Traditional Hawaiian Culture

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TRADITIONAL HAWAIIAN GOURD "HELMETS", LONO, & MAKAHIKI

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@klaytonb96092 күн бұрын

I love the Hawaiian sharp weapons. it's wild how they use shark teeth and obsidian. The best part about obsidian? it can create the sharpest edge on earth. sharper than anything made of metal. even scalpels are microscopic saws compared to obsidian.

@traditionalhawaiianculture2 күн бұрын

Thanks for your reply. You're right about obsidian (volcanic glass). It is incredibly sharp when broken. Even used by neurosurgeons instead of the best steel scalpels at times. But please take note that the Hawaiians did not use obsidian-bladed weapons. Hawaii has very little obsidian, let alone high quality obsidian. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@klaytonb96092 күн бұрын

@@traditionalhawaiianculture Forgive me, I was thinking of the Macauhuitl which, after a quick Google search, I now realize is actually an Aztec weapon. Not Hawaiian.

@traditionalhawaiianculture23 сағат бұрын

@@klaytonb9609 Mahalo (thanks) for your reply, Klay. I figured the wicked Aztec weapons were what you were thinking about! Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@klaytonb960920 сағат бұрын

@@traditionalhawaiianculture Aloha, a e palekana!

@LuckySketches12 күн бұрын

That wooden head at the beginning kind of looks like it was drawn by Akira Toriyama.

@rachelkoiks16 күн бұрын

This man, has answered so many questions to some of the stone tools and things I’ve been finding on my property. Like I found these green rocks too which blew my mind because they look nice enough to be in someone’s gemstone/crystal collection but in raw form. (I bet cut & polished they’d be real nice) But yeah the first one I found has a complete flat bottom. Like it’s been used drag and used so much that it is smooth and polished at least by handmade standards. Second one I found is a lot smaller, smooth, flat like it’s been a worked down bar of soap in comparison. But that would make sense it’s like a less powerful diamond cutting but sanding. That would explain these green stones that puzzled the hell outta me I’d be like, “Are these agates or something? Do we even have that? Wtfff” Unfortunately I found that square shaped axe thing he’s taking about just broken. Like the part that’s wrapped look like it’s where it snapped but this rock, was so peculiar, and so polished smooth it feels soft it’s that smooth. Well that was what made me realize I’m *surrounded* by this stuff. Pick up any rock and you’ll see it’s been hand manipulated and I’ve never noticed. I mean sure my grandpa told me about the ulumaikas and poi pounder they found but that’s because they’re well known things. I heard it as a child and didn’t think anything else about it but now that I’m living here and noticed and paid attention, they’re everywhere. Just trying to identify each of their purposes so would LOVE to find an encyclopedia with pictures identifying all these stone tools, games, whatever.

@traditionalhawaiianculture15 күн бұрын

Welina e Rachel (Greetings, Rachel -- in Hawaiian) I would enjoy helping you with this, and likely it will be interesting to other commentators on this channel too. The first thing I need in seeking to answer your questions, or at least provide input, is... where do you live? Is it Hawaii, and if so, what Island and what general area? Although you speak of the 'ulumaikas and poi pounder of your grandpa (definitely Hawaiian), if the things you are finding "everywhere" on your property are not in Hawaii, yet are Hawaiian, that would be highly remarkable -- unless they were the home-site (and possibly buried?) items of Hawaiians who moved to the Mainland (North America) in the times of the Fur Trade, whaling era, etc. in the 1800s. Or possibly Mormon converts who moved to the Salt Lake City area of Utah. And for starters to you: the books I would recommend for seeing and learning about Hawaiian artifacts would be "Arts and Crafts of Hawaii" by Sir Peter Buch (Te Rangi Hiroa), "Material Culture The J.S. Emerson Collection or Hawaiian Artifacts" by Catherine Summers, and "Na Mea Makamai Hawaiian Treasures" by David Young. You could also look online by Google-searching for "images of Hawaiian artifacts". But that will also lead you all over the place, and some of the things will not be authentic. Also....are your green stones only partially green, resembling lava with a lot of green crystals in it? That would be olivine crystals and the best place to find those that I know of is the Kona Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii. Stones like that do make very good rubbers for shaping other material, even hard stone. If you actually found part of a 4-sided, well polished Hawaiian adze-head, that would be a good find, rarely to be found outside Hawaii. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@karnovtalonhawk970816 күн бұрын

G'day all, I would not have wanted to be one of the first people to turn up on a beach in Hawaii or New Zealand to be greeted by guys with arms like tree trunks wielding weapons like this. A sword is nice I must admit but there is something about tribal weapons that screams, I put a lot of thought into making this to cause you as much pain as possible.

