʻs translation is a pleasant read that captures the essence of the story in a concise way.  After reading both Hopkins and Weserveltʻs translations of the law of the splintered paddle, Pukuiʻs translation beautifully combines both stories in a way in which readers can understand. Pukui leaves out much of the “fluff” or fillers of the past two stories and goes straight to the point of how the law came to originate.  What is highly appreciated here is her minimal input of adjectives, unnecessary details, and mustering up a dramatic setting. As Pukui continues to advance the cultural data base of Hawaii readers can pass on this story with ease and excitement. What is quite interesting here in this translation is the incident of the fish spear.  In past stories, the fish spear becomes an obstacle in Kamehameha’s life, in this story it is a way in which Kamehameha contemplates. Furthermore, in this story Kamehameha takes it a step further to abolish human sacrifices. None of these details are mentioned in our past two sources but Pukui does make references to Westervelt and Fornander as sources in which adaptations of those versions could have took place.

And finally our fourth source comes from the Hawaii Legal Auxiliary in connection with members of the Hawaii State Bar Association.  Here the story of the Law of the Splintered Paddle has an educational flavor to it. Located in the material are illustrations by Dietrich Varez with moral and connotations, bold text, and even a glossary of Hawaiian terms.  This addition is the most current compilation of all four translations we will be looking at. Here we find the evolution of our past four translations of Kamhehamehaʻs law now transitioned into educational material for the masses.  This work done by the Hawaii Legal Auxiliary can be a great example of works from the past can be available for the present to teach the future.

In summary one can imagine the constant progression and steadfastness of humanity to adapt, analyze, and utilize the accumulation of history to advance consciousness.  As example of past translations of Kamehamehaʻs law it is not left up to the translators alone, but of the active alive audience and people that perpetuate the ideas. In this paper we have seen that there are no perfect persons but each set of ideas and information that has been passed down become vital for the next set of people to analyze.  

No ka hale pule a'u: A brief History:

"Coastlands, listen to Me in silence, And let the peoples gain new strength; Let them come forward, then let them speak; Let us come together for judgment.”  -Isaiah 41:1

There was never a time when the Kingdom of Hawaii has ever given up its rights as a sovereign state nation.  

During the reign of the Kamehameha family structures were set in place to assure the sovereignty of Hawaii.  

Hawaii had a government, declared independence, been recognized, and was under the league of Nations.

In 1893 the Republic of Hawaii (mostly wealthy sugar planters, and businessmen) overthrew the Kingdom of Hawaii by force of US military.  

The Republic of Hawaii provides Newlands Resolution 1898 “joint resolution” to U.S. but is not a treaty.  It was made a port for the Spanish American war.

No treaty

No consent

No annexation

It has been 200 years since the missionaries (1820) have arrived.  

Their contributions (the missionaries) of Christendom, the written word, and western ideas (land ownership, foreign technology, etc.) made quality advances to the people of Hawaii.  

But there was also negative consequences of the missionaries and western contact.  Such as oppression to Hawaiian culture, tradition, art, religion, and language.

In one sense the Hawaiian people were stripped of their identity, and made to forget the injustice and cruelty of certain American people who planted the seed of colonization in Hawaii.  

Colonization in Hawaii is evident.  It is a stronghold for the American military, a monopoly for wealthy entrepreneurs, and defiled with secular humanistic ideology.  

More and more Hawaiians and people of Hawaii are forgetting the true history of this place, and trading it for the comfort, security, and illusion of the American dream.  

Hawaii was a place of mass food production, high literacy, and sacred lands.

It has been a place of many cutting edge movements in technology, politics, race/ ethnicity, women's rights, etc.

Furthermore, Hawaii has been a neutral sovereign state and under international law no other country can occupy it for their own personal use.  Hawaii was to be a sanctuary for the world. Not just for one country.

Hawaiians and Hawaii people are not waking up to the truth of these facts.

Who has the rights to own land?

Who has the rights to water and water use?

Who will pay for the destruction of sacred sites and the natural land systems?

Its it right for someone to make a profit using what isn't theirs to begin with?

I know we all have to make a living here in Hawaii.  The next practical steps are harder to define, but what I am making a case for today about is the retelling of the truth.  Pulling down the curtain of deceit, deception, and lies.

