Class system and Land Management in Ancient Hawai'i

In the ancient Hawaiian social system, there were several major classes of people: the ali’i who were the ruling class, chiefs and warriors, the kahuna, which included priests, sorcerers, healers, and navigators, the maka‘āinana or working people, and the kauwā, also known as outcasts or slaves (Handy & Puku’i, 1972; Kuykendall & Day, 1961; Dunford, 1980).

In terms of land management, an ali’i ‘ai moku was the head of the moku, a major part of an island, if not the leader of a whole island. It was believed that the gods had given him divine birth right and the power to rule. Not unlike today, the people preferred a ruler that was a great warrior and leader, one who prayed to his gods, and was kind, fair and just (Dunford, 1980). A konohiki was sort of a lesser chief, a supervisor who had the important job of taking care of the land for higher chiefs. He was in charge of managing labor resources that involved planting, growing and harvesting, as well as making sure taxes were paid and the fishing kapu (rules) were kept (Dunford, 1980; Handy & Puku’i 1972).

Most of the population were maka‘āinana, people who lived on and attended to the land; they worked as farmers, fishermen, and people who were skilled in the crafts (Dunford, 1980, p. 31). Through my language class, when I break apart the word maka‘āinana, I found it interesting that it translates literally as maka (eyes) and āina (land)…or maka (eyes) ‘āi (that eat) nana (a variety of taro).

The Hawaiians believed that all the land belonged to the gods, and the highest chiefs were direct descendants of the gods, and therefore had the right to rule (Aiwohi, 2010). After a death of a high chief(ess) or after a war, the ruling chiefs often changed with a new high chief, but the maka‘āinana remained and worked on the land. If they did not like their new chief, they were free to move. If they did not like where they lived, they could move. The maka‘āinana and the ‘ali’i had a reciprocal relationship: the maka‘āinana worked for the ‘ali’i and the ‘ali’i were responsible for taking care of and protecting their people (Dunford, 1980, p. 41).

The āina in ancient Hawaii was divided into sections. The island or large land divisions known as moku were divided into sections called ahupua’a, like slices of a pie that ran from makua – inland, the mountains, to makai – the sea. An ‘ohana (family) lived on a further sub-divisions called ‘ili; there were many ‘ili in every ahupua’a. In this manner the ahupua’a gave the people everything they needed: fishing near the shoreline, land for growing taro, sweet potatoes and bananas, and wood, flowers, fern and feathers from the birds could be gathered in the mountains.

Anyone could use whatever was in their ahupua’a, and waste was never an issue because the ancient Hawaiians understood the concept of malama 'aina - taking care of scarce and precious resources. If the people needed something that they could not get in their own area, people in another ahupua’a would share what they had.

The only thing that the people could not take freely was the wai (fresh water). There were many kapu (rules) around water, and for good reason (p.42). Water was important for drinking, bathing, and most importantly, the taro patches.

As was aforementioned in the story of Hāloa, kalo is central and deeply rooted to concept of mālama ‘āina in the ancient Hawaiian culture and was not just the staple of the Hawaiian diet; its significance in abundance meant healthy families – physically, mentally and spiritually – as well as strong island communities. (ILA - A, essay #1 pg 16 - 18).