In ancient Hawai’i, the land was not owned by anyone. Rather, lands belonged to the gods and were managed by the ali’i (chiefs) Each Hawaiian island was divided into Moku (districts), And within each district were smaller land divisions called ahupua’a. ...
Makahiki has come to a close. Hawaiians could tell by the subtle changes in the weather. The air started to warm and the rain started to lighten. The nights came later and were getting shorter. And once an unmanned canoe...
Once the statue of Lono had completed his tour around the island, he was returned to his home in the heiau. The ali’i nui (high chief) would set out on a canoe that evening and return the following morning. Upon...
When Hawaiians saw Lonoʻs statue and kapa sails being taken down, it was time to close the Makahiki season. One ceremony that took place was called “kōkō a Maoloha” which means “net of Maoloha” The legend is told about a...
Once the statue of Lono had completed is tour around the island, he was returned to his home in the heiau. The ali’i nui (high chief) would set out on a canoe that evening and return the following morning. Upon...
Early Hawaiians did not record any history, language or traditions in written form. Years of tradition and information was passed down orally so haʻi moʻolelo (story telling) was an integral part of Hawaiian culture. These “storytelling” moments happened throughout Makahiki...
Hula was a major part of the Makahiki season. Hula and ʻoli (chants) is how the Hawaiian traditions and stories were recorded and passed down from generation to generation. Certain hula and ʻoli were only performed during Makahiki as they...
Sports and games are synonymous with Makahiki. This stems from a legend of how Lono used boxing and wrestling to overcome his grief of a deceased lover. Hawaiians carried this tradition on with sports such as kuiʻkuʻi or mokomoko (boxing)...
Once the purification process was complete, people would await the coming of Lono. Hawaiians believed that after praying, Lono would send his spirit into a twelve foot tall wooden carving topped with a figure head. This carving was called Lonoikamakahiki...