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” -Micah 6:7-8

EA Field School 2018 Journal #4

EA Field School Journal #4

  What if instead of using all of our time, energy, and resources on developing our personal structures (homes, buildings, shopping centers, etc) and accumulating resources (material goods, entertainment, and excess) and we spent some attention and a little more energy on helping to restore and revive our natural systems on Maui,  strengthen community, and build up future leaders in helping to shape this island towards a more sustainable lifestyle.
  Ahupuaʻa around Maui start to produce highly nutritional food that we could distribute to our Schools, community neighbourhoods, food banks, and feeding the less fortunate.  Members of the community would be able to work alongside each other sharing, communining, and getting to know one another on deeper levels creating a tight mutual network built on authentic relationships.  And future generations would come to know and experience this kind of environment creating a solid foundation deep within, building character, and producing healthy individuals with a sense of kuleana for their ʻĀina.
  What if wholistic natural food systems were put back into place?  What kind of benefits or challenges would that bring?  What would it require?  Is it possible?
  For millions and millions of years the creation of Hawaiʻi was built with certain potentiality in mind.  It would have seen the most poetic songwriter, romantic artist, insightful and wise creator(s) orchestrated every mountain top, valley, kahawai, wai puna, makani, all pieces of this island to work and function together in interdependency.  Each land feature, territory was given a god to cultivate and teach the coming of kanaka to survive and mālama ʻāina.  It was as if each wahi was treated with purity, sacredness, and respect, first by the god guardians that protected it then passed unto the kupuna and aliʻi who held those secrets.
 Modern insights in todayʻs world has given another angle of perspective.  The geographical landscape and natural catastrophes create the foundation and resources for life.  From volcanic explosions to ice glaciers on top of Haleakalā falling and creating rides in the landscape, to massive mudslides and pounding winds building and blowing minerals originated as far as China.  The ahupuaʻa such as Kaupō area are filled with exciting geographical stories to be rediscovered.  With each geographical realization brings deeper validation of the kupuna who lived on these lands and cultivated them.
  With some problems we face today such as importing 80%+ of our food, materialism, excess entertainment, etc.  Reestablishing a sustainable ahupuaʻa system within the community, from the community, by the community I believe would alleviate many of the tensions and pressures that come from a european westernized culture.  To set up the success of that vision it is necessary for the proper research to be done ma mua.  Research experts such as Scott Fischer, Kiana Frank,  and Noah Lincon are provided important groundwork for the vision of restoration and malama ʻĀina.  As we continue into the vision of a sustainable Hawaiʻi once again models such as Aunty Dona provide a visual for us to experience this dream.
  As we continue to look into the past to gain wisdom on how to move forward it would seem the biggest barriers can be the comfortable chains that bind the mind to greed, apathy, and selfish ambition that come from generations after generations of institutionalized brainwashing.  It is not only till we are exposed and experience “Aloha ʻĀina” for ourselves that we can truly dive deep into being truly connected to the values of the Lā Hui Hawaiʻi.  This experience not only requires deep intellectual understanding but also hard work and dedication, and mostly passionate spirit to truly live out Aloha.

EA Field School 2018 Journal Entry #3

“E ui aku ana au īa ʻoe, Aia i hea ka Wai a Kāne?”

Microbes and Lepo
-Connect kanaka to ʻĀina
-EA through oxygen “breath” entering through the flow of fresh water
-Can create favorable Conditions for Kalo in a complex community of Microbes
How are kanaka connected to the ʻĀina?
  Kanaka have inherited the world of microbes into their kino through the foods we eat, people we surround ourselves, and the world around us.  In the most literal sense we are what we eat.  Our body if not only made of these microscopic organisms but we ingest them in everything we eat.
  In the loʻi water is necessary for the growth of the kalo.  Water from the kahawai is diverted into the patches.  As water flows and moves the EA “air/ breath” gets mixed into the water molecules creating a more “mana full” energy source for the microscopic world to gain of of.  The EA of our foods are truly found in the foods found in traditional practices.
  Microbes create resources for plants, animals and environment to thrive.  Like a social community they work together feeding and communing to create a potent atmosphere for life to thrive.

Microbes and Moʻolelo 
Some moʻolelo of kahiko use traditional storytelling to describe the microbe world:
-Moʻolelo to pass down key information about wahi
-Moʻolelo to remember key times and events
-Moʻolelo to teach valuable lessons to generations
Are moʻolelo kahiko unscientific?
  Those not familiar with the concept of kaona would not be able to appreciate the multi dimensional multi purpose of moʻolelo.  Many misconceptions about Indigenous stories come to the conclusion that these kinds of stories are irrelevant to today's world.  In recent studies this could be the farthest idea from the truth.  Many examples found in moʻolelo kahiko of wahi show how many of the “magic, mystical, even mysterious” events and phenomenons can be traced empirically.  Such as the changing of colors in wai, kumu lāʻau, fish disappearing, etc.  Moʻolelo turn interest not only to the valuable lessons and haʻawina the story holds, but is traced to the natural science of what is happening with its respected worldview.

