Mahalos to Toni Auld Yardley for the share! The Return Of Na Wai Eha or The Four Great Waters This is a major advancement & a sign of good things coming as many of our fresh water sources from springs have been rerouted, capped and the water stored in holding tanks crippling many Hawaiian farmers and my Auntie Honey Matson of Waihee Valley in Kahaluu, Oahu was affected as her loi kalo or taro patches were not as vibrant as could have been as the water was just too warm and if the wai was not rerouted, that entire valley would be flourishing today. The return of Na Wai Eha may allow Waihee waters to run freely once again. The Waters Of Kane The great spirit Kane was the spirit of wai, fresh water. Hawaiians believed that all fresh water was sacred. No one was allowed to tamper with wai. Like Sunlight, no one owned this water, not even the highest ranking alii (royalty). The right to use the water depended upon the reason for its use. The desire to be rich, at the term is used today, was mostly absent from Hawaiian society. A rich or wealthy Hawaiian was one whom had plenty of Taro or Kalo. To have plenty of kalo meant that one had an ample supply of water. So valuable was wai that the word for wealth is waiwai. An ample supply of water for irrigation made it possible for fresh water fish to also be raised in the loi kalo or taro patch. Bananas, sugar cane and wauke (paper mulberry), too, would be grown nearby. As long as the makaainana (commoners) produced enough for himself and his family, his alii and his Makahiki (new year festival in honor of the demi-god Lono) tributes, all was well. The Law or Kanawai: The Equal Sharing Of Fresh Water The mahiai (farmer) was expected to only take his fair share of water and safeguard, as well, his neighbors water rights. This was to be done without greed or selfishness. These practices gave Hawaiians their word for law-------kanawai or the equal sharing of water. Great care was taken not to pollute the water in the streams which flowed down from the mountain waterfalls through the valley and out to the sea. People bathed only at the end of the stream near the mouth of a stream. It was kapu (forbidden) to bathe anywhere else. Drinking Water Farther up the stream was the place set-aside for washing calabashes and utensils. And still further up there were dams for the auwai, or ditches, carrying water to the loi kalo. The cleanest water was above the dams. This water was reserved for drinking only and was in gourds to the homes. Julie Stewart Williams for Kamehameha Schools Press Water Sustains Life Our water is important to our culture and this milestone experience today was in the making for a very longtime and thanks to all the souls for their courage, hard works, relentless passion and aloha making this a reality today. Mahalos to the Office Of Hawaiian Affairs for your kokua and for sharing the video clip. Imua Ohana! Go Forward Hawaii! Yeah Baby! With Aloha, Moke Aloha Aina. Malama Honua. Water is important to all life. Mahalos Akua.
Posted on: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 23:24:23 +0000
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