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December 9, 2023 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

‘Sorrow Without Hope’

Amongst the islands of the Hawaiian group is one named Lānaʻi. Beautiful, fertile and productive, its people are orderly and self-governing, but subject to the crown of Hawaiʻi, and loyal subjects of the Kamehameha. Among the natives of this island linger many traditions of the past, both curious and poetical. (Halcombe, 1867)

There’s a small island between Hulopo’e and Mānele off the southern coast.  There is a tradition of how this place, and particularly the little island, came to be called Pu‘upehe, that was first recorded in 1867 by Walter M. Gibson, then owner of large portions of Lānaʻi, who reportedly learned the account from the chief, Pi‘ianai‘a, who was on Lānaʻi with Kamehameha I.

Gibson published the account under the title of “The Tomb of Puʻupehe, A Legend of Lānaʻi,” in the island newspaper, the Hawaiian Gazette of March 3, 1867.

Observed from the overhanging bluff that overlooks Puʻupehe, upon the summit of this block or elevated islet, would be noticed a small platform formed by a low stone wall. This is said to be the last resting-place of a Hawaiian girl whose body was buried there by her lover Makakēhau, a warrior of Lānaʻi.

Puʻupehe was the daughter of Uaua, a petty chief, one of the dependents of the king of Maui, and she was won by young Makakēhau as the joint prize of love and war. These two are described in the Kanikau, or Lamentation, of Puʻupehe, as mutually captive, the one to the other.

The maiden was a sweet flower of Hawaiian beauty. Her glossy brown, spotless body “shone like the clear sun rising out of Haleakala.” Her flowing, curly hair, bound by a wreath of lehua blossoms, streamed forth as she ran “like the surf crests scudding before the wind.” And the starry eyes of the beautiful daughter of Uaua blinded the young warrior, so that he was called Makakēhau, or Misty Eyes.

He feared that the beauty of his dear captive would cause her to be coveted by the chiefs of the land. His soul yearned to keep her all to himself. He said: “Let us go to the clear waters of Kalulu. There we will fish together for the kala and the aku, and there I will spear the turtle. I will hide you, my beloved, forever in the cave of Malauea.”

“Or, we will dwell together in the great ravine of Palawai, where we will eat the young of the uwau birds, and we will bake them in ki leaf with the sweet pala fern root. The ohelo berries of the mountains will refresh my love. We will drink of the cool waters of Maunalei. I will thatch a hut in the thicket of Kaohai for our resting-place, and we shall love on till the stars die.”

Makakēhau left his love one day in the cave of Malauea while he went to the mountain spring to fill the water-gourds with sweet water. This cavern yawns at the base of the overhanging bluff that overtops the rock of Puʻupehe. The sea surges far within, but there is an inner space which the expert swimmer can reach, and where Puʻupehe had often rested and baked the honu or sea turtle, for her absent lover.

This was the season for the kona, the terrific storm that comes up from the equator and hurls the ocean in increased volume upon the southern shores of the Hawaiian Islands. Makakēhau beheld from the rock springs of Pulou the vanguard of a great kona,—scuds of rain and thick mist, rushing with a howling wind, across the valley of Palawai.

He knew the storm would fill the cave with the sea and kill his love. He flung aside his calabashes of water and ran down the steep, then across the great valley and beyond its rim he rushed, through the bufferings of the storm, with an agonized heart, down the hill slope to the shore.

The sea was up indeed. The yeasty foam of mad surging waves whitened the shore. The thundering buffet of the charging billows chorused with the howl of the tempest. Ah! where should Misty Eyes find his love in this blinding storm? A rushing mountain of sea filled the mouth of Malauea, and the pent-up air hurled back the invading torrent with bubbling roar, blowing forth great streams of spray.

This was a war of matter, a battle of the elements to thrill with pleasure the hearts of strong men. But with one’s love in the seething gulf of the whirlpool, what would be to him the sublime cataract? What, to see amid the boiling foam the upturned face, and the dear, tender body of one’s own and only poor dear love, all mangled? You might agonize on the brink; but Makakēhau sprang into the dreadful pool and snatched his murdered bride from the jaws of an ocean grave.

