Hā‘ena: Through the Eyes of the Ancestors
Ha'ena by Carlos Andrade
by Carlos Andrade
The complex history of the rich and fertile ahupua‘a of Hā‘ena in north Kaua‘i is revealed in a distinctive work written by Hawaiian studies professor Carlos Andrade. In an effort to provide a unique perspective on the land and preserve its legacy, Hā‘ena: Through the Eyes of the Ancestors blends folklore, geography, history, and ethnography as it looks at earliest times to the present, primarily related from a Native perspective.
In Hā‘ena, Andrade begins by examining the stories that identify the origins and places of the earliest inhabitants of the area. The history is told of the unique relationships developed by Hawaiians with the environment; the changes introduced by European, American, and Asian immigrants; and the impact of land privatization as Hawai‘i struggled to preserve its independence. The Mahele and the Kuleana Act, legislation that laid the foundation for all landholding in Hawai‘i, had a profound influence on Hā‘ena. Part of this story is that of the thirty-nine Hawaiians who pooled their resources, bought the entire ahupua‘a of Hā‘ena, and held it in common from the late 1800s to 1967—a little-known chapter in the fight to perpetuate traditional lifeways. Lastly, Andrade collects the stories of kūpuna, capturing a way of life that is quickly disappearing beneath the rising tide of non-Native people who now inhabit the land.
Hā‘ena received Honorable Mentions for Excellence in Hawaiian Culture and Nonfiction in the 2009 Ka Palapala Po‘okela Awards, presented by Hawai‘i Book Publishers Association.
A Latitude 20 Book, 184 pages, 50 illus.
Available at bookstores and libraries or order from UH Press. You can also read the preface and table of contents on the UH Press website by clicking here.
Tags: ahupuaa, Carlos Andrade, Ka Palapala, Kauai, Kuleana, kupuna, Mahele, UH Press