Microbes and Networks 
Microbes Communicate with each other like as in a network
Microbes create atmospheres for multi cultural environments for diversity of species
Microbes interact in peculiar ways not yet fully understood by science world

“Aia i ke kuahiwi, I ke kualono, i ke awaawa, i ke kahawai; Aia i laila ka Wai a Kāne.”

O Na Kumu Akua

May 17, 2018

O Na Kumu Akua a Pau

 In this naturalistic worldview of our post - enlightenment culture, the idea of gods and goddesses, spirits, and shapeshifters are only held in fairy tales, myths, and children stories.  The modern western man has found himself comfortable in this matrix of the natural unguided process of science and nothing else.  There is no room for what we cannot see with our natural eyes.  There is no sacred (connection with God or gods), only the secular ( whatever club they chose to be a part of, and the “cult”ure attitudes and behaviors). 

 In many indigenous world views the world is saturated and highly active with spirits.  There is a yet another layer to what we can see with our natural eyes, the realm of the sacred.  In this realm there are powers, principalities, and forces manifested by free agents with unimaginable qualities (Iʻo, Kane, Ku, Lono, Kanaloa, Wakea, Papa, Pele etc.).  With many of the world tribes (such as the Babylonians, Canaanites, Egyptians, Sumerians, and even the greek philosophers)  and upon thousands of thousands of years many of the worlds tribes have come to known these forces, ideals,and powers and may have even found ways to harness, collaborate, and maybe even work with these unseen agents.  

  In Christianity,  most evangelical theology regarding Godʻs sovereignty and angels, these principalities and unseen forces are just extensions of Godʻs will.  As if these agents were just divine robots, extensions of this kind of god.  These gods, spirits, angels, whatever you call them are static beings without the choice of making their own will come to pass.  Some sects of christianity would even go so far as to say not only this is true, but that all of humanity shares this same kind of static, zombie like, notion of a highly controlling dictatorship.  In other words we are all robots, mechanically programed, made to do the bidding of a cold distant creator.  But is this true?

 In the Hebrew bible in the book of Daniel chapter 10.  We see interactions with angels/ spirit beings taken on human forms who are either cooperating with the will of God or battling against it.  In this chapter we see the “guardian” Michael battling the god of Persia and soon awaiting the god of Greece.  There is a kind of warfare that the natural eye cannot see.  It was an assumption in the Hebrew culture of the existence of other godʻs.  And that each supernatural being like humans had free will choice to participate or wage war against each other.  Here a different perspective is seen.  One where the world we live in is as dynamic as the personalities of the individual himself as well as this free will is extended to the unseen forces and “gods” as well.  

 We see more examples within scripture of free agents choosing their own will such as the Behemoth, Leviathan, Yam (in the Psalms), Rahab, “the serpent of the air”, satan, etc.  It would not be a far assumption to take this idea and project it to the different cultures and ancient stories of other gods, goddesses, and supernatural agents.

 In Hawaiʻi there is a pantheon of gods and goddesses (akua), guardian spirits (ʻaumakua), wandering spirits (huakaʻi pō), and a deep connection to the Kupuna ( ancestors and aliʻi).  It is a life of rich and deep connection to the ʻāina and the moʻolelo in which is passed down from generation to generation.  The awareness of the activity of the spirit world was woven into every activity through pule, oli, and aloha ʻāina.  Just as Daniel was able to familiarize himself with the guardians of the geographical territories the Hawaiian people (like many indigenous people groups) were able to recognize the imprints of these gods and goddesses.  Not only there was an awareness to this reality, Hawaiianʻs took it a step further through the Aliʻi.  Aliʻi were manifested gods on earth.  They were the representation of the powers and authorities that were required to maintain Pono (ballance).  Some Aliʻi were so sacred that if even their shadow were casted on you the consequence would be death.  The spiritual world was not even hinted as a joke to the Hawaiian people.  Much care, attention, and sacrifice was given that they would be in harmony with all of creation (seen and unseen).   

 With the coming of the Calvinistic Christians to Hawaiʻi in 1819, came many positive and negative impacts.  With Calvinistic Christians from the ABCFM  leaning more to a hellenistic Aristotelian view as God as an Infinite in power, knowledge, and size (omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent etc.), God became less personal and relational and more abstract and authoritative.  And all gods and goddesses were reduced to evil and wicked in the eyes of the uncultured missionaries.  With this hellenistic christianity hints of Gnosticism became yet another invasive species.  The idea of the physical being evil and only the “spiritual” is good, came many destruction of the sacred sites, places, and geographical locations.  Another school of thought that came with the missionaries were the “Apatheia” of Stocisim.  Where in Hawaiian worldview you are an active agent with the gods, the school of greek thought that influenced these missionaries came the idea of “gods providence”.  That whatever happened you could not change it, it is the natural, unstoppable will of god.  