@traditionalhawaiianculture15 күн бұрын

Thanks for your interesting reply. And yes, I've seen Polynesian upper arms on men who were not weight lifters, and the moreso in Samoa where there has been less dilution of the ancestral blood, that were as big as my own thigh! Women fought too in Hawaiian battles, especially if their side was losing, and a large bodied Hawaiiian woman who had been wielding a fairly heavy or heavy tapa-beater since the age of 8 or so would have had a very powerful dominant arm! It's unlikely they would have been using sharkstooth weapon, tho, unless perhaps their husband had been badly wounded or killed and she picked it up in anger and desperation. Ordinarily, it would have been highly against the kapus (taboos) of old time Hawaiian culture. Sharks and any religious-use or religion-related items were kapu to women. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@karnovtalonhawk970815 күн бұрын

@@traditionalhawaiianculture As a stonemason and a Guy that used to make his own chainmail and armour, It is terribly understated just how much damage a wooden club that has been heat hardened can do to a metal breast plate or helmet for that matter. weight and sharp points plus reach, equals weapon. Pretty sure most people work that out as soon as something scared the shit out of them as a kid.

@traditionalhawaiianculture15 күн бұрын

@@karnovtalonhawk9708 Thanks for your good reply. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@traditionalhawaiianculture15 күн бұрын

@@karnovtalonhawk9708 I forgot to mention in reply just sent, that I've never seen anything about Hawaiians heat-hardening their weapons. The native woods used for digging sticks and weapons, about six of them, are very hard just as the "dark" Kauila and 'Uhi'uhi woods were both very hard and very heavy. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@npf715918 күн бұрын

Loving these videos. Have only visited Hawaii once in my life but I would like to come back again and again. Hope all is well with you. Mahalo from Chicago

@traditionalhawaiianculture18 күн бұрын

Mahalo for your very nice comment. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@blacksquirrel400818 күн бұрын

How did they drill those tiny deep lashing holes in that hard wood?

@traditionalhawaiianculture17 күн бұрын

Thanks for your interesting question. I'm unsure which weapon you are referring to, but in general I know a considerable number of the "nao wili" (pump drill of old Hawaiian times) drill tip possibilities which could make small holes. There was also some sort of small, tubular marine animal "shell" which could be used to drill very small round holes in hard material. Usually the drill tip was an elongate triangle in cross-section, which therefore created a cone-shaped hole when spun. Oftentimes the hole was also drilled from the opposite side so the two coned holes met to fully perforate the material. Even tho I know these things via observing old artifacts, and have worked with them, I usually use modern tools to create the holes. The simplest is a set of machinist "number drills" which come in a great many sizes. Then there are coarse dental burrs of hard steel which can be used to open up, elongate or chamfer a drill hole, thus mimicing the old time holes which are conical and therefore don't tend to fray the cord with sharp edges like modern drilled holes have. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@008TheDen19 күн бұрын

Wonderful video, I found the mention of finding a solution to crafting the small shark toothed axe in a dream very interesting. Its a situation you see a lot from craftsmen in the historical record, for example Zozimos of Panopolis received dreams on alchemy that were a vital part of his process. Its very interesting to see that process of oneiric inspiration continue through the dreams of a true craftsman.

@traditionalhawaiianculture19 күн бұрын

Thanks for the very interesting reply. I have received a great many replies and almost all were fun or notable to read. Yes, I've had at least two other "dream teachings" that I can recall -- both related to how to do old time Hawaiian things in the old way. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@techno646720 күн бұрын

Im intrested in trying to create traditional hawaiian weapons. How were shark teeth, bills, and similar sharp animal products harvested? Were they only from killing said animals? Ive got no problem with fishing/hunting, I just like to be legal.

