Mauna Kea – Kaʻahele Hawaiʻi

Hawaiian Astronomy Resources

Whenever I tell stories of our Hawaiian stars and constellations, people always ask me what books they should buy. Here is my most recent list, which contains some new materials as well as classics.

And. . . if you are in Hilo stop by Basically Books, at 334 Kilauea Ave, Hilo, HI 96720. Phone them at 1-808-961-0144. Email to bbinfo@basicallybooks.com. The folks there know books, so ask them what they recommend for your specific interest area.

Purchasing through Basically Books helps a family-owned business in Hilo! They also can ship many items!

Purchasing through the Amazon affiliate links helps keep this website running, as it is my own labor of love. Both choices are appreciated!

NA INOA HOKU: HAWAIIAN AND PACIFIC STAR NAMES

Rubellite Kawena Johnson, John Kaipo Mahelona, and Clive Ruggles

The foundation book around which you should build your Hawaiian astronomy library is Nā Inoa Hōkū, the seminal compendium of Hawaiian astronomical lore. When originally published in 1975 it was the first, and remains the most comprehensive such work. Hawaiian scholars Rubellite Kawena Johnson and John Kaipo Mahelona created a work that is still widely regarded as a definitive source of reference for anyone interested in the use of astronomy in Polynesian voyaging or the nature and development of ritual and calendrical practices throughout the Pacific.

Working together with British archaeoastronomer Clive Ruggles, the authors have extensively revised and extended the catalogues and transformed the discussion of their wider context and significance, resulting in a much stronger focus upon the rich historical legacy of the Hawaiian Islands themselves. This new edition of Nā Inoa Hōkū is completely overhauled, vastly expanded, and includes new translation of many key primary Hawaiian sources from the mid-nineteenth century onwards.

Stars Over Hawaiʻi

Edwin H. Bryan, Richard Crowe, Timothy F. Slater

Click text link below to purchase

Another foundational book for your library is Stars Over Hawaiʻi. For many of us who grew up in the islands, this was our first book on astronomy which centered the Hawaiian night sky, rather than the sky over North America. This is an excellent introduction to the science of Astronomy. It includes some of the Greek and Roman mythology associated with the constellations, twelve monthly star charts, and two charts with Hawaiian star names.

Readers can learn about “Lahaina Noon,” when the sun casts no shadow, a phenomenon exclusive to latitudes near the equator, and will be introduced to Hawaiian Astronomy through legend, surviving oral history, and the ongoing observation of the skies and our planet.

It includes the Hawaiian Moon Calendar is discussed and the Nights of the Moon are depicted and labeled in Hawaiian and other Pacific languages. The Polynesian Voyaging Society’s Star Compass is included.

First published over 60 years ago, this latest edition builds upon a solid foundation to bring star gazers up to date with current statistics and theories about our universe. Stars Over Hawai i marries the knowledge of the masterful navigators and astronomers of ancient Hawai i with today’s astronomy experts to bring you an integrated view of Hawai i’s skies, past and present.

North Star to Southern Cross

Will Kyselka, Ray Lanterman

Click text link below to purchase

Informed by a decade of teaching audiences in the Bishop Museum planetarium and star parties by the sea with thousands of young people, the book was designed to provide a framework for understanding the heavens. It is intended for a range of readers, from youngsters to adults, from country folk to city dwellers, from the arm chair enthusiast to the avid night hiker.

Filled with images and charts, and easy-to-read text, this book is an excellent starting point for the new star gazer, and a great refresher for the experienced.

Moʻolelo Kilo Hōkū

by Leilehua Yuen

Image of Moʻolelo Kilo Hoku / Moolelo Kilo Hoku Hawaiian star-gazing log. — Moʻolelo Kilo Hōkū, Hawaiian star gazing log with text in both Hawaiian and English. Perfect gift for the beginner or experienced star gazer.

To purchase, contact Basically Books, 334 Kilauea Ave, Hilo, HI 96720. Phone them at 1-808-961-0144. Email to bbinfo@basicallybooks.com.

This log book for charting Hawaiian stars goes far beyond the usual offering. Written in both Hawaiian and English, it is useful for anyone studying astronomy and/or the Hawaiian language. Yuen gave talks on Hawaiian astronomy for over 20 years. She is now putting all of that research into a series of books on Hawaiian astronomy.

In addition to charting pages for sketching your observations and making notes, there are sample pages showing how to use the charts, an astronomy vocabulary/glossary section which lists the Hawaiian and English translations of astronomical terms, constellations, stars, etc. Hawaiian stories of some famous constellations are included.

