Hānai Puaʻa Wahine, Maloko Ka Uku
Raise a sow, for her reward is inside of her
(A sow will bear young)

Pua‘a (pigs) are not native to Hawai‘i. The first pigs were brought to the Hawaiian Islands by the early Polynesians that came to the Islands (approximately AD 1000 and 1200.) (Kirch)

“Originally, pua‘a enjoyed a close relationship with their human families and rarely strayed far from the kauhale (family compound.)”

“Well-developed taro and sweet potato agriculture in ancient Hawai‘i was incompatible with uncontrolled pigs, and there is every indication that pigs were both highly valued and carefully managed sources of protein.”

“Pua‘a were an integrated part of Hawaiian households, and the common presence of pa pua‘a (pig pens) reflects the controlled, physically compartmentalized nature of pig management in traditional Hawai‘i.”

“Notwithstanding, small populations of loosely controlled and free-roaming animals existed in ancient times. Traditional and historic evidence indicates that these animals remained largely domesticated, living mainly on the periphery of kauhale and extending into lowland forests.”

They continued to rely largely on the food and shelter provided by the kauhale. This is because in pre-contact times, native Hawaiian forests were devoid of large alien fruits such as mangos and guava, and major protein sources (including non-native earthworms.) (Maly, Pang & Burrows, 2010)

“We believe that subsistence hunting of feral ungulates by native Hawaiians is NOT a traditional and customary right and therefore not protected under the state constitution or Hawai‘i Revised Statutes.”

“There is no evidence that pigs were hunted in ancient times. The Hawaiian diet was not dependent on pigs and they were only eaten for important occasions or as offerings to gods.”

“It is well documented that feral pigs ranging through Hawaii’s upland forests today bear little physical or cultural resemblance to the smaller, domesticated pigs brought to the islands by voyaging Polynesians.”

“It remains a popular misconception that pigs are native to Hawaiian forests and that pig hunting was a common practice in ancient Hawai‘i.” (Benton Keali‘i Pang, President of ‘Ahahui Mālama I Ka Lōkahi; Environment Hawaii, January 1997)

Hunting of ungulates was not in keeping with Hawaiian cultural traditions. Goats, sheep, European boar, and cattle are all “foreign to the native Hawaiian landscape and culture.”

The Hawaiians themselves used fences to create enclosures to protect native resources. The Hawaiian pig was traditionally raised and fattened in enclosures. (Kepa Maly; Environment Hawaii, January 1997)

“Domestication … is here confined to three species; the hog, dog, and cock; and secondly, it is in fact next to a state of nature in these isles: the hogs and fowl run about at their case the greatest part of the day; the last especially, which live entirely on what they pick up, without being regularly fed.”

“Now and then I observed the house open, but furnished below at the height of about one foot, with a fence of bamboos. Some small houses are likewise included in a kind of partition made of small sticks in the manner of hurdles.”

“The natives commonly keep their hogs during the night, in the house, and have in one corner of it contrived an inclusure (pa booa (pā puaʻa)) covered on the top with boards, on which they sleep.”

“As to animal food from hogs, dogs and fowls, I am certain that their meat is but sparingly eaten …” (Forster’s Observations in Polynesia, 1778)

“Pigs were raised in great numbers for food and for religious and ceremonial purposes. They were free to roam about the village and its environs. Stone walls (pā pōhaku) and picket fences (pā lāʻau) kept these animals from areas where they were not wanted.”

“Mature hogs were penned in stone-walled enclosures and fattened. They were fed cooked taro (kalo), sweet potatoes (ʻuala), yams (hoi), bananas (maiʻa) and breadfruit (ʻulu). Some of these foods were the scraps and peelings not suitable for human consumption.” (Mitchell)

“In contrast, current feral pigs are largely derived from animals introduced after western contact. Captain James Cook, for example, brought European pigs during his first voyage to Hawai‘i, and many other introductions of European and Asian swine followed. Over time, the Polynesian pua‘a interbred with and were mostly displaced by these larger animals.”

“As feral pig populations grew on all islands, they began ranging more freely in the forests. Concurrent but independent introductions of earthworms and introduced plant species, such as mango and guava, provided reliable protein and carbohydrate food sources and helped expand their range.”

“Omnivorous and without any non-human predators, pigs began to thrive in the native forest and successfully established large populations. Within only a few generations, any escaped domesticated pigs reverted to a feral form, retaining the large body size of European swine, but severing their dependence on human beings.” (Maly, Pang & Burrows, 2010)

“The custom of recreational hunting evolved over the last hundred fifty years as native Hawaiians assimilated western traditions in the context of these introduced game animals.”

“The earliest descriptions of western-style hunting occur in the opening decades of the 19th century, when outings were organized to control wild herds of cattle that threatened agriculture, residences, and forest resources.”

“The practice increased in frequency and in popularity, with island hunters playing a key role in the state’s response to the watershed crisis of the late 19th-century. These state-sponsored control efforts resulted in the removal of over 170,000 introduced mammals in the first half of the 20th century.”

“Although hunting is not widely practiced in contemporary Hawaiian society – only two percent of the state’s residents obtain a hunting license – it is a visible and common occurrence across the state.”

“Pig hunting, in particular, is a cherished modern practice for island sportsmen, including some whose subsistence depends to greater or lesser extent on wild game.”

“Pig hunting in heavy cover is usually accomplished with the use of dogs, and the required training, feeding and care for these animals can be a difficult and expensive task. The dogs locate, chase, grab, or bay the game, which is then typically dispatched by the hunter with a gun or knife.”

“These techniques are derived directly from western and European pig hunting practices, incorporated over the last 150 years in Hawai‘i, and passed down through family generations.” (Maly, Pang & Burrows, 2010)

While cultural authorities note that hunting of pigs is not a traditional and cultural practice, a recent Hawaiʻi Intermediate Court of Appeals decision (December 2015) notes pig hunting is a customary and traditional practice for Kui Palama on the Island of Kauai, prior to 1892.

But the Court noted, “there have been no Hawaiʻi appellate cases directly addressing whether pig hunting is a constitutionally protected traditional and customary practice, and for this reason, we reiterate that our decision here is confined to the narrow circumstances and the particular record in this case.”)

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