Comments

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  Sheila Mitchell October 4, 2011 at 11:59pm

  Anson, I totally understand the want and need to connect to our kupuna spiritually.  It's in our blood and our genes.  One can take the culture away but can never take our inherited instincts and connection to the spiritual realm.  Not sure if you visited the ancestry grave sites at Pu‘uanahulu on the Big Island  but you should.  I know Uncle Sonny was trying to perserve what remains, there are two grave sites.  It was a spiritual rush for me.  Yes our roots are traced back to Kauai.  Maui also plays into it to but it starts in Kauai, then it seems the 2nd or 3rd generation settled in Kohala and branched out.  If you have a chance before it's too late contact Valentine Ako n- he's in Kauai.  He's in his 90s and still makes poi.  He has a huge oral history of  his family, mine and probably yours.  He's connected to me via my Great Grandmother on my grandmother's side.  He and Uncle Sonny are the last of what I know of our history on the old ways and have the knowledge of the past.  I don't know them hardly at all except for a few conversations and visit but it's as if I've been with them a lifetime.   I'm so happy to see that you seek the connection of wholeness from our original seed.  Many young people today or even at my or your mom's generation weren't so involved.  Wish you had knew about our family reunion at Pu‘uanahulu in 2010.  It was awesome for me meeting family members for the first time.  My cousin told me the name Paalua was dropped because some family members were ashamed due to the "lua" part.   There is also suppose to be a rift between Mitchells and Paalua-Haiha over some land or within the Paalua-Haiha family.   Seems like when my grandmother Sarah passed, the division of land got messed up.   I found a lot of information from the Library of  Hawaii microfiche, it's a shame I can't read Hawaiian.  I do have a copy of your Great great grandmother/father's Hoomanawanu's will on Kauai buried somewhere in my records of research.   Leaving a horse, cow, etc to different people.   I can't find a connection to royalty bloodline.  I went to the Bishop Museum to get picture copies of some of our relatives.  I found a picture   (I believe Princess Ruth court) and in it was a tall dashing man with suit and hat, his name was Haiha.  I am tall 6'2" so of course I was connecting (smile).  Do you mind if I give your name to my cousin Barbara Alapai (do you know her?) she lives in Kona (last hawaii family to live on Alii Street) she has done some extensive research.  Her and I have been sharing back and forth.  Please stay in touch, and if you talk to Uncle Sonny please give him my expression of love to him and family.  If I can be of more assistance, please let me know.  My best to you and family.  I came into the family rather late because I was given up at birth to the government.  Never got adopted so I drifted from foster home to foster home, but  I knew from instinct even though being in Honolulu that I ached for the Big Island and Kauai.   Grow in spirit Anson let our ancestors travel through your spiritual realm so they can continue to live on and guide us through you!!  Listen and learn they will communicate via all that is natural.  They have led me all my life.  Except, I never was into tatoos (smile). My one daughter is.  You need to get on to facebook if you're not already so you can see the rest of the family, and pictures or geni.com our family history is recorded there.  I'm glad the spirits bought us knowledge of each other.
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  HALE O KEAWE-A-HEULU aka: NAIHE October 2, 2011 at 4:14am

  Ho cuz...definitely a Pa'alua...SMILE
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  Manupupule September 13, 2011 at 9:25am

  It seems from your profile pic that you know a thing or two about traditional hawaiian Tattoos, where yours done old style tap ?
  
  I ask because  I am working on a logo for a Hawaiian cultural college club and they wanted me to incorporate all the moku's of Hawaii with an overlay of traditional hawaiian tattoo patterns.  
  
  My problem is that due to westernization and excessive immigration what is considered Hawaiian and what is actually Polynesian and what is just made up it hard to discern, obviously the pictographic images of palm trees and pineapples are western, the more twisted warped form patterns are from other Polynesian islands, but still I was hopping someone maybe yourself could point me in the right direction as to what is definitively Hawaiian and even perhaps the meaning behind it.
  
  Symbolism and cultural accuracy is important to me and I don't want to mess this up.
  
  If you don't have time would you recommend someone else who may know.
  
  Mahalo Nui Loa,
  
  Drew Manupupule
  808 212 3275
  226 Kaimuohema pl.
  Honolulu HI 96817
  FineHawaiianArt.com