@traditionalhawaiianculture20 күн бұрын

Thanks for your comment. The sharks' teeth Hawaiians used in the old times for tools and weaponry were mostly from tiger sharks, but occasionally from great white sharks, and smaller sharks. The sharks were caught using large baited hooks, which had two hook aspects unique to Hawaii. Also caught with two notable methods of noosing. The sharks had to be killed to get the needed teeth, and also sharkskin for drum tops and abraders. The bill-type weapons usually came from swordfish, which were smaller than marlin, and and that plus their surface-feeding made them easier to catch than marlin.That leaves us with the rather rare swordfish daggers and swords, and the quite rare marlin-bill club/daggers. As forgetting your own teeth or bills today, check your local and national regulations. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@techno646719 күн бұрын

@@traditionalhawaiianculture thank you very much

@Fish_With_NamesАй бұрын

Aloha and good day Mr. Chrisman. I have recently become enamored with the culture, history, and ecology of Hawai’i and your channel has been a wonderful resource for my interests. As someone who does not live in Hawai’i are there any good resources for learning Hawaiian language? Any books or other learning materials you would suggest for a beginner to the language? If you had any other suggestions for materials on Hawaiian history or ecology that would be much appreciated as well. Thank you for taking the time to read my question and i hope you have a great rest of your day.

@traditionalhawaiiancultureАй бұрын

I asked my wife, who is a Kumu Hula and teaches first-year Hawaiian language to her students and some others, to answer your first question. Here is her reply: It's hard to learn a language when you can't hear a native speaker speak it. So learning from a book is never productive. Today we have some app/online options like Duolingo and Babel. I've not tried Babel, and don't know how much it costs. But I have played around with Duolingo, and it takes things at a very slow speed and comes with audio to show you how the words are pronounced. Duolingo is a free app. I know the app is in the Apple Store, and I'm sure it's in Google Store too. If the person wants some structure, and personal language instructions from a live person, there is Kaliko Trapp Beamer's course on 'Olelo Hawai'i. He does it via Zoom, and runs it in 8-week courses. Cost is $80. And the next session is scheduled to start NEXT WEEK MONDAY MAY 27. Class size is limited. I'm sure there will be other Sessions in the future, if this one is missed. Here's information from his website: Session start: Monday, May 27, 2024 Session end: Friday, July 19, 2024 Breaks: There are no scheduled breaks for this Session. Class times: Classes and times are shown on Page Six of this form. Class size: Eight to 25 students per class, depending on level. Fee: $80 total for eight classes. The Zoom Meeting ID will be provided via email upon registration. Here's the website: oleloonline.com/ There might be other options online if you google search, other courses being taught by other language instructors. I just happen to know about Kaliko's classes. $10 per lesson is a very reasonable cost. I myself charge $8 for each hour-long lesson for my own 'olelo students. Regarding information on the culture and arts, I urge you to find a reprint copy of the classic work "Arts and Crafts of Hawaii" by Te Rangi Hiroa (Sir Peter Buck). Still a famous book. Also get a copy of the Reverend William Ellis's book (he was a missionary who came to Hawaii in 1823, already fluent in Tahitian language), "The Journal of William Ellis", sometimes seen under another title. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@iamaloha2Ай бұрын

Aloha mai e Ka'imiloa. I think of you every time I pass your house by Honoka'a where I took a Ipu Heke class from you. I'm glad that I found you. Are you also growing Hawaiian Ipu there? KEALOHA from Kohala, Hi.

@traditionalhawaiiancultureАй бұрын

Hope all is well with you. I recently thought of that fun Ipu Heke class! Do you remember the song for my wife's birthday on I think the last day of the several-weekend class? I hate to drive by our fine former house now, since it has been so starkly altered and is painted a Pepto Bismo color! Gone is the Hawaiian-plants garden in front too! No, no ipu growing where I now live. I have never found a secure place where I felt I could grow them without their being carried away by folks who think they are edible squash. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@iamaloha2Ай бұрын

@@traditionalhawaiianculture I'll keep watching you on KZread now that I've found you. Per chance have you been to the crystal mines?