The next day, fishermen heard the lamentation of Makakēhau, and the women of the valley came down and wailed over Puʻupehe. They wrapped her in bright new kapa. They placed upon her garlands of the fragrant na-u (gardenia). They prepared her for burial, and were about to place her in the burial ground of Manele, but Makakēhau  prayed that he might be left alone one night more with his lost love. And he was left as he desired.

The next day no corpse nor weeping lover were to be found, till after some search Makakēhau  was seen at work piling up stones on the top of the lone sea tower.

The wondering people of Lānaʻi looked on from the neighboring bluff, and some sailed around the base of the columnar rock in their canoes, still wondering, because they could see no way for him to ascend, for every face of the rock is perpendicular or overhanging. The old belief was, that some akua, kanekoa, or keawe-mauhili (deities), came at the cry of Makakēhau and helped him with the dead girl to the top.

When Makakēhau had finished his labors of placing his lost love in her grave and placed the last stone upon it, he stretched out his arms and wailed for Puʻupehe, thus:

“Where are you O Puʻupehe?
Are you in the cave of Malauea?
Shall I bring you sweet water,
The water of the mountain?
Shall I bring the uwau,
The pala, and the ohelo?
Are you baking the honu
And the red sweet hala?
Shall I pound the kalo of Maui?
Shall we dip in the gourd together?
The bird and the fish are bitter,
And the mountain water is sour.
I shall drink it no more;
I shall drink with ʻAipuhi,
The great shark of Manele.”

Ceasing his sad wail, Makakēhau leaped from the rock into the boiling surge at its base, where his body was crushed in the breakers. The people who beheld the sad scene secured the mangled corpse and buried it with respect in the kupapau of Mānele. (This piece is from the story printed in the Hawaiian Gazette in 1867; Halcombe noted – The Tomb of Puʻupehe – Sorrow Without Hope.)

© 2023 Hoʻokuleana LLC

Filed Under: Place Names Tagged With: Hawaii, Lanai, Walter Murray Gibson, Manele, Puupehe, Hulopoe

December 8, 2023 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Building Breakwaters

In 1899, Herbert, William, Jack and Edgar Young were at Catalina Island; the year before they started taking fishing parties out daily and conducting excursions to the coral gardens.

Then the Hawaiian Islands attracted their attention, and, as William put it, they “went with high hopes and the spirit of a pioneer toward strange lands and all the beauty of sky and sea in the blue Pacific.” (Herb and William were headed to Hawai‘i.)  “On January 9, 1900, we sailed out of Golden Gate toward the Great adventure …”

“For years we had heard tales of Hawaii; now at last we were to see it for ourselves. Every passing hour, every wave curling under our bows brought us so much nearer, and the eyes of youth, straining ahead of the ship, seemed almost to glimpse a palm-fringed shore where life was gay and living carefree.”

“At last, on January 19, after a fine voyage, we sighted Honolulu. The green shores. the white beach and coral formations, the boats of the Kanakas, the town rising at the harbor edge to be lost in the verdure of the tropical plants …”

“… the great forest of masts and spars in the harbor, the clear water and brilliant coloring of everything within eyeshot made a picture that the years could not dim. Here at last was the land of my dreams, the real El Dorado, the place which one may leave, but to which he will always return, the enchanting isles where there is no good-bye, but only Aloha.”

“We dropped anchor at quarantine and stood on deck, silently, in wonder at the natural beauty of the island. Would our dreams come true here?”

Most associate Young Brothers as an inter-island barge company.  But, in their early years in the Islands, Young Brothers did a lot of things.  Young Brothers was given a contract to help with the original dredging of Pearl Harbor. They engaged to tow mud scows out to sea and dump them.

They also got involved in the construction of a couple substantial breakwaters that continue to protect some significant bays.

