Ōpū ʻAhuʻawa Hānau

Kii: Board of Water Supply

Ōpū ʻahuʻawa hānau, born in a clump of ʻahuʻawa [of a humble birthplace].

Ahu'awa he mauu no ke kanana i ka awa.

Ahuawa is a sedge or grass found growing in swamps or marsh areas near the sea. It is also found along kahawai, ponds and loi, usually growing in stagnant water. The long green stems are used to make cordage and the famous strainer for awa.

Kii: Jupiter Nielson

 The long green stems of the pua are collected and the flower top cut off. The stems are stripped of outer green skin and the stem is softened by gentle pounding of the fibers. The process is usually done near the stream as water is used to soften and clean the fibers. The stems should be cut long about hookahi iwilei. The finished ahuawa should be clean, white fibers combed straight. Both ends of the finished fibers should be cut straight and clean. The thickness of the ahui should be the kuau in size. One end is bound tightly with aho ahuawa and the other end is puhemo.

Ke paa keia he hoka no hoi!

Hoka / Mau'u iwi.

Kii: Ku'ialuaopuna

Pu'uka'a, Puko'a, Pu'uko'a

Kii: Maui Native Nursery

Hihia aloha ke oho o ka puʻukoʻa (chant), "the leaves of puʻukoʻa entwined affectionately".

Puukaa is another mauu that is only now found in Oahu and Kauai. Once common from Molokai, Lanai and Niihau it is now found on two islands. Endemic to our islands, pu'uko'a is a coarse native sedge, growing in marshes. It has long narrow leaves, and many tiny flowers are borne at the top of a stem. 6 to 1 m high, in a large ray-shaped head. Formerly, when ʻahuʻawa was not available, the fibers of this sedge were used as hoka. Also mauʻu puʻukaʻa, pūkoʻa, puʻukoʻa.

Photo: Joel Lau