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Exploring cultural connection to native birds through chants on Hawaiʻi Island

Manu-o-Kū with chick.
Ann Tanimoto-Johnson
Manu-o-Kū with chick.

To bring you a segment about an effort to bring back the stories, the mo’olelo, about Hawaiʻi’s native birds, we talked to the voice of HPR's Manu Minute — University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo biology chair Patrick Hart, also head of the LOHE Bioacoustics Lab.

"Birds were the only land vertebrate and had been in Hawaiʻi for over 6 million years by the time Hawaiians arrived, and so really are the native ancestors of all of us here," Hart said.

"Over the next 1,000 years after the Hawaiians arrived, the birds inspired many forms of art. They were used in the making of sacred objects, such as ʻahu ʻula, or cloak, mahiole, helmets, kāhili, feather staffs."

Hart has been working with a group on Hawaiʻi Island called ʻĀhuimanu, meaning cluster of birds.

Led by Kekuhi Kanahele Keali‘ikanaka‘oleohaililani of Lonoa Honua, they gather to write oli, or chants, about native birds.

In ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, ΄ākepa means nimble and quick. These birds use their small size to their advantage as they forage high up in the canopy of ΄ōhia trees. In addition to nectar, ΄ākepa eat insects and spiders, often prying open leaf buds with their unique crossed mandibles.
Ann Tanimoto-Johnson
/
HPR
In ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, ΄ākepa means nimble and quick. These birds use their small size to their advantage as they forage high up in the canopy of ΄ōhia trees. In addition to nectar, ΄ākepa eat insects and spiders, often prying open leaf buds with their unique crossed mandibles.

ʻĀhuimanu's goal is to keep the spirit of the manu at the forefront and restore a deep cultural connection to birds, even as many are threatened or endangered.

"I see it as a form of ancient poetry that helps connect us with the space that we're in and helps focus our intentions in a productive way. And it's basically the way that humans have been interacting with the environment and plants and animals here forever," Hart said.

Hart said the group is on a break but they're going to start back up in May.

"It's a really good way to learn Hawaiian words when you try and learn oli and practice it out loud, you know, it's also a good way to get better at imitating birds," Hart told The Conversation. "We'll have like this roomful of adults trying to imitate all these different birds, it's actually pretty hilarious."

This interview aired on The Conversation on April 21, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.

Manu Minute brings you rich sounds from Hawai'i's native forests and shorelines. Each week, we feature a different Hawaiʻi bird and its unique song, and talk about its environment and conservation. Manu Minute is a collaboration between HPR and the LOHE Bioacoustics Lab at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo.

Catherine Cruz is the host of The Conversation. Originally from Guam, she spent more than 30 years at KITV, covering beats from government to education. Contact her at ccruz@hawaiipublicradio.org.
Sophia McCullough is a digital news producer. Contact her at news@hawaiipublicradio.org.
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