@traditionalhawaiiancultureАй бұрын

There aren't any crystal mines in Hawaii that I know of, so I presume you are asking about Arizona, which has many a mine! But no, I have not been to any crystal mines here. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@RealBradMillerАй бұрын

Lived in Ewa Beach in early 2000's beautiful place, and have never forgotten the plants and people. Have always had a fascinatiom with plants, specifically the ones used by humans. Thanks for the amazing information!!

@traditionalhawaiiancultureАй бұрын

Mahalo (thanks) for your kind words, Brad. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@LucyDoo-mr1ts2 ай бұрын

You're a wonderful teacher thank you! New subscriber 😊

@traditionalhawaiianculture2 ай бұрын

Much thanks for your kind comment. There's more to come, including Hawaiian birds and featherwork, Hawaiian stone adzes and their handles, lashing and use, Hawaiian ornaments of old times and how made, Hawaiian cordage in detail, etc. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@NRY777442 ай бұрын

Mahalo nui loa

@traditionalhawaiianculture2 ай бұрын

And mahalo to you for your nice comment. (For those comment-readers who don't know any Hawaiian language, "mahalo" means thank you, and "mahalo nui loa" means thank you very much. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@NRY777442 ай бұрын

Mahalo nui loa for sharing your wisdom

@traditionalhawaiianculture2 ай бұрын

Mahalo to you for taking the time to view this channel and my efforts to pass on knowledge about old time Hawaii. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@rick-nv7im2 ай бұрын

The loop is handled with first the thumb in pull turn arround your hand than grab the handle.

@traditionalhawaiianculture2 ай бұрын

Mahalo for your comment. I'm aware there are different explanations for how the loop is handled in grasping the weapon. I simply believe that in hand-to-hand combat on a bloody battlefield, where use of your full dominant hand might be necessary at any time, yet weapon-retention was all important too, the methodology I related makes the most sense, plus it is the methodology I was shown. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@rick-nv7im2 ай бұрын

@@traditionalhawaiianculture special forces worldwide use the thumb lanyard grip based on many bloody wars for decades so I guess it’s based on well tested bloody battlefield experience,but it’s probably also a personal preference I guess.

@traditionalhawaiianculture2 ай бұрын

@@rick-nv7im Thanks for your reply again. Respectfully said, and for educational purposes to all reading this, the only way to judge an old time culture is to know what it was like and try to put yourself back there. Modern ideas, methods, moralities don't fit. The Hawaiians of old knew about the bow and arrow, for instance, but did not use it in combat!Slingstones were used by both sides at the start of a battle, and then it was close-set hand-to-hand combat. That was much more bloody than modern warfare, and much more likely to involve troublesome terrain and vegetation variations, as the intense battle ebbed and flowed. And it was usually " no quarter" warfare. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@rick-nv7im2 ай бұрын

@@traditionalhawaiianculture yeah this are details we modern folks do not stand still by,I do acknowledge you as a true master and specialist on this territory and hope to learn more interesting indigenous fighting stuff,maybe you can tell some indigenous battle stories/details or get deeper into weaponry details that should be awsome because beside the brutal aspects the technical design and the beauty of your tools there is lots of interesting stuff to learn and discover about it all. Greetings Rick de Man.

@traditionalhawaiianculture2 ай бұрын

@@rick-nv7im Thank you for your considerate and fine reply, Rick. Stay tuned for more, further-reaching, Hawaiian history and how-to. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@jeffyoung603 ай бұрын

