[re] Establishing pilina: Understanding the past to guide future relationships between ʻalae and communities
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2021-05
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Communities in Hawaiʻi are rising up to restore and care for estuaries, loʻi (flooded-field agriculture), streams, loko iʻa (fishponds), and wetlands. These spaces, especially within urban limits, will increase available habitat for endangered waterbirds such as the ʻalae ʻula (Gallinula galeata sandvicensis; Hawaiian Gallinule) and ʻalae keʻokeʻo (Hawaiian Coot: Fulica alai), and thus increase the potential for human-wildlife interactions. Following colonization of the Hawaiian Islands by Polynesians, Native Hawaiians fostered a reciprocal relationship with the land that created an environment able to sustain a human population of nearly 1 million people, following the guiding principle of Aloha ʻĀina ( love of land). The knowledge gained from this relationship was woven into mele (chants), kaʻao (legends), and moʻolelo (stories). Understanding this historical relationship can offer insights into how community level relationships are fostered and how this can inspire the present. This study used grounded theory to explore themes that arose from archival research of Hawaiian language newspapers. I found that ʻalae were mostly mentioned in articles categorized as kaʻao/ moʻolelo (legends/stories) and opinion pieces. Within these categories, the historic pilina that emerged were the cultural and biological. Restoration of Hawaiʻi’s wetlands to a state of abundance is dependent on public support and community involvement. The voice of the ʻalae was used to bring attention to mythology, omens, and proverbs that were used to guide community relationships with ʻāina and each other. The ʻalae were also used as metaphors for social-political turmoil. Together, these archival resources suggest that ʻalae were abundant in human-modified areas, and that Native Hawaiians’ fostered pilina with the ʻalae.
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Archival Research, Indigenous Knowledge, Human-modified landscapes, Human-Animal Relationships, Biocultural Indicator.
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30 pages
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