Synopsis: The axis deer of Molokai are dying as a result of famine stemming from drought conditions. The original seven deer that were gifted to Kamehameha V in the 19th century have proliferated into an ecological problem.

Aloha mai nö käkou e nä hoa heluhelu. Ua lohea nö paha ka mo‘olelo e pili ana i ka pilikia o ko Moloka‘i i ia mea he kia. Ua pilikia ke kia i ka lawa ‘ole o ka ‘ai a ua pilikia nö ho‘i ko Moloka‘i i ke ahu ‘ana mai o ua mau kia nei. I ke kenekulia ‘umi kümäiwa, ua makana ‘ia he ‘ehiku kia i ka Mö‘ï Kamehameha V, e like me ka hö‘ike a kekahi kolamu nüpepa ‘ölelo Hawai‘i i puka mai i ka makahiki 1868, a i hö‘ike hou ‘ia ma lalo iho nei:

“Ua haawi manawalea mai nei ke Kanikela Hawaii ma Iapana i ko kakou Moi Kamehameha V., he ehiku mau dia, a ua hiki mai i Honolulu nei ma ka pule elua o Dekemaba i hala iho nei. Elua o keia mau dia, he mau dia kane, a o ka nui he mau dia wahine. E hoihoiia ana lakou ma ke kula hanai holoholona o ka Moi ma Molokai. He holoholona lealea loa keia na na keiki o Amerika ma ka hoohehee hau ana ma ko lakou mau wahi paani, ke hiki mai ka wa hau o ia aupuni.” (Ke Alaula, 1/11/1868)

I ia manawa, ua ho‘iho‘i ‘ia ua mau kia lä i Moloka‘i e noho ai ma ka ‘äina o ke ali‘i. ‘A‘ole maopopo inä e hänai ‘ia ana ma ke ‘ano i mea ‘ai a i ‘ole i mea hoihoi e nänä ai. Eia na‘e, mai ia manawa mai, a no ka nui o ka ‘eu o ua mau kia käne lä ‘elua, a ua mau wähine ho‘i he ‘elima, ua mähuahua wale mai nö ka nui o nä kia, a i këia wä, ke holo lanakila wale akula nö mai ‘ö a ‘ö o ua mokupuni nei. Eia hou, ma ia hope mai, ua lawe ‘ia kekahi mau kia i Läna‘i, a i Maui, a i këia wä a käkou e ‘ike nei, ua lilo mai i pilikia no ka po‘e o ia mau mokupuni.

I ka makahiki aku nei, ua hö‘ea mai kahi nö‘ä i Moloka‘i. Hele a malo‘o ka ‘äina a wï mai ho‘i nä mea ola a pau. ‘O ke kia ho‘i, ua ‘ai nö i ka mau‘u a me nä lau i loa‘a, eia na‘e, no ka lawa ‘ole, ua ho‘omaka läkou e puka mai, mai loko mai o ko läkou wahi mau o ka ‘imi ‘ana i mea ‘ai. Ua hele mai ho‘i ma nä wahi noho o ke kanaka a ‘ai i nä mea kanu a nä mahi‘ai a me nä mea ulu o ka mäla ‘ai.

He mau pilikia hou a‘e ho‘i. No ka ‘ai ‘ia o nä mea ulu a pau, panoa ka ‘äina, a i ka wä e ua ai, kahe ka wai i loko o nä kahawai a kahe pü me ka lepo. Nui ka pilikia i ia ‘a‘aiawä ‘ana no ka mea, e komo nö ka lepo i loko o ke kai a lilo i i mea e make ai ka limu a me ke ko‘a, kahi ho‘i e noho ai ka i‘a. ‘Eä, i këia wä o ka ma‘i Kolona, ua ‘ano palekana ‘o Moloka‘i i kona ‘ano kua‘äina a ka‘awale ho‘i mai ka lehulehu aku o nä mokupuni ‘ë a‘e. ‘O ka i‘a a me ke kia kekahi mau waiwai nui e lako ai ka po‘e i ia mea he kumu‘i‘o (protein). A no ka ‘ai a ke kia, ua panoa ka ‘äina, a no ka panoa o ka ‘äina, kahe ka lepo i ke kai a uhi i ke ko‘a, a no ka uhi ‘ia o ke ko‘a, hapa mai ka nui o ka i‘a.

‘O ke kia ho‘i, no kona ‘ai ‘ana i nä mea ulu a pau, pau mai käna mau ‘ai, hele nö a wïwï, a i kekahi wä, he hä‘ule honia mai, make. ‘O ia nö ka hopena o ka wï. I ko‘u mana‘o, he mea nui ka mälama ‘ana i ka nui o nä kia. Ua hiki paha ke hopu ‘ia, pepehi a lole, a kü‘ai aku i ka po‘e e ‘ono nei i ia ‘ano ‘i‘o. Pëlä e emi ai ke kia a me ka pilikia.

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E ho‘ouna ‘ia mai na ä leka

iä mäua, ‘o ia ho‘i ‘o Laiana

Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma

ka pahu leka uila ma lalo

nei:

>> kwong@hawaii.edu

>> rsolis@hawaii.edu

a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:

>> 956-2627 (Laiana)

>> 956-2627 (Kekeha)

This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai‘i at Mänoa.