Na'au Poi Spiritual Food for Cultural Enlightenment By Aloha Keko'olani Pacific Island Studies Graduate Candidate Pacific Island Studies MA Program, Plan B Paper University of Hawaii at Manoa Campus August2,2004 Ns'au Poi: Spiritual Food for Cultural Enlightenment This manuscript is dedicated to the memory ofmy aunt Amy Charlotte Kaelehiwa Kelwolani Akao (1929-2003), composer, teacher and historian, and to my great greatgrandfather, the High Chief, Solomon Lehuanui Kalanimaioheuila Peleioholani (1843-1916), historian, genealogist, antiquarian, poet, philosopher andali 'i. , I, I, I thank them bothfor paving the way. 2 Nili'au Poi: Spiritual Food for Cultural Enlightenment Contents Prologue 4 Part 1 7 THE NA'AU UNITY OF MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT 7 The Human Body ; 8 Truthful Guts 9 The Contemporary Voice of NS'au 10 The NS'au of Polynesian Voyaging 18 Part 2 20 POLYNESIAN SPIRITUALITY AND NA'AU 20 The Interconnectedness of the Spirit and Material Worlds 21 The Importance of Order, Precision and Control 24 The Harmonious Relationship of Man and Nature 29 Part 3 32 THE PALUA OF POLYNESIAN RELIGION 32 '10, Supreme God and First Cause 33 The Creation of the Universe 35 A Hierarchy of Polynesian Gods 39 The World of the Sacred 42 Kapu, Mana and the Living Gods : 45 The Keepers of the Sacred Fire 54 The Spiritual Odyssey 57 Messages from the Spirit World 60 Part 4 68 NA'AU POI: SPIRITUAL FOOD FOR CULTURAL ENLIGHTENMENT 68 NS'au Values 69 Cultural Recovery 71 Outline for a theory of Kalo Culture and philosophy of nS'au Poi 72 Closing 73 Epilogue 74 NS'au Kalo Roots: Making Poi with Aunty 74 NS'au Poi Lessons with Hawaiian Values 77 3 Na'au Poi: Spiritual Food for Cultural Enlightenment Prologue He rno'olelo (a story) from an experience in 1993 iIIustratas the beliefamong Hawaiians in a unique way of"Hawaiian thinking", ofperceiving, contemplating and tBiking about "things Hawaiian" or nll mea Hawai'i. A kopuna and kumu (elder and teacher) named Edith McKenzie, was teaching 'Olelo Hawaj'j (Hawaiian Language) at the Honolulu Community College. Kumu Edith (also called "Aunty Edith" by her students) is a Hawaiian scholar; well known for her compilations and commentary on mo'o kO'auhau (genealogies of Hawaii), as well as her many works involving Hawaiian culture, Polynesian cultural systems and studies of life in the district of Ka'u. While I was her haumana (student), I served occasionally as her teaching assistant. I was privileged to answer her phone calls, sit at her desk dUring the class period, and help her correct the Olelo Hawai'i papers. By doing this, I learned many valuable personal Hawaiian lessons, including many about "Mana '0 Hawaj'j." (Hawaiian Thinking). One quiet afternoon, during the class period, I was working with her at her desk, sitting on the I~ opposite side of the desk facing Kumu. A student from the Science Department abruptly rushed ,I in and began to demand responses to a series of requests for Kumu Edith. He flopped his papers on top of her desk saying, "Eh Kumu, I am making a poster for the Science Department, I need you to tell me how to write some words for the caption. I need it by 4 p.m. And they said we need this... we need that... so I need it now!" Kumu quietly ignored his request. Instead, she looked at me and continued to softly speak to me regarding the papers I was grading for her. The eager student continued, "Kumu! I am in a rush! The Science department really wants to know how to say this phrase... 'The World Rotates on its' Axis, Spinning Around in the Universe.'" There was complete silence. An air of discomfort began to fill the room. Only seconds passed, which seemed like hours. Kumu Edith began to get very irritated. She refused to look at the student, instead, she looked at me and continued to explain the sentence structures in front of me, while marking with a red pen upon the paper. By now, I was getting nervous and very uncomfortable, because I could tell that Kumu Edith was upset with this Science student. But I dared not interfere or "put my two cents in the mix: Again the student demanded (in a louder voice), "Kumu, I am in a hurry! I need to get this translated for our department. I was excused from class to do this!" Before he finished his last word, Kumu Edith pointed herfinger at him and snapped, "What are you doing here? Can't you see I am busy with my student? What did they teach you? Go back to where you belong! Leave here! That is not a Hawaiian thought! (pointing at his poster) That is not Hawaiian thinking!" 