Where is the Kai Palaoa? As documented in David Malo’s Hawaiian Antiquities, the Hawaiian world was categorized: by a law of natural boundaries and categorizations and constructed by beliefs and interaction. The kai was divided into zones, so to speak, and the kai palaoa, according to Malo, is located: outside of the kai hi aku, or the sea where one trolls for aku, and may include the belt called the kai koholā, where the whales swim. Kai koholā is arguably the coastal waters, which koholā entered, and could be observed by Hawaiians.
This could lead to the understanding that while whales entered the kai koholā, the kai palaoa and its boundaries go beyond the observable sea, land, and sky. Essentially, extending to the vast reaches of the pacific, moana, to Kahikimoe and Kahikiku: outside the limits of the eye and consciousness, beyond the curvature of the horizon and just past the cusp of what Hawaiians could see, observe, and categorize from home. Scroll down to see sections / introductions that may guide you to more detailed sections on my site. Enjoy! |
Above: Photo by Ghost Presenter from Pexels
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Palaoa (Cetaceans) In order to introduce this “zone” of the ocean, as categorized by Hawaiians, one must understand its inhabitants for which it is named after. Palaoa, or cetaceans, are an order of mammal in the animal kingdom, that include whales, dolphins, and porpoises. These are creatures, dynamic and migratory, that range from some of the largest creatures on the planet to some of the most intelligent and communicative. As kinolau, body forms and divine manifestations, of Kanaloa they are often called Kanaloa.
Click the button / link below to go to the Palaoa page! |
Above: Photo by Ghost Presenter from Pexels https://www.pexels.com/photo/animal-aquatic-diving-mammal-464323/ |
Migrations “O ke kaina Palaoa e kai nei,
O kuwili, o haahaa i ka moana” The expedition is in procession, Churning and diving in the sea. Most koholā / palaoa migrate, and migratory patterns are specific to species. Migrations can also vary from one population to the next. While some migrations are undertaken by pregnant females to give birth in warmer ocean temperatures, others will migrate in seasonal cycles. Click the button below to see more about these "processions" in the sea! |
Kiaʻi Kanaloa
How do we, now, advocate for better cultural implementation and understanding so that we may care for and aid in the protection of koholā / palaoa that reflect the love and reverence we have for Kanaloa? Click the button / link below to find out more.
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