Anthropologists remained highly baffled by the lack of a war bow and arrow in Polynesia. The Hawaiians used a small bow for recreational shooting of rats and rat control in their thatched dwelling homes. Reputedly the Tongans used a larger bow for fishing. The Hawaiians used spears, javelins, clubs, and daggers. You can see that shark-teeth slashing melee weapons were popular in ancient Hawaii. This should have led to the development of body armor and shields. Yet none were developed, again puzzling anthropologists. Warfare back then as now influences the development of weaponry. According to supposed normal weaponry and armor development, the ancient Hawaiians would have been at least wearing some basic wood torso armor and carrying shields. Yet the ancient Hawaiian warriors, from kings and high chiefs down to commoners fought almost nude except for the ubiquitous malo, or loincloth. The king and high chiefs wore an ornate, expensive, long cape of colored bird feathers which could be used as some basic protection but the cape was meant to be ornamental and a sign of social status. Hawaiian warriors of all social ranks fought each other wearing only loincloths and often wielding a weapon in each hand unless throwing javelins or twirling deadly slings. Usually a Hawaiian warrior carried several weapons, a spare weapon in his loincloth and the main weapon unless he wielded one in each hand. The lack of the war bow and arrow is a curious omission in the annals of ancient Hawaiian warfare. It seems that over 200 years ago, no European visitor ever thought to ask the question, why don't the Hawaiians use bows and arrows in war? Even the few existing pure aboriginal Hawaiians in Hawaii today cannot answer that question. There was no known taboo against its use. There are no myths or legends that can account for the absence of the war bow and arrow. Human beings are ingenious and inventive. Surely the thought of constructing a powerful bow from a six-feet stave of suitable wood would have graced the minds of inventive Hawaiian weapon makers centuries ago. But apparently not and the mystery remains open to this very day.

@insanogeddon3 ай бұрын

Some revisionist history that isn't based. When you are making things from your dreams in the present day it is hardly "traditional".

@traditionalhawaiianculture3 ай бұрын

Respectfully related, you are looking at a comment based in Hawaiian cosmology and thus "traditional" to the utmost. Being gifted a name or solution or methodology in a dream is considered aid or information from the collective ancestors. It happened to me, I was grateful, and I mentioned it very briefly to share it -- so the methodology I received is passed on. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@mahi-ai-kalo3 ай бұрын

Mahalo nui iā 'oe no ka hā'awi 'ana i kou 'ike Unko. 🙏🏼🤙🏼

@traditionalhawaiianculture3 ай бұрын

A mahalo iā 'oe i kou 'olelo ana ia'u i ka leo kanaka. Nui ko'u aloha i kēia mea , aka, līli'i ka'u 'olelo ana Hawai'i i Alikona, ka home a'u i kēia wā. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@KristofferA.DolmenStene-xz8mt4 ай бұрын

I would Really like to know how the Kris and the Gladius design (i get it, but still) got into Hawaiian weapons culture. Get the man to talk on this. (Before it's "to late" :Love to him!). -Best Love ~Norway.

@traditionalhawaiianculture4 ай бұрын

Thanks for your reply, Kristoffer. Respectfully said, I don't see anything amongst the old time Hawaiian weaponry that resembles the snaky-bladed Kris weapons, but is true that the other Polynesians did not have daggers -- suggesting that the Hawaiians modeled theirs after daggers such as the early Spanish ships in the Pacific had. Multiple proposals have been seriously made, and I agree, that is is likely that one or more Spanish visits or shipwrecks of the later 1500s or 1600s may have given the isolated Hawaiian Islands a good glimpse of outside weaponry, a century or two before the arrival of Capt. Cook in 1778. The fact that the Hawaiians had hardwood daggers and occasional fighting swords with sharksteeth along the edges, or uncommon sword-like weapons made from swordfish bills, is simply following along with Polynesian materials and designs, and I don't think they were related to the Roman gladius weaponry. The one documentably Hawaiian dagger-type weapon that I re-created, having a finger guard and stingray barbs along the narrow blade does indeed resemble the hand-shielding daggers of the Spanish in the 1500s, again suggesting early contact between Spanish and the Hawaiians. It is unique in Hawaii and the rest of Polynesia. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@KristofferA.DolmenStene-xz8mt4 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for writing back. That was a nice reply. Thank you Sir. Very interesting. Reason i asked is seven pointed star and the abdicated queen. Hawaii was after all an Old Kingdom before the spanish(?) Thank you again. I Wish you a great day! Love from Trondheim, NO. @@traditionalhawaiianculture

