Ka Poe A ka Lua

Kii: 1910 View Of Kaimu, Hawaii HI RPPC Photo Vintage Postcard

Hai ia mai keia moolelo ma lalo iho nei iau, e Pookapu i ka olelo makuahine ona, i ka makahiti 2013, ma ka lanai o ka hale ona.

Hanau ia o Pookapu i ka makahiti o umikumaiwa kanakolu kumamaeiwa ma , Puna, Hawaii. Ma laila o ia i noho ai i kona ola a pau. He nui kana mau moolelo no ka oihana Lua ana i makemake ai e hai mai iau. O keia moolelo mai kona makuahine, no kahi kokoke mai. Ua olelo o Pookapu aole o ia i hai maoli i keia mau moolelo oihana Lua, oiai aohe mea nana i hapai i keia kumuhana ma mua, oiai ua pau ka poe i ike i keia ano kanaka.

He nui na moolelo a na poe kahiko o Puna e pili ana i ka poe Lua a lakou e hoomanao nei i ka lohe ana mai na kupuna mai. I kekahi po, ua hai mai o Pookapu iau, ka moolelo o kona makuahine.

I ka wa kahiko, aole nui na kumu niu i kanu ia ma kahakai a ma na pa hale, no ka mea, ua laha loa ke aa o ka laau ma lalo o ka honua. Ua malama ia ka aina kokoke i ka home no ke kalo a me na mea ai e ae. Ua kanu ia na kumu niu i uka ma kekahi mau wahi. Ua kaulana ka poe Lua ma na wahi e like me Kikala, Makena, Kaimu, Kalaemano, Hakuma, Kupahuʻa, a me Kalapana.

I ka wa kahiko, holo aku holo mai ka poe Lua o Kaimu a me Makena ma ke one a me na pohaku ma kahakai o Kaimu. Holo aku lakou mai ka puu one ma uka aku a i kai, e hooikaika i ko lakou nui kino. Hana mau ia keia oihana i ke aumoe a ka po.

Aole maikai ka nana ana ka oiwi i ka poe lua ma ka po, no ka mea, makau no na makaainana i keia mau poe o ka Lua. Wahi a Pookapu, ua aahu kekahi mau elemakule i ka aahu mea ma ko lakou ai i ko lakou auwana ana. Aole maopopo kona makuahine i ke kumu o keia lole mea i aahu ia e ka poe kahiko i kona wa opiopio. Hai aku au ia Pookapu, ua i mai ko'u tutu iau, he mea maamau ka poe Hawaii akamai i ka Lua ke aahu i keia, no ka mea, he hoailona ia i waena o lakou e hoike aku ai he poe hana Lua lakou. Ua hai aku au iaia, akamai ka makuakane o ko'u kupunakane i ia oihana Lua. Ua hai pu o ia i ka inoa o Kaimu ma muli o ka hamau ana o ka poe kamaaina i ka hoomaamaa ana o ka poe lua ma kahakai i ka po.

Pookapu was born in 1939 in Kaimu. He lived most of his life there. He had many stories of Lua that he wanted to share . These stories came from his mother, who was also from the nearby area. Pookapu said he never really mentioned these stories before, as there was no one who brought up this subject, as he thought that those who knew about this kind of people were all gone.

The old natives of Puna have many stories about the Lua people that they remember hearing from their kūpuna. One night, Poʻokapu shared his thoughts with me as he recalled his mother’s stories.

In ancient times, the Lua people of Kaimū and Makena practiced on the sand and stones on the beach of Kaimū. They would run from the sand dunes inland into the waves at Kaimū beach, to strengthen their whole being. This practice was usually done late darkness of night. It was not good to look at these people at night, because the natives were afraid of these people. According to Pookapu, some of these men wore a reddish cloth around their neck when they journeyed. His mother did not understand the reason for this red cloth worn by the old people when she was young. I told him that my tutu told me that it is common for Hawaiians skilled in Lua to wear this, because it is a symbol among them to show that they are Lua people. I also mentioned to him, my grandfather's father was skilled in this profession of Lua. Pookapu also mentioned the name of Kaimu was due to the native people being silent as the lua people trained on the beach at night.