In the late 19th century, the growing sugar industry in East Hawai’i demanded a better and more protected port, and a breakwater was constructed on Blonde Reef in Hilo Bay to shield ships from rough waters as they entered Hilo Harbor.

 In 1911, Young Brothers contracted with the Lord Young Construction Co. to tow barges to build the breakwater at Hilo harbor on the Big Island.

They bought the tug Mikiala and went to work towing barges of huge rocks from the Hamakua coast and dumping them to build the long breakwater which protects the harbor today. Building it took many long months.

Jack Young was in charge of the work at Hilo and spent the better part of a year skippering the Brothers (the name of their tug) as it towed a scow loaded with rock to be dumped on the breakwater extension.

Dangerous conditions that developed during the Hilo breakwater construction were somewhat inevitable, given the unpredictable ocean swells and enormous load carried by the rock scow.

A news article appearing in the Pacific Commercial Advertiser on December 25, 1911, provides some insights into the job of building the breakwater as the Young Brothers’ crew experienced it:

“The sea had been rough for several days, and finally made it impossible to work. On Monday, the … scow was taken out in tow of the Hukihuki, having on board about 125 tons of rock, which it was to dump on the bottom ….”

“Here the substructure, which has been laid by Lord & Young, forms a kind of artificial reef over which the waves break in stormy weather. On the day in question, the breakers were thundering in at a great rate, and great combers were continually sweeping the deck of the scow.”

“Nevertheless, the Hukihuki bucked through the swirling water, and she had just brought the scow over the substructure, though not in the exact place where the load was to be dumped, when trouble began.”

“The heavy scow was let down, in the trough between two big waves, to such a depth that one of her edges struck the rock of the substructure with such a force that the timbers were splintered and broken, and the water began to pour in through the leak.”

“All thought of depositing the load had to be abandoned, and the Hukihuki maneuvered the disabled craft out of the breakers. The scow was sinking so rapidly that it was impossible to save the load, and good Kapoho rock was jettisoned.”

“By good seamanship the scow was towed to safety, where she is being repaired.”

Contrary to urban legend, the Hilo breakwater was built to dissipate general wave energy and reduce wave action in the protected bay, providing calm water within the bay and protection for mooring and operating in the bay; it was not built as a tsunami protection barrier for Hilo.

It was while they were engaged in building the Hilo breakwater that Captain Jack Young met and fell in love with Alloe Louise Marr. She had come to Hilo from Oakland, California, in 1909 with her father, Joseph Thomas Marr, to visit his cousin, Jack Guard.

John Alexander (Jack) Young and Alloe Louise Marr were married in a double wedding ceremony with her cousin, Stephanie Guard and John Fraser on September 20, 1911 at Hilo.  They returned to Honolulu to live.  The couples remained friends and co-workers in shipping.

In 1922, Young Bros. Ltd. contracted the towing to build the breakwater at Nawiliwili harbor hauling by barge the 6-ton rocks from the quarry on the coast of Maui to build the base of the breakwater.

The waterfront community was shocked when Captain Jack Young died of a heart attack at his home on October 23, 1946.  Alloe Louise Young was afflicted with a brain tumor in 1945 and died October 9, 1947 at her home on McKinley Street.

I am the youngest brother of the youngest brother of the youngest brother of Young Brothers.  Jack and Alloe Young are my grandparents.

We never met them, and they never knew they had grandchildren from their son Kenny; they both had died before they knew my mother was pregnant with my older brother. (Lots of information here is from Young Brothers: 100 Years of Service and a Young family background and genealogy.)

© 2023 Ho‘okuleana LLC

Filed Under: Sailing, Shipping & Shipwrecks, Economy, General, Place Names Tagged With: Hawaii, Hilo, Young Brothers, Nawiliwili, Hilo Bay, Hilo Breakwater, Breakwater, Nawiliwili Bay

December 2, 2023 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Rotten Row

In Rotten Row the poor ships lie –
Pathetic hulks ‘gainst the brazen sky

Drowzing life through on a lazy tide,
At anchor the vanquished vessels ride.

