Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 4, Number 11, 1 Nowemapa 1987 — He Mau Ninau Ola [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

He Mau Ninau Ola

Some Health Questions by Kekuni Blaisdell, M.D.

Kahuna 'Ana'ana

Ninau: Are there any practicing kahuna 'ana'ana in Hawai'i today? If so, how ean they be effective in this modern scientific world? Pane: Although it is not kaka'ikahi to encounter po'e Hawai'i i keia wa who say they know ofvictimsof contemporary kahuna 'ana'ana, it is virtually imoossible to find kahuna or

kupuna lapa'au who will admit to the practice of 'ana'ana for two main reasons: (1) 'Ana'ana and other forms of so-called "sorcery" have been banned by law in Hawai'i since 1868. (2) We po'e Hawai'i are so deHawaiianized and

Westernized that most of us are embarrassed and apologetic when confronted with the topic of 'ana'ana. This is because we have been miseducated, ma 'olelo Pelekania, to believe that 'ana'ana is "praying to death by a witch doctor." This definition in English, as we shall see in a future eolumn, is a very limited and, therefore, inadequate interpretation of 'ana'ana. Further, if

"praying to death" is no longer believable in "this modern scientific world," why is it that we still hear of instances of 'ana'ana among our modern kanaka? The 'olelo Haole terms "sorcery" and "black magic" have also been used as synonyms for 'ana'ana. A modern (Haole, of course) anthropology textbook defines these two terms as "harming through improbable, illogical, unrealistic means based on tradition, supernatural power, emotional concentration and social support."

Yet, at least some contemporary kupuna, such as Charles Kenn, would stoutly deny that pre-Western po'e kahiko would resort to "improbable, illogical, unrealistic means." Moreover, as we shall also see, early Hawaiians considered all phenomena to be natural, not either natural or supernatural, as in Western thought. To the kanaka of old, everything had a reason for being, ai?d every event had a reason for occurring. It was not always obvious to the ordinary maka'ainana what these reasons were. That is why their society had kahuna who, by nature and training, were not only able to perceive these reasons, but because of their knowledge and skills, were also able to influence the course or outeome of events.

Thus, 'ana'ana has usually been defined only īn haole terms whieh disparage the concept and practice. Heretofore, no attempt has been made to understand 'ana'ana within the context of traditional native Hawaiian culture of the time in the Hawaiian language. Even the earliest writings about 'ana'ana in 'olelo Hawai'i were by native Hawaiians who had been Christianized. Accordingly, it is understandable why they joined their missionary teachers in condemning 'ana'ana as totally evil.

This eolumn, while not written entirely in 'olelo Hawai'i, will attempt to provide some insight into 'ana'ana from the pre-Western Polynesian and Hawaiian point of view. Te Rangi Hiroa (Sir Peter Buck) may have been the first, in 1936, over 50 years ago, to present a comparative analysis, in English, of what he called "sorcery practiced throughout Polynesia."

Although Sir Peter did not define the term "sorcery," he referred to "deaths (as being) usually regarded as due to attacks of malicious spirits whieh punished infringements of taboo or had been directed against victims by sorcerers." Buck considered the technique used in the four regions of "Eastern Polynesia" to be similar: "a material object in contact with the proposed victim was subjected to a magical process, afflicting the victim with malicious spirits whieh entered his body and caused various symptoms whieh preceded death." However, the terms for the practice varied, with some of the literal meanings obvious, and others apparently lostwithtime, 'oia ho'i:

Region Aotearoa Tahiti Marquesas Hawai'i

Name for "Sorcery" makutu, whaiwhaia (?literal meaning) pifao (hook-piercing), tahutahu (buming) nati kaha (sennit-binding) 'ana'ana (?literal meaning)

Name for Material Object ohonga (thing startled) tupu (growth, shoot) mounu (bait) maunu (bait)

Aiso, the names for the material object had regional differences and similarities as listed above. Some of the details in what Te Rangi Hiroa called "offensive techniques," "defensive techniques," "protective techniques," and also the spiritual forces invoked, philosophical basis for concepts and practices, psycho!ogical aspects and some favorable outcomes of this "evil" will be considered in future columns of He Mau Ninau Ola. 'Oiai, e ho'omau e ho'ouna mai nei i kou mau ninau ola, ke 'olu'olu.

Figure 1. Kahuna 'ana'ana as depicted in Dr. Francis Halford's 1954 book 9 Doctors and God about American missionaries in Hawai'i. Notice the maunu (bait), the pointer and the scary stare directed at the intended victim. Is this an accurate portrayal of a Polynesian practice?