Kawaha o Ka Māno
The Home of the He'e
Pō'akolu
On pō'akolu, Aunty Hi'ilei Kawelo, from Paepae o' He'eia, came to teach us about her knowledge of the he'e, also known as octopus/squid. We gained information about many things, such as cultural practices and food preparation. Some cultural practices she talked about were various ways to catch he'e, seasons to catch, and places to catch. Amongst the many things, we also learned how to prepare squid lū'au. She showed us in detail, step by step, how to make it. He'e is also known as the kinolau to Kanaloa, the salt water god.
Kanaloa
Kanaloa, the god of the ocean, has the kinolau of a he'e, whales with teeth, dolphins, sharks, turtles, and stingrays. Kanaloa is also the brother to the freshwater god, Kāne. Kanaloa can also be found in many mo'olelo, one mo'olelo called "Makuakaumana".
He'e
One of the many animals found in Kawaha O Ka Māno, or Kanēohe Bay, and is also the kinolau of the god Kanaloa. He'e can also mean to slide, surf, slip, flee, or to out into flight. He'e is also found in the names of some ahupua'a such as He'eia and Waihe'e.
Aunty Hi'ilei Kawelo
The director of Paepae 'o He'eia, and someone who taught us many things about he'e and how to prepare lū'au he'e. She demonstrated to us how to gut, prepare and cook the he'e, and allowed us to taste the final product of the lū'au he'e.
He Mele No Kāne
This is a chant dedicated to Kāne, the god of freshwater. It's about the search for where Kāne can be found.
He Mele No Kane
Cleaning He'e
The following video demonstrates how to clean a he'e.
Girl cleaning octopus
Driving Question
We can use the concept of Kāne and Kanaloa to bring pono to our community by sharing the knowledge we gained from Aunty Hi'ilei Kawelo on Pō'akolu to others. By sharing where to find he'e, the signs, and the various methods to catch a he'e to our 'ohana, we're giving the knowledge ti others to feed their family and to be self-sustainable. Also, by knowing how to clean he'e, you can pass the knowledge shared to you to your future.
Group Members
Blessing Pagaduan
Kaili Montgomery
Hi'ilani Alina-Kamark
Kaili Montgomery
Hi'ilani Alina-Kamark