Kuulei Higashi
Laehala, Keaukaha, Hawai‘i
18/IX/00

Wā ‘Akahi

Kō‘ele‘ele
Ma Kai

‘O kāne iā Wai‘ololī, ‘o ka wahine iā Wai‘ololā
Hānau ke Kō‘ele‘ele noho i kai
Kia‘i ‘ia e ke Kō Punapuna Kō‘ele‘ele noho i uka
He pō uhe‘e i ka wawā
He nuku, he wai ka ‘ai a ka lā‘au
‘O ke Akua ke komo, ‘a‘oe komo kanaka

First Epic

Kō‘ele‘ele
Seaside

Wai‘ololī the product of males, Wai‘ololā of females
The Kō‘ele‘ele gives birth, it is found in the sea
Guarded by the Kō Punapuna Kō ‘Ele‘ele in the uplands
The night becomes tumultuous
Ranting, plants are sustained by water
The Gods enter, man does not have access

No ka Limu ‘Aki‘aki

Ha‘i hou ‘ia e Keonaona Kapuni-Reynolds

*He wehewehe: He kūkā kēia ma waena o Mary Ahio Haanio lāua ‘o Mary Kawena Pukui. Pili kēia kūkā i ka limu ‘aki‘aki. Ua palapala ‘ia mai nā lola mai ka Hale Hō‘ike‘ike ‘o Pīhopa.

‘O ka limu ‘aki‘aki “ka ‘ai o ka honu,” wahi a ‘Anakē Mary Haanio i kona wala‘au ‘ana iā Mary Pukui. ‘O ka mea hoihoi o kēia ‘ano limu, ‘ai wale ‘ia e ka honu. ‘A‘ole ‘ai ‘ia e ka Hawai‘i. I kēia manawa, “na ka po‘e Pilipino hele ki‘i e ‘ai.”

“Kupa ka Pilipino i ka limu ‘aki‘aki a mo‘a. Ho‘ohui ‘ia kekahi mau mea ‘ē a‘e e like me ka ‘inamona a me nā limu ‘ē a‘e a ‘ai ‘ia me ke koiū.” He mea ‘oko‘a ia.

‘A‘ole kāko‘o ‘o Mary Haanio i ka ‘ai ‘ana o ka limu ‘aki‘aki. He punahele ka limu ‘aki‘aki i ka honu. “He ‘ai ko ka honu a he ‘ai ko ke kanaka. Inā ‘ai ‘ia ka ‘ai o ka honu e ke kanaka, i ke aha ana e ‘ai ai ka honu? Inā ‘ai ‘ia ka ‘ai o ke kanaka e ka honu, i ke aha ana e ‘ai ai ke kanaka?”

Ua hāpai mana‘o ‘o Mary Haanio i ka lepo o ke kai. “Inā lepo ke kai, ‘a‘ole e ola nui ana ka limu. Komo ka lepo i ke kai a hā‘ule i ka papa kai. Inā uhi ‘ia ka limu i ka lepo, ‘a‘ole i hiki i ka limu ke hanu a ola. ‘A‘ole e ho‘opā ‘ia ka limu e ke kukuna o ka lā a e make ihola ana ka limu.” He mea pono kekahi mau mea he nui no ke ola maika‘i o ka limu. Pono kākou e mālama nā mea a pau ma kai. Inā e mālama ‘ia ka limu, e mālama ‘ia ka honu. Pono e kiloi i ka ‘ōpala ma kahi kūpono i hiki ke mālama i nā mea a pau ma kai. E mālama i ko kākou ‘āina.

Limu ‘Aki‘aki

Retold by Keonaona Kapuni-Reynolds

*Note: This is a conversation between Mary Ahio Haanio and Mary Kawena Pukui. This conversation refers to the limu ‘aki‘aki. It has been transcribed from cassettes from the Bishop Museum.

Limu ‘aki‘aki is “the food of the turtle,” says Aunty Mary Haanio in her conversation with Mary Pukui. The interesting thing abou this seaweed is that it is only eaten by turtles. It was not eaten by the Hawaiians. Today, “Filipino people go and get this limu to eat.”

“Filipino’s boil the ‘aki‘aki limu until it is cooked. It is mixed with different things like relish and other limu and eaten with shoyu.” It’s something different.

Mary Haanio does not support the eating of ‘aki‘aki limu. The ‘aki‘aki limu is a favorite of the turtle. “The turtle has their own food source as does man. If man eats the turtle’s food, what will the turtle eat? If the turtle eats man’s food, what will man eat?”

Mary Haanio also brought up the subject of how dirty the sea is. “If the sea is dirty, the limu will not grow a lot. The dirt enters the sea and falls to the sea floor. If the seaweed is covered with dirt, it cannot breathe and live. If the limu is not touched by the rays of the sun, the limu will die.” There are a lot of things needed for the limu to grow healthy. We must care for everything in the ocean. If we care for the limu, the turtle will be cared for as well. We must throw our rubbish in the proper place so that we can care for everything at sea. Let us care for our land.

Kekahi ‘Ike Hou A‘e

Inoa Hawai‘i: ‘Aki‘aki, ‘Āwikiwiki, ‘Eleau, Kō‘ele‘ele

Inoa Pelekānia:

Inoa ‘Epekema: Ahnfeltia concinna

Kona ‘ano: Ulu kēia limu he 6-12 ‘īniha kona lō‘ihi ma luna o ka pāhoehoe. ‘Oi aku ka nui o nā lālā o luna o kēia limu a he kula ke ‘ano o ke kala ma muli o ka lā. He palaunu ‘o lalo o ka limu kahi i pa‘a i ka pōhaku a ‘a‘ole i pā nui ‘ia e ka lā. Noho ka ‘alamihi i loko o kēia limu.

‘Ikepili Hoihoi: Ua ho‘ohui ‘ia kēia limu me ka moa, pua‘a, i‘a a pipi e kālua ‘ia nei ma ka imu. I kēia mau lā, ho‘ohui ‘ia me nā ‘i‘o ma ke ‘ano he hō‘ono i ka ‘i‘o a e ho‘omākū i ke kai. ‘Ai pū ‘ia kēia limu me ka ‘opihi.

More Information

Hawaiian Name: ‘Aki‘aki, Awikiwiki, ‘Eleau

English Name:

Scientific Name: Ahnfeltia concinna

Description: This limu grows between six to twelve inches long on pāhoehoe rocks. There are more branches on the top of these limu and the color closely resembles gold because of the sun. The bottom is brown because it is attached to the rock and is hardly touched by the sun. ‘Alamihi crabs live in this limu.

Interesting Fact: This limu was combined with chicken, pork, fish and beef in the imu. Nowadays, it is combined with meats as a seasoning and to thicken the sauce. This limu is also eaten with ‘opihi.