Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 16, Number 8, 1 August 1999 — Mōhala i ka wai ka maka o ka pua [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Mōhala i ka wai ka maka o ka pua

uUnfolded by the water are the faces of the flowers.v

By Ciaire Hughes D e p t of Health fLOWERS THRIVE where there is water, as thriving people are found where hving conditions are good. This saying acknowledges the importance of fresh water for ah hving things. Early Hawanans understood that without water, life is not possible. All vegetation. food plants and people required water to flourish. Anabundance

I ox ioou pxanis anu waier 1 symbolized wealth. I fact the word for weahh, wai-

wai. is water ( repeated. The early Hawaiians used ! great ingenuitv to

ehannel water into the lo'i with enough llow to keep the temperature perfect for growing kalo. It was the preferred staple food, over 'ulu or 'uala. A farmer who had a good supply of water for his lo'i was a prosperous man.

Fresh water fish were allowed to hve and grow in the lo'i. The plenhful water supply in Hawai'i made kalo farming possible. Hawauans carefully protected the pure quahty of water from springs and streams. and becau.se water was a gjft of the gods, the penalty for defiling water was death. The gods Kāne and Kanaloa were said to have created ffesh water springs and streams throughout the islands. Mo'olelo talk about the travels of Kāne and Kanaloa Lush and hearty, this 'awa plant ( Piper methysticum) fiourises at Kaiwi'ula on the grounds of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum.

to open fresh water springs to help people and farmers. An earher eolumn related the story of these gods. One such spring was in Kalihi. The mo'olelo is that Kāne and Kanaloa joumeyed around the island of O'ahu unhl they eame to Kalihi where they hunted in the hillsides for 'awa. They found a number of fine 'awa roots growing, pulled them up and prepared them for chewing. When the 'awa was ready, Kanaloa looked for fresh water, but could not find any. He said to Kāne, "Our 'awa is

good, but there is no water in this plaee. Where ean we find water for this 'awa?" Kāne answered, "The water is here." Kane took his staff, stepped out on a bed of lava and began to strike the earth. The point of his staff dug deep into the rock, smashing an splintering it, and broke open a hole, out of whieh water jutted at them. With this, they prepared the 'awa. This pool of fresh water is known as Kapukawaikalihi. Early Hawaiians knew that water was critical to all iife. They recognized the interwoven relationships between life and water and acknowledged water as the source of heakh and wealth. The human body is more than half water, about 55 to 60 percent, and while we ean live for many weeks without food, the body ean be without water only for a few days. We need to have a constant supply of water to transport nutrients throughout the body. Water fills eveiy eell and the space between cells as well. It helps the body processes build larger, more complex nutrients from simple compounds and elements, and dilutes and transports the waste products out of the body. Water acLs as a lubricant around the joints and as a cushion or shock absorber around the eyes and internal organs. Most importantly, water is a cooling system for the body, making sure the body does not overheat. Most of our islands are currently experiencing drought conditions. Without mueh effort, we ean help to preserve this precious resource by: • turning off faucets while shaving or brushing teeth

• using a nozzle with shut-on valve on garden hoses when washing cars • turning off showers while soaping up • watering gardens in the evening or early momine

• sweeping, not hosing driveways • not washing dishes under mnning water • instalhng flow restrictors in showers and fauceLs • washing only full loads of laundry. ■

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