The surf on the reef vents a hideous sneer
At her ocean’s victims resting there

Never again to plough the seas,
Nor flaunt their flags in the bellying breeze.

The good ships come and’ the good ships go
With ne’er a salute for Rotten Row.

But the green weed loves their unkempt sides,
And the sea-worn hither and thither glides.

At night when the moon breaks through the clouds,
It chases ghosts from the feeble shrouds,

Of men who down to great seas did go
With the broken tenants of Rotten Row.
(HM Ayres; Hawaiian Star, Sep 9, 1909)

“Most harbours scattered over the seven seas have a last haven for ships which have passed from the sphere of usefulness. This haven, in the parlance of the sea is called Rotten Row.” (University of Wellington, NZ)

In Honolulu, “Hulks in rotten row are trembling for their bones, the winds whistling through their ancient forms in fierce glee. A few hats lost in the harbor, a few changes in position of wreckage on the reef, is all that the wind can do at present to be held responsible for in the vicinity of the harbor.” (Evening Bulletin, March 1, 1902)

Formerly known as Naval Row “as it was once proudly known”, located Ewa side and near Sumner’s islet across the harbor from the town, “not all of the vessels in rotten row are wrecks, there are some of them in good ripe old age.” (Evening Bulletin, July 19, 1907)

“That portion of the bay that was once known as “rotten row” and which was cleared of all the old hulks some time ago, is again taking on the aspect of former days. The accumulation is growing and being added to every little while.”

“Captain Miller’s yacht, the Lady, is in the neighborhood of 30 years old. The bark Melanchton is nothing but a hulk, and for over 40 summers she breasted the waves. The Mokolu is next in line. Her usefulness is nearly over. The Kaena, the Hover and the James Makee lay in the line with the old Kaimaloa acting as rear guard for the rotten row.” (Evening Bulletin, July 19, 1907)

“At the request of Lieutenant Slattery the army engineering officer who has charge of surveying the harbor for the improvements by the United States government, the various vessels which have been moored In Rotten Row, were taken elsewhere by their owners.”

“The removal of the craft was only temporary as they occupied considerable space that had to be surveyed. Permission has been granted to the owners to take their craft back to the Row.”

“The hulks which are resting on the bottom in Rotten Row will have to be removed before the work of Improving the harbor is undertaken by the United States government.”

“Lieutenant Slattery says he will notify the owners to remove them and In case of failure to do so, the government will remove the hulks and sell the material for whatever price It will bring to pay the expenses of removal.” (Hawaiian Star, June 26, 1905)

© 2023 Ho‘okuleana LLC

Filed Under: Place Names, Sailing, Shipping & Shipwrecks, Economy Tagged With: Hawaii, Rotten Row

December 1, 2023 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Oʻahu ‘Wai’ Ahupuaʻa

Kamapuaʻa had several life forms, including that of a human being and that of a hog. His home was at Kaliuwaʻa, in Kaluanui, Koʻolauloa. ʻOlopana was the king of Oʻahu at this time. (Fornander)

The Hawaiian deity Kamapuaʻa, is a part of the Lono god-force, and possessed many body forms (kinolau), representing both human and various facets of nature. He was born in pig-form to Hina (mother) and Kahiki‘ula (father) at Kaluanui in the Koʻolauloa District of O‘ahu. (Maly)

ʻOlopana, an Oʻahu Chief (and younger brother of Kahikiʻula,) was an adversary of Kamapuaʻa. It was Kamapuaʻa’s custom to go and steal the chickens from ʻOlopana’s lands at Kapaka, at Punaluu, and at Kahana

In one night all the chickens in these different places would be taken. On one of these expeditions, just before daylight while on his way home he met Kawauhelemoa, a supernatural being who had the form of a chicken, who enticed him on until he was discovered by the guards of Olopana.

