Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 27, Number 5, 1 May 2010 — Equating water with health [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Equating water with health

By Claire Ku'uleilani Hughes, Dr. Ph, R.D. Ko'ūko'ū i ka wai a ka nāulu. "Tasty to the paīate is the water of showers." — 'Ōlelo No 'eau, Pukui Early Hawaiians had extensive experienee of living with limited resources and managing the fruits of their hard-earned labors to provide sustenanee for their families. They knew that fresh water was important for the life of all vegetation, food plants, animals and people. And, they equated the abundance of water with weahh. The hua 'ōlelo (word)

for water is wai and for weahh its waiwai, or water repeated. More importantly, Hawaiians viewed water as a gift from the gods and, thus, carefully protected the purity of water in springs and streams. The penalty for contaminating or wasting this godly gift was severe. It was death. Mo'olelo tell how the gods Kāne and Kanaloa created fresh water springs and streams throughout the islands. Kāne and Kanaloa traveled from plaee to plaee and opened fresh water springs that helped people and farmers. On Maui, in the mountains back of Ke'anae, Kāne and Kanaloa discussed whether water could be found at that elevation. Kāne thrust his heavy, kauila (wood) staff into solid rock and water gushed forth. These gods opened the fishpond of Kanaloa at Luala'ilua and water of Kou at Kaupō, on Maui. They caused sweet waters to flow at Waihe'e, Kahakuloa and also at Waiakāne and Punakou on Moloka'i, and at Kawaihoa near Portlock on O'ahu. On Maui, there were two puka just helow the road across the 'Ōhi'a

Gulch, beyond Ke'anae, where Kāne dug his spear first into one puka and then into the other, saying to Kanaloa, "This is for you and that for me." The water fromthese springs was called "the water of Kāne and Kanaloa." The abundance of fresh water supported extensive kalo farming throughout all Hawai'i. Early Hawaiians used great ingenuity and skill to ehannel water into lo'i with enough flow to keep the temperature perfect for growing kalo. Kalo was the preferred staple food, over the 'ulu (breadfruit) or 'uala (sweet potato). A farmer who had a good supply of water for his lo'i was a prosperous man. Fresh water fish were allowed to live and grow in the lo'i, increasing food availability. Western science explains that the human body is about 55 to 60 percent water. Water fills every eell and the spaces between cells in the body. Human beings ean live for many weeks without food but ean survive only a few days without water. A constant supply of water is required to transport nutrients throughout the body, as well as to help the body processes that build larger, more eomplex compounds and elements. Water is also needed to dilute and transport the waste products out of the body. And, water acts as a

lubricant around the j oints and as a cushion or shock absorber around the eyes and internal organs. And, most critical, is water's function as the cooling system for the body, assuring that the body does not overheat. ■

WATER C0NSERVATI0N TIPS We are facing a serious water shortage throughout the islands this summer. Rains have been few and unusually light over the last year. Without mueh effort, we ean conserve this precious resource by= • Turning off faucets while shaving, brushing teeth and washing dishes • Using a nozzle with shut-off valve on garden hoses when washing cars • Watering gardens in the evening or early morning • Sweeping (not hosing down) driveways and walkways • lnstalling flow restrictors in showers and faucets • Taking shorter showers, rather than filling the tub, and • Washing only full loads of laundry