1. Ola lokahi (oneness of life or oneness of the universe)

A. Mana (life force) is the connecting force found in a person, their possessions and the ground they walked on.

B.Belief that all things are connecting and living, since all things share the same parents- Wakea (sky father) and Papa (mother earth). Kalo (taro) has special mano because it grew from Haloa, the stillborn child of Papa and Wakea.

A. Pono means harmony or balance with everything- the land, fauna, flora, food, oneself andall other people including one's ancestors. It is a fundamental understanding that a loss of pono is the cause of illness.

B. Harmonious working out of conflict through frank discussions, designed to set things right, to restore and maintain good relationship within the family or village group. It included prayer, respect for all viewpoints and the capacity for forgiveness.
 

A. Enforced by all, were society's way of preserving pono. The Kapu forstered self-discipline and responsibility in personal hygience, health promotion, illness prevention, sanitation and respect.

B. Men and women had separate houses, ovens, and ate seperately.

C. Women were forbidden to eat pork, bananas, coconut, ulua and Kumu (fish) and selected other seafood.

D. King Liholiko end Kapu in 1819.
 

Chiefdom (typical of the Polynesian societies)

Ka moi (King)
Chief minister and High Priest
Alii (chiefs)
Kahuna (priest craftsman)
Makaaiinana (commoners)
Kuawa (outcasts)

A. To Hawaiians, family not only consisted of the usual relatives but included all who were loved or who chose to associate themselves in cooperative actions.

B. They have a universal and unusual respect for elders.

C. Polynesian attitude toward childrearing- "hanai" system. Children passed to relatives or friends with no children.
 

A. Occurs once a year and lasts four months (Oct/Nov- Feb/March).

B. During this festival war was taboo and all rested and abstained from all work. This was a time of entire freedom from labor and worship of Lono. Taxes were paid to the king in the form of food and/ or human hair.

C. At the end of Makahiki, the king proved himself a fit and able ruler by going off shore. When he returned, he defended himself against a group of men who rushed him with spears.
 

They feel life should be happy and enjoyable. Success was judged more on the basis of how well one was loved and by decency of character.

Back to History