Inoa | Name(s)
Mahi ʻai
Hōʻuluʻulu manaʻo
ʻO ka mahiʻai ka ʻoihana koʻikoʻi o kēia ʻāina nei, ʻo ia hoʻi ka mahi ʻana i ka ʻai o ka ʻāina no ka ʻohana a me ke ahupuaʻa holoʻokoʻa, ʻo ia hoʻi, ke kaiāulu. ʻO ke kanaka e mahi ʻana i ka ʻai, he mahiʻai ʻo ia. He ʻōlelo laulā ʻo mahiʻai no nā ʻano like ʻole o ka mahi ʻana i ka ʻai, inā he kalo ʻoe, he ʻuala ʻoe, he maiʻa ʻoe, a pēlā wale aku, ʻo ka mahiʻai ka ʻōlelo laulā no kēia ʻoihana. ʻO ka ʻōʻō ka mea i hoʻohana nui ʻia e ka mahiʻai i ka wā kahiko. I kēia mau lā hoʻohana ka mahiʻai i nā ʻano pono hana ʻē aʻe a nui wale. Paʻa i ka mahiʻai ka ʻike o nā mea e pono ai ke kanu a hānai maikaʻi ʻana i nā ʻano ʻai o ke kanaka, ʻo ia hoʻi ke ʻano o ka lepo, ka wai, ka hōʻailana o ka lani a me ka honua i kupu maikaʻi nā mea i kanu ʻia. ʻO ke kaʻana mai a me ke kaʻana aku ke ʻano o ka mahiʻai me ka lawaiʻa ma ke kai, e like me kēia ʻōlelo noʻeau: “ʻO kaʻu aku, ʻo ka iʻa lā mai, pēlā ka nohona o ka ʻohana.” (2441)
He akua nui ʻo Lono i ka ʻoihana mahiʻai a hoʻolaʻa ʻia nā heiau he nui iā ia, ʻo ia hoʻi he hale o Lono, i mea e hua mai ai ka ʻai kūpono no nā kanaka. Hāʻawi pū ka ʻai ma ke ʻano he hoʻokupu iā ia i ke kau o Makaliʻi, ʻo ia hoʻi no ke kau makahiki. ʻOiai ʻo Dz ke kalo mua a me ke keiki hiapo o nā kānaka Hawaiʻi, pili pū ʻo Dz i ka ʻoihana mahiʻai kekahi.
Description
Farming or cultivating the land is one of the most important practices of Hawaiʻi, it is the cultivation of food for the family, those living within that ahupuaʻa, and the larger community. The person who farms is also called a mahiʻai. This is a general term for all different types of farming, including for cultivating kalo, ʻuala, maiʻa, as well as many other crops. The ʻōʻō or digging stick is the traditional tool used to farm. These days, farmers use many other kinds of tools to farm. Farmers are extremely knowledgeable about the conditions needed for planting and raising different kinds of food, such as the health and type of soil, the water, the weather signs, and that of the earth. Farmers and fisherman share their harvest with one another as is demonstrated in the ʻōlelo noʻeau “O kaʻu aku, ʻo ka iʻa lā mai, pēlā ka nohona o ka ʻohana.” (2441)
Lono is an important akua for farming and there are many heiau dedicated to him for the purpose of cultivating a fruitful harvest. Food is given as an offering to Lono during the makahiki season. Being that Dz is the first kalo and the eldest brother of the Hawaiian people, Dz is also closely regarded in the tradition of farming as well.
ʻŌlelo kuhikuhi
E koho i kēia huaʻōlelo no nā kumuwaiwai pili i ka ʻoihana mahiʻai ma ke ʻano laulā.
Instructions
Use this term for resources related to the practice of cultivating the land for food.
Moʻokūʻauhau | Genealogy
ʻĀina | Land/sea: Kānewai (Mānoa)
Hana | Practice: Mahiʻai kalo; Mahi hala kahiki
Lako | Materials + tools / implements: ʻŌʻō
Kūkulu | Built environment: Kīhāpai; Mālaʻai; Loʻi kalo; Hale o Lono; Ahupuaʻa
Kūmole | Source(s)
Life in Early Hawaiʻi : The Ahupuaʻa. Third edition. Honolulu: Kamehameha Schools Press, 1994.
Pukui, Mary Kawena, and Samuel H. (Samuel Hoyt) Elbert. Hawaiian Dictionary : Hawaiian-English, English-Hawaiian. Rev. and enl. Ed. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1986.
Pukui, Mary Kawena. ’Olelo No’eau : Hawaiian Proverbs & Poetical Sayings. Honolulu, Hawai’i: Bishop Museum Press, 1983.
Williams, Julie Stewart, and Robin Yoko Racoma. From the Mountains to the Sea : Early Hawaiian Life. Honolulu: Kamehameha Schools Press, 1997.
Hoʻopili ʻia i | Applied to:
Mea haku | Created by: Keahiahi Long; Annemarie Paikai