4 Nirau Poi: Spiritual Food for Cultural Enlightenment Kumu's body language; the glare in her eyes and her stem pointing finger, was telling of the feeling in her na'au mind and heart. It startled me, I had never seen her so upset. The student became very embarrassed and walked out quietly. Vividly recalling the perturbed look on Kumu's face, I will never forget all the many "Hawaiian thinking" principles which were revealed in that short exchange. First of all, the male student did not approach Kumu with respect. He did not excuse himself for an interruption, speak in a quiet tone of voice, or adjust his behavior to fit the quiet working atmosphere of the classroom. His voice was loud, demanding and bossy towards an elder. Next, he did not pay attention to Kumu's unspoken message that his timing was bad. KDpuna tend to ignore you if you have caught them during an inappropriate moment. In most cases, kDpuna will consider it common sense that you should wait until they are ready, until you are acknowledged and greeted. Finally, the words that the student wanted translated, "The World Rotates on its' Axis, Spinning Around in the Universe" was not a "Hawaiian thought" to Kumu. I whole heartedly believe that Kumu would have helped the Science student, perhaps offering a different thought that would have served the poster's ultimate purpose, had he only approached her in the correct manner, What is the correct manner? There is a prescribed Hawaiian way of interacting with kDpuna. It issues forth from the Hawaiian value of respect for elders. They are treated as one's superior. kDpuna will usually accept you however you are, but this leniency should never be taken for granted. c ma/ama ina kDpuna means "Care for and respect our elders". Aunty Edith lovingly helped countless students and teachers at the college. She was considered to be a o/u o/u Kumu (kind and generous teacher) even though she could be occasionally very strict on the semantic structures in Hawaiian Language. She was acknowledged by all for her aloha. How should one approach such a kDpuna? Quietly approach, and wait until she had finished speaking and turned to you. Excuse yourselffor the interruption, saying "c kala mai ia'u", or "Please excuse me. II Offer your aloha, and simply ask, "do you have a moment?" Get to the point, without being rude, and offer to come back at a later time if she is busy. Say maha/o before you leave, offer your aloha again, and leave quietly. If the male student had not insulted her by saying, "Eh Kumu' (with the tone of voice like 'whuts up bradah?") and disrupted the peaceful classroom with his loud demands, then, Kumu Edith would have probably offered him alternative suggestions for the slogan of his poster. na'au pono is the way we should treat our elders; to be upright, just, right minded; to have an upright heart. 5 Na'au Poi: Spiritual Food for Cultural Enlightenment Auwe no ho'i a! Instead, the student had forgotten our Hawaiian values and broken the unwritten rules of respect. So, Aunty Edith dismissed him without a second thought. Did she eventually help him? I don't know, but that is not the point. There are things Hawaiians are meant to understand instinctively. These are passed down to us from our kopuna. Their hard earned wisdom were once prized as a valuable resource, and as a light brightening the path to the future. Clearly, these traditional Hawaiian values have definite purposes, deep sociological purposes, which remain relevant today even if they are not fully appreciated. As this story shows, there is a particular way of thinking that accompanies these values and keeps them in the forefront. Further, certain concepts are simply unintelligible or confusing if discussed in un-Hawaiian ways. Having introduced the potential complication but necessary premise of Hawaiian Thinking (Mana'o Hawai'!). let us precede to that most Hawaiian and Polynesian of ideas, nS'au. , I, ,I, 6 Na'au Poi: Spiritual Food for Cultural Enlightenment Part 1 The Ni'au Unity of Mind, Body and Spirit When a Hawaiian person wishes to describe an urge, an intuition, or inspiration, you'll hear him talk about his nS'au, meaning his "gut". The Revised Hawaiian Dictionary by Mary Kawena Pukui and Samuel Elbert gives the literal definition of nS'au as "Intestines, bowels, guts; mind, heart, affections; of the heart or mind; mood, temper, feelings·. Like Hebrews, Hawaiians located emotions in the bowels. This is "gut instina-. 1 In her annotated translation of He mo'o/e/o ka'ao '0 Kamapua'a , native writer Lilikala Kame'eleihiwa says, "The term used nS'au actually means 'intestines, bowels,' but Hawaiians believe that all emotions of thought are centered in the intestines.