@traditionalhawaiianculture4 ай бұрын

Good to hear back from you, Kristoffer. I hope you can give me some more input so I can better reply to your thoughts and questions. I am completely unfamiliar with any seven pointed star in Hawaiian traditions or symbols, so I did some internet searching. I found this link that may be helpful to you, since I know that Max Freedom Long's "Huna" book and teachings from back around the 1930s gained quite a following in Europe: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanaloa. As far as Queen Lilu'okalani, she was highly educated, very familiar with the Western World and its ideas and ideals, and was an author and song writer much beloved by her people. When U.S. troops from a warship forcibly took over Hawaii in 1893 due to political intrigues by the then-wealthy Sugar Planters and others opposed to increasing Hawaiian rule, the Queen abdicated and urged non-violence. She was confident that the U.S. Government, as with both France and England governments in 1839 and 1843 when similar armed coups by warships took place, would negate this illegal action. President Cleveland was outraged about the armed takeover but nothing was done and meanwhile he did not get re-elected and the Spanish-American War was looming. Hawaii was quite strategic in the Pacific as a supply and coaling station for the steamships of that time, and thus Hawaii got annexed by the U.S., quite illegally, in 1898. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@KristofferA.DolmenStene-xz8mt4 ай бұрын

@@traditionalhawaiiancultureThank you so much for your patience, in your reply. (Meaningful). I have another question for you, if i can. What are names of the most effective traditional projcetile weaponaries of Hawaii? (Hunting and warfare). With thanks. -Kristoffer.

@KristofferA.DolmenStene-xz8mt4 ай бұрын

@@traditionalhawaiianculture(Sorry for late reply. (It's national ski competitions in Norway).

@katrussell68194 ай бұрын

Great video. Very informative. Thank you!

@irelanddarrie19964 ай бұрын

Aloha from Maui 😊

@traditionalhawaiianculture4 ай бұрын

Thanks for commenting. Here, our hearts go out to Maui. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@josephbishopbackwoodssurvi39185 ай бұрын

I would love to hang out with you for a month or two and learn what you know

@traditionalhawaiianculture5 ай бұрын

Thanks for your fine comment, Joseph. I know exactly what you mean, having felt that way about certain people I have run across during my long life! Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@josephbishopbackwoodssurvi39185 ай бұрын

A lot of lost arts out there

@traditionalhawaiianculture5 ай бұрын

Enjoyed your videos, Joe, especially the atlatl throwing. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@josephbishopbackwoodssurvi39184 ай бұрын

Thank you

@EpicCheese7655 ай бұрын

This takes me back to a collection of Maori weapons I had the pleasure of viewing many years ago. Many of them were hardwood as well, with jade and shark teeth for piercing/slashing points, as well as clubs (one made entirely of jade). You can see continuances in both peoples' weapons from their common ancestors, and they are all beautiful as well as deadly. Thank you for sharing this collection

@traditionalhawaiianculture5 ай бұрын

much thanks for your good remarks. I just got back from a cultural trip to Aotearoa (New Zealand). A marvelous experience amongst the Maoris. Yes, their old time workmanship in wood, stone, whalebone and teeth, and jade is utterly outstanding. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@kittywebb89866 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for sharing your time to educate such as me, blessings, by chance do you know what the gourds were made of, what their plant of origin is? Thank you bunches

@lecongvu19976 ай бұрын

Thank you, thank you so much for this informative lecture. Here in Central Vietnam, the native people are Austronesians, but they have a long, long history of working with iron and ceramic. They gained the knowledge from trading with other ethnics, and where they live there is plenty of clay and ore. It is so fascinating to see how the Hawaiian material culture developed without those natural resources. But I have seen the stone tools of their distant ancestors. The knapping was cruder than what the Hawaiians did, but next to the tools made from obsidian and quartz, archaelogists even found some knives made from meteor shards. Anyway, thank you once again, and hope to see more lectures from you.

@traditionalhawaiianculture6 ай бұрын

Mahalo ( thank you) for your fine comment. Yes, the study of the ancient peoples is fascinating! Aloha, Ka’imiloa

@evalueway86866 ай бұрын

Hello, do you sell any ulu maika / discoidals that you have made?

@traditionalhawaiianculture6 ай бұрын

Thanks for your inquiry. No, I don't sell such things, but rather concentrate on passing on what I have learned by talking with Elders, observations in museums and collections, and lots of personal experimentation and experience. I hope you will give a try at finding just the right stone and making an 'ulu maika for yourself. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@tomwolff-ct8qu7 ай бұрын

Incredibly useful information! Thank you. Another important and useful bit is this method insures there are no toxic fumes ! When cutting with power tools the toxic fumes are profuse and harmful.

