What is MAKAHIKI?
It begins with the rising of Makaliʻi at sunset...
When this constellation rises at sunset, the season begins. This is a photo of the first night of Makahiki for this season, taken from Kalaupapa. The bright light is a boat at a bearing of due East. If you look closely, Makaliʻi is the cluster of stars above and to the left of the light. Makaliʻi is also known as the Pleiades, or Subaru, or the Seven Sisters, or Matariki.
Time for mending and assessing...
During Makahiki, fishermen and farmers would repair their tools and canoes, bring in harvests, prepare for the next fishing and farming season, conduct other activities that included repairing relationships with people, gods, lands, and ocean. It was a time to reset and bring things in to balance. During the reign of the aliʻi, some taxes were collected, where the people chose their very best examples of their labors, and expressed their appreciation to everyone and everything that contributed to the bounty. That included Lono.
Hoʻokupu - sparking a new initiative...
Hoʻokupu are offered to help manifest the prayers offered up for prosperity, health, abundance and peace. It represents the finest the people and lands have to offer.
Let the games begin!
Another way to celebrate is by exhibiting our physical and mental strength, stamina and skill. Competitions are designed to determine the best of the best champions from each district and overall champions for the island. Celebrating our performance on the field is a testament of being well fed, having good food to eat, clean water to drink and fresh air to breathe. We are thankful we live Molokai and we show our mahalo this way.