In the first segment of Manu Minute's new special series, Patrick Hart and Lisa Mason introduce listeners to the nēnē, Hawaiʻi's endemic goose.
Hānau ka Nēnē… kani! (Neeeee, Neeeee)
Kiaʻi ʻia e ka limu kala noho i kai
Ola a mau loa i ke kūkaenēnē noho i uka
ʻO ka Nēnē ʻāuna lele a paʻa... paʻahia!
The nēnē is born... it resounds!
Accompanied by the limu kala which dwells at sea
Healthy and ever enduring through the kūkaenēnē which dwells inland
The nēnē flies in droves everlasting... they are secured!
Nēnē are one of the rarest species of geese in the world. Though great strides have been made in their conservation, fewer than 4,000 individuals live across the Hawaiian islands.
Nēnē are described in the Kumulipo as guardian spirits that traverse both the realms of the coast and the mountains.
From the coast, today's oli references limu kala, a native seaweed species that grows along shallow reefs and plays a significant role in Native Hawaiian cleansing and forgiveness ceremonies.
It also names the upland vine kūkaenēnē, which has shiny dark purple berries that are a favorite food of the nēnē.
Today's oli was led Kekuhi Keali‘ikanaka‘oleohaililani and field recordings of nēnē calls were provided by the LOHE Bioacoustics Lab.