@traditionalhawaiianculture7 ай бұрын

Thank you for your reply and caveat. I am not aware of gourds anywhere in the world having toxic fumes, and countless numbers of them are cut yearly with power tools. Will you please provide more information here for all the people of this website, and any references you may have, as well. Any information about toxic fumes in gourds that proves reliable needs to be spread around in many places, including of course Hawaii. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@traditionalhawaiianculture7 ай бұрын

Hello again, Tom. I did a bit of Goggle searching today, about toxicity from cutting gourds. It turns out there are two things relating to "toxicity". One is the Curcubitae family: gourds squash, cucumbers, etc. Some varieties can be very bitter, and of course in today's world of alternative medicine, smoothies, and a vast internet of advice, some people manage to poison themselves by eating (or drinking) these extremely bitter ones. The Hawaiians of old times had a vast gourd culture, and there were two types of gourds: 1. "Ipu 'awa'awa" or bitter gourds -- which were used for all sorts of societal needs and also medicines and a literally life-threatening "cleansing" taken via enema by certain brave Chiefs, and 2. "Ipu mānalo" or eating gourds. I believe the "bitter " gourds have a lot of tannin in them (tannic acid, as used in leather tanning), and hence are better for the unique Hawaiian art of decorated gourds (ipu pāwehe). It also makes them turn quite dark with age, as the tannin oxidizes. The Ipu mānalo are "sweet" gourds and of course are used for food. The other toxicity issue is the molds and related "dust" inside or outside on gourds that dried in the field, etc. Cutting them open with power tools, scraping or sanding out the inside materials on the gourd's shell, or doing the same on the outside, may well release these molds and "dust", causing ill effects in some persons. But that is not a gourd toxicity, per se. I have opened a great many Hawaiian gourds, and a scattering of U.S. Mainland gouds,, and helped many a student in doing that, and have never seen any toxicity, nor have I ever had it reported to me later. And I have always taught people to soak their gourd first in order to soften the dried outer skin, before scraping it off. I suspect the Native Americans followed this same method, yet today many a person probably attacks the gourd shell with sandpaper and/or power sanding. So the "toxicity" problem is similar to the various wood workers who grow allergic to certain woods and especially dust. Or house renovators who tear part walls, etc. Molds and dust sensitivity is the issue. Again, occupation and societal knowledge comes into play as they use gloves, masks and respirators. And those who seek to use bitter Cucurbitae fruits in foods and drinks learn the hard way not to do that! Their ancestors would have already known that! Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@Organiqintel7 ай бұрын

Aloha Uncle- this is invaluable information to share your knowledge as a mea hana pōhaku kālai ikaika kahuna. I am on the big island, my family home is about a thousand feet from Ahu’aila’au, and have been here for about the last 20 years, long before Ahu’aila’au rose up from the ground below. I am very interested to hear you would be willing to teach me, or find a mea hana pōhaku kālai ikaika as a mentor in traditional practices. I have done a bit of research into this topic, as a lava guide in kalapana for a number of years, I became very interested in this area of cultural history and practice.

@traditionalhawaiianculture7 ай бұрын

Mahalo for your 'ōlelo hawai'i and also for your dedication to nā mea hawai'i kahiko. I am not fluent in spoken hawaiian, but can read it with the help of the Dictionary, and more importantly, translate. No laila, e 'olu'olu 'oe, hele aku 'oe i kēia lā i ka website hawaiian-culture.com a 'ōlelo aku i'au i ke 'ano email. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@traditionalhawaiianculture7 ай бұрын

Bryan -- I forgot to mention in my reply yesterday: did you watch Part 2 of the stonework video, which I did indoors? Lots of important info there. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@wildsurvivalskills7 ай бұрын

Thanks for the video!!

@traditionalhawaiianculture7 ай бұрын

I appreciate your comment. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@rb10547 ай бұрын

Gorgeous work. Thank you for sharing

@traditionalhawaiianculture7 ай бұрын

Thanks for your fine comment. Aloha, Ka'imiloa

@alvinakawaihae8 ай бұрын

Shut up.