Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 12, Number 5, 1 Mei 1995 — K e ao nani [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

K e ao nani

Naturally Hawaiian

by Patrick Ching artist/environmentalist

Beefing in Hawai'i

Cattle were brought to Hawai'i by the British Captain George Vancouver in the late 1700s. The beef cattle were presented as a gift to Kamehameha the Great who immediatelv nlaced a kanu upon them for-

bidding anyone to kill the cattle for ten years. The cattle roamed free, m u 1 1 i p 1 i e d rapidly and in some cases, wreaked havoc in villages and agricultural

areas. Upon removal of the kapu, beef, pronounced pipi or bibi by the Hawaiians, was quickly incorporated into the Hawaiian diet. The Hawaiians were taught to work cattle on horseback by Spanish cowboys called vaqueros. The Hawaiian word for cowboy was paniolo whieh was derived from the word espanol whieh means Spanish. The Hawaiians quickly excelled in working cattle and today cattle ranching has become an integral part of Hawaiian eountry living. The Parker Ranch on the island of Hawai'i is one of the largest privately owned cattle ranches in the world. To boost morale among the ranch hands,

the paniolos participated in rodeo competitions. Most events were derived from everyday tasks of the paniolo such as breaking horses, roping, and wrestling steers. The po'owaiu is a uniquely Hawaiian rodeo event whieh entails roping a steer from a horse, pulling it thiough the crotch of a tree.

and tying its horns to the tree. Then there's bullriding. This rodeo event has little to do with ranching cattle, and lots to do with guts and

glory. During a ride whieh lasts only seconds, bull and rider pound out more heartbeats than a turkey on Thanksgiving. The New Town and Country Stables in Waimānalo is home to some of the best bucking stock in the state.

Brahma bulls are known for their aggressiveness. "Hawaiian Puneh" shown above is one of Hawai'i's top rodeo bulls. Drawing by Patrick Ching