When ʻOlopana heard that it was Kamapuaʻa that was robbing the hen roosts he sent word to all the people from Kahana to Kaluanui to go after Kamapuaʻa and bring him on their backs to his presence. The people who were sent on this mission numbered about eight hundred.

When they came to Kamapuaʻa, they took him and bound him with ropes, then placed him on a pole and carried him. At Kaluanui, Kamapuaʻa heard about ʻOlopana’s preparations for battle, so he made plans to escape before ʻOlopana and his men arrived.

Kaliuwaʻa is a very high cliff, impossible to climb up or down since there is no trail. The cliff is about two thirds of a mile high. Against this cliff Kamapuaʻa leaned forward and stretched his body to the top to provide a way for his parents, his older brothers, his grandmother, and their servants to escape with all their possessions.

When ʻOlopana and his men arrived at Kaluanui, Kamapuaʻa wasn’t there. ʻOlopana then searched for him , finally ending up in Waiʻanae where ʻOlopana and his men settled.

However, he still couldn’t capture Kamapuaʻa because he didn’t have a kahuna (priest) to direct his efforts. Lonoawohi (aka Lonoawohi) was ʻOlopana’s kahuna when ʻOlopana became king of O’ahu; however, Lonoawohi had been removed from office, bound with ropes, imprisoned, and sentenced to death for a transgression against the chief.

To replace Lonoawohi, ʻOlopana summoned the kahuna Malae from Kauai. Malae told ʻOlopana, to overcome his opponent, he should all the pigs, ʻawa, chickens, fish, men, and bananas you can; take these and lay them before Kamapuaʻa as offerings. These offerings will enfeeble him, and his strength will be gone.”

ʻOlopana carried out Malae’s instructions and laid the offerings before Kamapuaʻa – Kamapuaʻa became weak and feeble. The men then seized Kamapuaʻa and dragged him to Pahoa in Waiʻanae, where Lonoawohi was bound and fastened to a post. ʻOlopana intended to sacrifice him with Kamapuaʻa.

Lonoawohi knew that if Kamapuaʻa was killed, he, too, would be killed, so he directed his sons to go and speak to the men: “You two, go to the men and tell them, ‘E! The king said not to cut the pig open. Take him as he is to the sacrificial altar. It will take several days to reach ‘ʻOlopana’s place; if you kill the pig now, he will surely decay, and the king’s sacrifice will be spoiled.”

“The pig must not be dragged on the ground, either, for his skin will get bruised and damaged. The pig must be carried on poles. When you get tired, put the hog on the ground and rest.”

The men carefully carried Kamapuaʻa to ʻOlopana’s place and put him in the heiau.

That night Lonoawohi slept at the post to which he was tied, his sons with him, while the guards kept watch around the house; and Kamapuaʻa slept in the heiau, also under guard.

Late that night Lonoawohi prayed, and at the close of his prayer, the ropes which held him fell from his body and he rose and walked out of the house, where he found the guards all asleep. When he arrived at the place where Kamapuaʻa was being held, he found the guards asleep.

Lonoawohi then placed his hand at the nostrils of Kamapuaʻa and discovered he was still alive and breathing. Lonoawohi said: “Alive! I thought you might be dead, but I see that you’re not. These bones will live!”

After a while he again said to Kamapuaʻa: “E! The wai lands of Oʻahu are mine.”

The meaning of the request was this: Lonoawohi wanted all the lands containing the word “wai,” such as, Waiʻanae, Waialua and so on.

Lonoawohi knew, through his great powers, that ʻOlopana would be killed, and that Kamapuaʻa would conquer and possess the island of Oʻahu. This was the reason he made this request.

After this exchange between Lonoawohi and Kamapuaʻa, the kahuna returned to his place and sat down. For the rest of the night, he prayed to his god because at dawn he was to be placed on the sacrificial altar with Kamapuaʻa.

