Finding ʻIeʻie: Re-learning Ancestral Knowledge Through Moʻolelo

Abstract

In the year 1894, Mose Manu published the Moolelo Kaao Hawaii Laukaieie concurrently in two Hawaiian language newspapers, Ka Leo O Ka Lahui and Nupepa Ka Oiaio. This moʻolelo tells the story of the demigoddess Laukaʻieʻie, whose kino lau is the ʻIeʻie, a native Hawaiian liana found in the mountain forests of the Hawaiian Islands. Knowledge and information regarding ʻIeʻie today is scarce and scattered. Through this work I attempt to re-learn ancestral knowledge regarding ʻIeʻie found in this particular moʻolelo. By collecting information about ʻIeʻie and using it to analyze the Moolelo Kaao Hawaii Laukaieie, I demonstrate the value of utilizing moʻolelo as a source of Hawaiian ancestral knowledge.