Koa
ʻO ka lāʻau i makemake nui ʻia no ka hana ʻana i ka ʻiʻo o ka waʻa ʻo ia nō ka koa. Ma mua o nā makahiki 1800, ua ulu nui ka koa i nā nahele nui o ka Mokupuni ʻo Hawaiʻi a me Maui. Ua ulu iki kekahi koa ma nā mokupuni ʻo Oʻahu a me Kauaʻi, akā, ʻaʻole loa i like ka nui a i ʻole ka nui o nā kumu koa i ulu ma Hawaiʻi a me Maui.
I ka makahiki 1792, ua kākau ʻo Archibald Menzies, he kānaka nānā mea kanu ma ka moku o Kāpene Vancouver, e pili ana i kona huakaʻi ʻana i loko o nā nahele koa o ka ahupuaʻa ʻo Kealakekua ma Kona Hema, Mokupuni ʻo Hawaiʻi:
“ʻO nā kumu nui loa e hana pū ana i kēia nahele nui, ua ʻike au he ʻano hou o ka lāʻau mīmosa (koa). Ua ana au i ʻelua kumu ma kokoke o ko mākou alahele, ʻo kekahi he ʻumikūmāhiku kapuaʻi ke anapuni, a ʻo kekahi he ʻumikūmāwalu kapuaʻi, me nā kumu pololei e piʻi ana i ka hoʻokahi haneli kapuaʻi paha ke kiʻekiʻe. I ko mākou holomua ʻana, ua paʻa aʻe ke ulu ʻana o kēia mau kumu koa ma luna aʻe, ma mua o lalo iho, kahi i ʻoki ʻia ai e nā kānaka o nā ʻaoʻao ʻelua o ke ala.”
(Na Tommy Holmes, The Hawaiian Canoe)
Ua loaʻa i nā kahuna kālai waʻa kahiko ka ʻike hohonu e pili ana i ke ʻano ʻokoʻa o nā lāʻau i hoʻohana ʻia, ʻoi aku hoʻi ka koa. Ua ʻike ka mea kālai waʻa i aʻo pono ʻia i ʻekolu ʻano koa ʻokoʻa, i hoʻokaʻawale ʻia e ke ʻano o ke kumu, ke kala o ka ʻili, ke ʻano o ka ʻiʻo lāʻau, a me ke ʻano o ka lālā.
Laumaiʻa:
He ʻano koa me ke kala melemele iki o ka lāʻau, a he mālie iki ke ʻiʻo ma mua o nā ʻano ʻē aʻe. Ke maloʻo, he māmā hoʻi ma mua o nā mea ʻē aʻe, a ua manaʻo ʻia e kekahi poʻe kahuna waʻa he “wahine” kona ʻano. Hoʻohana pinepine ʻia no nā waʻa māmā, akā ʻaʻole lōʻihi ka paʻa o kona ʻiʻo. He keʻokeʻo ʻālohilohi ka ʻili o kēia kumu, a kapa ʻia ʻo Kaekae.
Laukani:
He ʻano koa me ke kala ʻulaʻula ʻeleʻele iki o ka lāʻau, a ʻo ia ka mea i makemake nui ʻia no ka hana ʻana i ka ʻiʻo o ka waʻa. ʻOi aku kona paʻa ma mua o ka Laumaiʻa, a ua manaʻo ʻia he “kāne” kona ʻano.
ʻIʻo ʻŌhiʻa:
He ʻano ʻiʻo “paʻakikī e like me ka ʻōhiʻa.” ʻOi aku ka ʻeleʻele o ke kala, ʻopiopi ke ʻiʻo, a kaumaha ka lāʻau. Ua pale ʻia kēia ʻano e nā kahuna waʻa. ʻO ka ʻili o kēia ʻano kumu he ʻulaʻula ka waihoʻoluʻu, a kapa ʻia ʻo Maua.
(Na James Kaholoʻilihala a me Tommy Holmes, The Hawaiian Canoe)
Aia ka koa e ulu ana mai ke kai kokoke a hiki i ka 7,000 kapuaʻi, akā, e ulu pono ana ma waena o 3,000 a 6,000 kapuaʻi ke kiʻekiʻe. ʻOi aku ka maikaʻi o kona ulu ʻana i nā wahi e loaʻa ana 75 a 200 ʻīniha ua i ka makahiki.
I mea e ulu ai kekahi kumu koa i ka nui kūpono no ka hana ʻana i ka pōhaku waʻa (log) o ka liʻiliʻi he 4 kapuaʻi ka laulā a he 40 a 60 kapuaʻi ka lōʻihi, pono e ulu ʻo ia ma waena o 150 a 200 makahiki.