In the morning ʻOlopana and the priest Malae began the ceremonies performed before a human sacrifice was offered. The two went and climbed onto the terrace (ʻanuʻu) of the sacrificial stand (lele) and prayed; before the prayer ended, Kamapuaʻa rose above them and opened his eyes.

When Malae and ʻOlopana saw Kamapuaʻa standing above them, they froze with fear and awe. Kamapuaʻa prayed and invoked his many bodies and all his gods. At the close of the prayer the heiau was surrounded by the gods and pigs. Kamapuaʻa then called out to the priest Lonoawohi .

Then, Lonoawohi appeared and raised a kapa banner to mark off an area of kapu; those who entered this area would be saved from death. After this, the slaughter began and the only one who survived Kamapuaʻa’s wrath was Makaliʻi. This was how Kamapuaʻa killed ʻOlopana and conquered Oʻahu. (KCC)

When Kamapuaʻa started to divide the land, one of the notable aspects of the tradition of Kamapuaʻa is that, Lonoawohi, his priest, asked for and received the lands whose names begin with the word “wai” (i.e. Waikiki, Waianae, Waiawa, Wailupe, etc.) Thus, the priests of the Lono class received the “wai” lands. (Maly) This gave a monopoly of well-watered lands on Oʻahu. (Landgraf)

Kamapuaʻa missed his parents, so he transformed to a fish and traveled to Molokai; he convinced his parents to return to O‘ahu. Satisfied that his parents were home, Kamapuaʻa turned into his fish body for a final journey to Kahiki, the ancestral homeland. (Dye) Later, the lands were redistributed. (Landgraf)

In Hawai‘i and essentially in all cultures – water meant life and growth. In Hawai‘i – “Wai” – fresh water – is a life force – it meant abundance and wealth and was a consistent theme in native traditions, practices, land use and historical accounts.

(Lots of information here is from Fornander, Westervelt, KCC and Maly; the image is a collage of a wooden carving of the demi-god Kamapuaʻa – at Bailey House Museum.)

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© 2015 Hoʻokuleana LLC

A collage of a wooden carving of the demi-god Kampua'a - at Bailey House Museum
A collage of a wooden carving of the demi-god Kampua’a – at Bailey House Museum

Filed Under: Hawaiian Traditions, Place Names Tagged With: Hawaii, Oahu, Kamapuaa, Lono, Olopana, Lonoawohi, Wai

November 25, 2023 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Sweet Potato Getting to Hawai‘i

Tracing the history of agricultural products is one way scientists track the migration of people during times when no written records were left behind to offer clues. (Yirda; PHYS)

On his voyages across the Pacific, Captain James Cook encountered geographically disparate Polynesian societies, including those living on Easter Island, Hawai‘i and the north island of New Zealand. These far-flung communities cultivated a common crop, sweet potato. (Denham; NCBI)

Researchers later sampled specimens brought back by early explorers (including Cook.) They found that the DNA evidence indicated that the sweet potato had migrated to Polynesia long before European explorers had made their way to that part of the world. (Yirda; PHYS)

Peruvians first domesticated the sweet potato around 8,000-years ago. And though the crop spread from there, the means by which it traveled have always remained contentious.

One possibility was that Polynesian sailors first brought it home from across the ocean: The oldest carbonized sweet potato evidence in the Pacific hails back to about 1,000 AD – 500-years before Columbus sailed to the Americas.

The Polynesian word for sweet potato resembles the central Andes’ Quechua people’s word for the vegetable. (SmithsonianMag) Polynesian word for sweet potato ‘kuumala’ resembles ‘kumara,’ or ‘cumal,’ the words for the vegetable in Quechua, a language spoken by Andean natives. (NPS)

By analyzing the DNA of 1,245 sweet potato varieties from Asia and the Americas, researchers have found genetic evidence that proves the root vegetable made it to Polynesia from the Andes.

DNA studies did not just look at potatoes, research suggests Polynesians from Easter Island and natives of South America met and mingled before 1500 AD, 3-centuries after Polynesians settled the island also known as Rapa Nui. In the genomes of 27 living Rapa Nui islanders, the team found dashes of European and Native American genetic patterns.

