Hawaiian Epistemology

In these next set of posts I discuss Hawaiian epistemology, the Kumulipo, and mo‘okū‘auhau (genealogy). Through the oral tradition of ‘ōlelo (language, poems, songs) and mo’olelo (stories, myths, folklore), Hawaiians were able to pass information from generation to generation for centuries, about who their ancestors were and where their ‘ohana came from. It is said that the ali’i (chiefs) were able to trace their roots back to the gods. Through mo‘okū‘auhau, we can discover our own roots and the contributions our kupuna (ancestors) made as members of their respective communities. I also address the essential concept of reconnecting to the three piko (navel): piko ma’i, (genitals), piko ‘ōpū (belly, stomach, abdomen) and piko po’o (head).

epistemology n. – The branch of philosophy concerned with the nature and origin of knowledge. Epistemology asks the question “How do we know what we know?”
Hawaiian epistemology is based upon the Kumulipo, the story of creation that speaks about the creation of the islands and the inhabitants, the birth of the gods, how humans came to be, and the relationship of man to the ‘āina.