Another unique feature is the chart of the Hawaiian lunar phases which shows the orientation of the moon when it rises.

Charts include traditional Hawaiian calendar systems from different areas in the archipelago and a chart of principal meteor showers.

Ample room for notes and clippings, and a bibliography with both book titles and URLs complete the workbook.

On the cover, be sure to write your own name in as co-author!

161 pages, approximately 30 are resource/info and the remaining are sky charts for you to fill in.

Back cover text in Hawaiian: Ua hoʻomaka ʻo Leilehua Yuen e aʻo aku i nā haʻawina kilo hōkū i ka makahiki 1997 i ka manawa mua āna i aʻo aku i nā moʻolelo hōkū ma ka Visitor Information Station i Mauna Kea.

Aʻo aku ʻo Kumu Leilehua i nā haʻawina kilo hōkū ma ke ʻano he haʻi moʻolelo. Ua koho ʻo ia i nā moʻolelo piha hoʻi me nā kaona i mea e makana aku ai i nā haunauna e hiki mai ana.

Hoʻokumu ʻia kēia puke moʻomanaʻo o no ke kōkua ʻana iā ʻoe e aʻo aku e pili ana i nā moʻolelo kilo hōkū, nā ʻikepili, nā kuhikuhina o ke kilo ʻana, a me ka hoʻopaʻa ʻana i nā mea i kilo ʻia ai.

Back cover text in English: Kumu D. Leilehua Yuen has taught perspectives of Hawaiʻi astronomy since 1997 when she gave her first presentation on Hawaiian star lore at the Visitor Information Station on Mauna Kea.

Kumu Leilehua approaches Hawaiian astronomical concepts from the perspective of a storyteller, seeking to leaarn what lessons were considered so important that they were encoded into tales passed down through the generations.

This logbook is designed to help you begin your journey in learning about Hawaiian star lore by providing some background information, som suggestions for how to record your own observations, and a simple format for recording them.

A starfinder is a useful tool for observing the night sky. I use this one.

Click text link below to purchase

Kaunaʻ oa Beach

by Leilehua Yuen

Feature photo credit: Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau (IHVB) / Tyler Schmitt

Often found inhabiting lists of the top beaches in Hawaiʻ i, Kaunaʻ oa [kah-oo-nah OH-ah] is probably one of the closest beaches to the mental image of sparkling turquoise water gently laving the shore of a white sand tropical paradise. It is gorgeous.

Because the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel was built on its edge, some people call it Mauna Kea Beach. Say “MAH-oo-nuh KEH-ah,” NOT “mana kay-uh” or “mana kee-uh.” Mauna translates to English as “mountain.” Mana translates as “supernatural power,” among other things. Kea translates as “white,” at least for the short version I’m going to post here. Keep an eye out for a post on our beloved mountain!

The correct name for the site, however, is “Kaunaʻ oa,” and so that is what we shall use here.

Kaunaʻ oa Beach probably is named for the kaunaʻ oa shellfish (Vermetidae or tubeworms), and the native dodder (Cuscuta sandwichiana). In my lifetime, the shellfish as been more commonly found there than the dodder, as few native Hawaiian plants remain in the area. It is possible that prior to development both the shellfish and the dodder were abundant there.

Growing up, we were taught that a cut from the kaunaʻ oa kai (“ocean kaunaʻ oa,” the shellfish) was terribly poisonous. You often will find these coiled shells firmly attached to rocks near the shore. Running about barefoot, I once stepped on one which punched a hole in my foot, removing a plug and leaving behind a terrible infection which required a long course of antibiotics. Sharp as razors, those critters!

By Wilson44691 – Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37588453

The kaunaʻ oa kahakai (“shoreline kaunaʻ oa,” the dodder) is a beloved lei plant. Its waxy sherbet-orange tendrils are twisted in the wili, hili, or hilo styles of lei. It also is a traditional medicinal plant.

Photographers: Forest & Kim Starr. Images created by Forest Starr and Kim Starr are licensed under a Creative Commons

Knowing the correct names of places tells us a lot about them. Names can contain history, knowledge of the environment, and the importance of an area to those who came before us. So, this beach may once have been abundant with kaunaʻ oa of one or both kinds. Was it possibly an important place for harvesting the medicine? Does the kaunaʻ oa kai have some medicinal property we have forgotten about? So many questions to explore!

In traditional Hawaiian poetry, of which the Kumulipo is one of the most well-known examples, in one section paired couplets explore the relationship of land life and sea life. Hawaiian taxonomy is not based in a “vertical” hierarchy as in Linnean taxonomy, but in a “lateral” network of relationships. By observing the behavior of land-based life forms, we can understand sea-based life forms, and vice-versa. And so Hawaiian understanding looks at the relationship between the kaunaʻ oa kahakai and the kaunaʻ oa o ke kai – the land forms and the sea forms of kaunaʻ oa.