 Here we start to see the sterilization of religion and spirituality and the split between the sacred and the secular.  Does one leave the complex dynamic interconnected spiritual world for a more straightforward, academic, greek focused religion?  While both alternatives donʻt seem very outdated these were some of the very questions the people of the past (and present) have to answer deep within.  Is it easier to stay objective and passive?  Yes.  It seems better to not event mention these types of topics at all.  But is it beneficial to for the spirit of a man to see beyond himself and into the realm of the unknown?  Yes, but only with guidance and council from the spirit of wisdom and the guardians entrusted to keep pono in their respective territories.

 

KUMULIPO

Sam Peralta

Kumulipo

Did The Universe Have a Beginning?

 The question “Why is there something rather than nothing?” has been one of the deepest philosophical questions of mankind which all worldviews must answer.  In the Hawaiian world view the creation of time, space, and matter is infused with the culture, traditions, and history of the Hawaiian people.  The Kumulipo is interested in allowing the listener to be connected and somewhat involved in the process and ongoing of the creation of the universe in contrast to most 16th century philosophy where the individual remains detached and “objective” in his own sense from the universe.  Here from the start we see the Hawaiian worldview interested in calling mankind into history, inviting him to take part in the development of the unknown to the known.  Rather than the question “why is there something rather than nothing?” The question seems more like “what part does humanity have in the history of the universe?”

From the Unknown to Known

 The Kumulipo starts off the first section with the idea of “Po”.  Po can mean a variety of things in the Hawaiian language, and in context of the Kumulipo and various interpretations the definition can include darkness, obscurity, mystery, realm of the gods, and or chaos.  It is interesting to note that the idea of the formation of order of the universe has always come from disorder, this idea has been throughout all creation stories and legends of the major ancient world religions (Mesopotamians, Babylonians, Persians, Egyptian, Judeo Christian, etc).  With the evolution of consciousness creation chants, stories, and legend were effective ways to make sense of the dangers and unknown mysteries of the world.  And as man could articulate more and more of the mysteries and sacred it seemed he could now organize beauty out of the chaos.  And even start to make sense of his surroundings by the world around him.  

Biological Evolution

 Charles Darwin’s theory of Natural Selection gave science and philosophy new ways of seeing the human body development within the context of creation.  In the Kumulipo the stages of the development and process of creation appearances give me the sense of the same kind of idea.  It seems that the evolution of the human body came from stages of animal development, selection, and adaptation.  Each stage of creature development allowed and paved a way for more complex creatures to appear until the first functional human appears. 

Consciousness of the Sacred Realm

 For the first seven or so Wa (epoch/ time span), the Kumulipo finishes with the saying “O ke Akua ke Komo, ‘a’oe komo kanaka”.  Here we are given insight to the awareness of not only the deep understanding of the biological evolution of the human body, but also of the awareness to the realm of the unknown “the spiritual”.  Hawaiians were intune with creation and the force(s) in which sparked life.  They were not naive or ignorant of the fabric layer of the immaterial.  In the Kumulipo we see that this immaterial world is actually the foundation on which the first humans, even gods, could live in.

Consciousness of Creation

 The land and all of creation were in perfect harmony long before humanity became consciousness.  Here in the Kumulipo it is expressed at the end of the first 7 Wa as “Po No”.  “Po No” in the context of the Kumulipo has two possible meanings.  One meaning “darkness indeed”, implying the great mystery that none can fathom in the creation process.  And the other meaning “Pono” the Hawaiian word that cannot be fully expressed in a single English articulation, but is seen or known to mean balanced or in perfect harmony.  Here in the consciousness of creation the Kumulipo is expressing the idea of complete self sustainability as a functional interdependent organism system. 

 One of the hints Hawaiians had the idea of creation being a self sustaining organism is their idea that before the first humans were conscious everything was “Pono”.  

 Other Thoughts:

 Some other thoughts while pondering the Kumulipo is the understanding of the Consciousness of Self, understanding of Social Consciousness, and the Ethical and Moral Implications implied.  Those discoveries are made in the second section of the Kumulipo called “Ao”. 

 The Kumulipo is a very advanced complex narrative of the creation of the universe while weaving in social, moral, and sacred codes to help guide a society of pioneers, adventurers, and warriors.  What made the Kumulipo even more impressive was the writer’s ability to use the Hawaiian language in its most raw original form through melody and rhythm. 

Sources:

Kalekoa Ka’eo HWN Culture 231

Kiope Raymond HWN 107

“Reading Kumulipo” by Peter 5/07/97

Kumulipo “Wikipedia”

Kumulipo Translated by Martha Warren Beckwith