ʻOnipaʻa: Nā Māhū Hahau Hohoa o Hāʻena

Join us (virtually) on April 21, 9:30 AM – 10:50 AM, for our last ʻOnipaʻa speaker of the Spring 2025 semester! To close out ʻOnipaʻa 2025, we are happy to be hosting J. Hauʻoli Lorenzo-Elarco, Assistant Professor of Hawaiian language at Honolulu Community College, who will be sharing his presentation, Nā Māhū Hahau Hohoa o Hāʻena.

Wielding hohoa (a kapa-making implement) as weapons of warfare, the mystic māhū of Hāʻena, Kauaʻi, nearly seize control of the island from its ruling chief, Manouli. Kamaakamahiʻai is called in a dream to defend his grandfather’s kingdom. Armed with supernatural abilities and a sacred war club, he faces his toughest tussle yet. In this presentation, we will review “Ka Moolelo o Kamaakamahiai,” documented by J. W. K. Kaualiinoe and printed in the Hawaiian language newspapers Ka Nupepa Kuokoa in 1870-1871. We will discuss the epic battle scene to showcase the fierce and fabulous qualities of māhū warriorship and villainy in Hawaiian moʻolelo. This story is one of just a handful of known moʻolelo about māhū. Through this presentation, we will remember, retell, and revitalize moʻolelo māhū as stories of strength, beauty, power, and resilience.

This is a free virtual event and registration is required. Register here: go.hawaii.edu/8c3.

About The Speaker

Hauʻoli Lorenzo-Elarco was raised by the cold Kīpuʻupuʻu rain in the mountainous lands of Waimea, Hawaiʻi. He is an Assistant Professor of Hawaiian language at Honolulu Community College. Hauʻoli is also a PhD candidate in the Hawaiian and Indigenous Language and Culture Revitalization program at Ka Haka ʻUla o Keʻelikōlani, UH Hilo.

About The ʻOnipaʻa Speaker Series:

The ʻOnipaʻa Speaker Series, which started in 2016, features Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners, scholars, researchers, and community members. It is inspired by the idea of ʻonipaʻa, its meaning and its history within various political contexts.