Ka Koho ʻana i ka Lāʻau no ke Kūkulu Waʻa
I ka makahiki 1973, ua hiki iaʻu ke nīnau aku i ke Kahuna Kalai Waʻa, ʻo James Kahoʻoʻilihala, pehea ka ʻohi ʻana i ka lāʻau kūpono no ke kūkulu ʻana i ka waʻa i loko o ka nahele. ʻO “Tūtū Man” kā mākou i kapa aku ai iā ia, he kanahiku ona makahiki i kēlā manawa, a ua kūkulu ʻo ia i nā waʻa lawaiʻa a me nā waʻa hoʻokūkū ma ka ʻāpana ʻo Hilo mai nā makahiki 1940 a hiki i 1973. Ua aʻo ʻo ia i kēia hana mai kona kupuna kāne a me kona makua kāne. Eia kāna i ʻōlelo ai:
ʻO kēlā me kēia hōʻailona a me ke kūlou ʻana o ke kumu lāʻau he moʻolelo ia no ke ola o kēlā lāʻau. Inā he momona a he kūlike ka ʻaoʻao lālā o ka lāʻau, ua maikaʻi ka manawa e paʻa pono ai ke kumu. Inā he pālahalaha ka ʻili lāʻau me ka nele o nā ʻālua a me nā haʻalulu, he hōʻailona maikaʻi nō ia ʻaʻole he kīnā ma loko. Inā ʻaʻohe lala nui i hui kiʻekiʻe i luna, ʻo ia hoʻi, ʻaʻole paha he pala ma ka ʻiʻo o loko. Ke nānā aku i nā kualapa o nā lala, e nānā i nā ʻamaʻu a i ʻole nā mea kanu ʻē aʻe e ulu ana i laila. Inā e ulu ana nā ʻamaʻu i loko o ka kualapa, nui ka manawa e pala ai ke kumu o loko.
Me ka paʻi ʻana i ke kumu lāʻau me ke kūlī, e hoʻolohe i ke kani. Inā he kani ʻālohilohi ʻole, he hōʻailona nō ia ua pala ka lāʻau o loko. Inā he kani paʻa, paʻa nō hoʻi ke kumu. Inā he kohe (ʻopiʻopi o ka ʻili lāʻau), e nānā pono i kona hohonu. Inā hohonu loa ia, pala ka lāʻau o loko. E nānā hoʻi i nā pūpū pōpō ma nā ʻaoʻao o ke kumu lāʻau; ʻo ia kahi i haki ai kekahi lala a ua uhi ke kumu i ka puka i kona ulu ʻana aʻe. Inā nui ka pūpū, nui hoʻi ka manawa e pala ai loko o ka lāʻau.
E nānā i ke kūlou o ke kumu lāʻau. E hōʻike mai kēlā i ke ala e hāʻule ai ke kumu ke ʻoki ʻia. ʻO ka lala nui loa i ka ululāʻau o luna e kapa ʻia ana ʻo ka lālā. ʻO kēia lālā ka mea e kuhikuhi pinepine ai i ke ala e hāʻule ai ke kumu. ʻO ka wā e pili ai ka lālā i ke kumu, he kualapa paha kona; e nānā i laila inā e ulu ana nā ʻamaʻu a i ʻole nā mea kanu ʻē aʻe.
ʻO ka mea nui loa, e nānā i kahi e hāʻule ai ke kumu lāʻau ke ʻoki ʻia. Inā e hāʻule ana ia i loko o ka awāwa a i ʻole kahi paʻakikī, paʻakikī loa paha ka huki ʻana mai o ka lāʻau, a i ʻole ʻaʻole hiki loa. Inā ʻaʻole hiki ke huki mai i waho o ka nahele, mai ʻoki i kēlā lāʻau.
'Elepaio
The ‘elepaio (Chasiempis sandwichensis) is a small monarch flycatcher native to Hawaiʻi, and in traditional Hawaiian culture it holds a special and sacred role in canoe construction.
When a canoe builder identified a koa tree for a canoe, they would observe whether an ‘elepaio perched on it.
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If the bird pecked at or fluttered around the tree, it was seen as a warning:
The tree might be rotten or infested with insects inside.
Building a canoe from it would lead to trouble — the hull might weaken, crack, or fail at sea.
The kahuna kālai waʻa would leave that tree and look for another. -
If the ‘elepaio ignored the tree or perched nearby without pecking, it was a good omen:
The tree was sound, strong, and good for making a canoe.
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‘Elepaio represents wisdom, discernment, and guardianship.
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Its guidance protected both the canoe builders and the canoe voyagers.
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It reflects how Hawaiian culture intertwined spiritual belief with practical environmental knowledge.