Both the land and sea forms have curling tendrils and can form clustered communities in their habitats. Both provide habitat for other species. Both grow near the kahakai – the edge of the sea. Our ancestors had a deep relationship with their environment developed over generations of careful observation. It behooves us to preserve and reclaim their knowledge and wisdom!

Students of Kamehameha Schools created this animation of the opening lines of the Kumulipo.

Amenities

The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel at the Kohala end of the beach has many amenities available. Dean Itagaka’s June 2018 photo shows the lūʻ a u torches my family and I handcraft!

The hotel opened in 1965. Rockefeller’s original concept was a cluster of individual cottages, with no televisions or air-conditioning to interfere with the natural environment of the Kohala Coast. Architects Skidmore Owings Merrill produced a dome-shaped model that was nearly washed out by a tropical storm, so a single building mid-century modern design was refined by lead architect Charles Bassett to take advantage of tropical breezes and ocean views, but added air conditioning. From 1965 until 1995, the hotel operated without guest room televisions, just as Rockefeller intended.

Safety

Use especial care when swimming, snorkeling, or even just relaxing on the shoreline in the winter months, as the waves can be quite high, pounding in the shore break, and there is a strong rip current.

Tsunami Warning Signs

As with all beaches, if you see the tide going way out, exposing more of the beach than the usual low tide, it’s time to head inland. That is a sign of a possible tsunami.

Earthquake
Unusually low receding of the water
Unusually rapid or high incoming surge
Odd looking currents or whirlpools
Unusual sounds coming from the water

Learn more at the Pacific Tsunami Museum website.

Historical Ecology and Ecological Restoration

A while back I signed up for the academia.edu mailing list. They have a lot of really interesting stuff come through. I have not had a lot of time to read much, but I thought I would start sharing the ones I find particularly striking here.

I Ka Wā Ma Mua: The Value of a Historical Ecology Approach to Ecological Restoration in Hawai‘i is a paper by Natalie Kurashima, Jason Jeremiah, and Tamara Ticktin which discusses biocultural restoration as a method to reciprocally restore ecological and cultural integrity.

We have recently been seeing the results of ignoring indigenous knowledge in land management practices, and at least California and Australia are starting to explore incorporating indigenous knowledge back in management for fire.

To be truly sustainable, however, we need to move past this (literally) put-out-the-brushfires approach, and incorporate wholistic and sustainable practices. Thus biocultural restoration.

For Hawaiʻ i, this means that “since Kānaka Maoli are an inseparable part of every land and seascape in Hawai‘i, any ecological restoration project has the potential to use a biocultural restoration approach,” according to the paper abstract. “However, most restoration approaches are purely ecological, and for many conservation practitioners a sociocultural understanding of the landscape can seem inaccessible. In this article, we discuss the value of a historical ecology approach (understanding the interaction between people and landscapes over time) for successful restoration and management of biocultural landscapes in Hawai‘i.”

It’s a good read with a lot of important things to consider.

Mahalo to the Mountains

When I read this thoughtful post by Kumu Paul Neves, I was so touched that I asked him if I could share it here. He graciously said that I might. Mahalo no, Kumu Neves, for your heartfelt manaʻo!

Na Kumu Hula Paul Kevin Kealiïkea o Mano Neves

Mahalo Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa for always protecting us. We always seem to pump up the great impending disaster and we forget about the new rain that cleans our streams and refreshes our forests, flows anew to the sea and fills out water tanks. It washes the sorrows of our aina away and gives us so much to look forward to.

And yet does our Chamber of Commerce or business community ever acknowledge that if those mountains were 1,000ft instead of 14,000ft our unique opportunity to do business here on Moku o Keawe let alone live here, probably wouldn’t exist?

I have visited other parts of the world where such acknowledgement and respect are given, celebrated and their mountains or streams or oceans or creatures are given every protection.and respect.

Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa,, Hualalai, Kohala, Haleakala, Ka’ala and Wai’ale’ale are natural resources they do not exist because of human activity. But because of Akua!

Hawai’i needs to take care of these unique creations of nature. They provide a unique place for us to exist on their shoulders..

All the mauna are sacred and they prove their spiritual and unique presence each and every day and especially when a storm heads our way.

Mahalo Ke Akua for our mauna and the fresh rain and fresh start it brings!

Aloha Hawai’i,
Kumu Hula Paul Kevin Kealiïkea o Mano Neves