Molokai'i Nui A Hina (Great Moloka'i Child of Hina)

12' x 40' - triptych - oil on canvas

Kaunakakai School Library

commissioned by the

State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and the State Department of Education

for commission quotes:   please contact

Molokai'i Nui A Hina
By Kumu Hula John Ka'imikaua

The island of Moloka'i was conceived through the union of earth and sky. In the beginning, at the time of creation, Wakea the sky father, and Hina the earth mother, joined as man and wife. Hina conceived and soon the earth mother gave birth to an island she named Moloka'i. In that moment of time, an ancient saying emerged that would forever preserve for generations to come, the origin and special relationship of Moloka'i and the earth mother Hina. Moloka`i Nui a Hina meaning Great Moloka'i, child of Hina, was and remains today, a famous saying that continues to be woven in songs and oral tributes to the island of Moloka'i.

Located in the center of the main Hawaiian Archipelago, the island of Moloka'i had a long and powerful Kahuna tradition. Many kinds of schools were established by Kahuna on Moloka'i, and the island developed into an important training center for Kahuna throughout all of Hawai'i.

Under its long Kahuna tradition, the earthly inhabitants of Moloka'i remained as a unified and independent society that was not ruled by the Ali'i system. 'Aha councils made of Kahuna and practitioners, were established on Moloka'i centuries before the arrival of the first Ali'i. Members who sat on the 'aha councils used their individual expertise to work collectively toward the preservation and careful utilization of land and ocean resources for the benefit of its island's inhabitants. Under the 'Aha councils, the early inhabitants of Moloka'i flourished.

Oral traditions of early Moloka'i mention Ka'ana as the birthplace of hula. Taught and performed by members of the La'ila'i family on Maunaloa, Laka took her family’s sacred dance form outside of her clan, and spread the art of hula throughout all the islands of Hawai'i. In Laka's old age, she returned to Moloka'i and upon her passing, her remains were secretly buried under the hill Pu'u Nana.

Moloka'i excelled and became highly developed in Aqua culture. 58 main fish-ponds were constructed for the purpose of feeding the growing population. The smallest of these ponds measured an area of 10 acres, and the largest of the ponds measured an area of 500 acres. The rich resources of fish from the man-made ponds exceeded the needs of its vast population, and Moloka'i became an extremely wealthy island by ancient standards.

Moloka'i, today, is an island unique and special. Even under the constant threat of modern development and change, much of Moloka'i has remained untouched and unspoiled. The painting Moloka'i Nui a Hina, is a contemporary image of the timelessness of Moloka'i's rich past. It is a visual reminder for us and for the generations unborn, that the successful path and direction for the future of Moloka'i lies in understanding her past.

Moloka'i Nui a Hina - Great Moloka'i Child of Hina.

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