But did Polynesians land on South American beaches, or did Native Americans sail into the Pacific to reach Rapa Nui? (Lawler; ScienceMag) Or, did its seeds possibly hitch a ride on seaweed or natural raft, or gotten lodged in the wing of a bird? (NPR)

“Our studies strongly suggest that Native Americans most probably arrived (on Rapa Nui) shortly after the Polynesians (got there.)” (Erik Thorsby; ScienceMag)

But many scientists say that Pacific currents and Polynesian mastery of the waves make it more likely that the Polynesians were the voyagers. They may have sailed to South America, swapped goods for sweet potatoes and other novelties—and returned to their island with South American women. (Lawler; ScienceMag)

“There’s a lot of evidence accumulating … that the Polynesians made landfall in South America. We think they had sophisticated, double-hulled canoes – like very large catamarans – which could carry 80 or more people and be out to sea for months.” (Kirch; NPR)

But Polynesians didn’t just grab the potatoes and head home. There are clues that they may have introduced chickens to the continent while they were at it.

“(T)here is this baffling evidence that there were chickens in western Peru before Columbus.” (Mann; NPR) Chicken bones – unknown in the Americas before 1500 AD have been excavated on a Chilean beach, which some believe predate Columbus. (NPR)

The researchers found strong evidence that “supports the so-called tripartite hypothesis, which argues that the sweet potato was introduced to Polynesia three times: first through premodern contact between Polynesia and South America, then by Spanish traders sailing west from Mexico, and Portuguese traders coming east from the Caribbean.”

“The Spanish and Portuguese varieties ended up in the western Pacific, while the older South American variety dominated in the east”. (SmithsonianMag)

It is believed the sweet potato then made three independent trips to Southeast Asia. The Polynesians probably introduced it in 1100 AD. While the Spanish and Portuguese brought other varieties from the Americas around 1500. (NPR)

“I’m delighted to see the (tripartite) hypothesis now further confirmed by these recent results.” (Kirch; Nature) Such studies of how humans moved plants and animals, Kirch says, show what the late pioneering ethnobotanist Edgar Anderson called “man’s transported landscapes.”

Historical specimens will be crucial to explaining these patterns. The sweet potatoes collected by Captain Cook’s voyage, for example, “provided time-controlled data” that show “the importance of continuing to curate such specimens in the world’s museums”. (Nature)

As widely used as it is now, the sweet potato could play an even bigger role in feeding people across the world: climate change may help the roots grow even bigger. (SmithsonianMag)

He ʻuala ka ʻai hoʻola koke i ka wi.
The sweet potato is the food that ends famine quickly. (ʻŌlelo Noʻeau from Pukui)

© 2023 Hoʻokuleana LLC

Uala-(ksbe)
3 Independent introductions of sweet potato-NPS
3 Independent introductions of sweet potato-NPS
SweetPotato-(WC)
Kohala Field System-photo-Vitousek
Uala-(WC)
Kona_Field_System-GoogleEarth
Sweet_potato-(WC)
Uala-(kamilonuivalley)

Filed Under: Economy, General, Hawaiian Traditions, Place Names Tagged With: Hawaii, Sweet Potato, Man's Transported Landscapes

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Images of Old Hawaiʻi

People, places, and events in Hawaiʻi’s past come alive through text and media in “Images of Old Hawaiʻi.” These posts are informal historic summaries presented for personal, non-commercial, and educational purposes.

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Hoʻokuleana LLC

Hoʻokuleana LLC is a Planning and Consulting firm assisting property owners with Land Use Planning efforts, including Environmental Review, Entitlement Process, Permitting, Community Outreach, etc. We are uniquely positioned to assist you in a variety of needs.

Info@Hookuleana.com

Copyright © 2012-2024 Peter T Young, Hoʻokuleana LLC

 

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