February 2009
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Travelers' Tree
(Ravenala madagascariensis)
One of the most dramatic of the plants grown ornamentally in the tropics is the travelers' tree. It is sometimes misnamed "the travelers palm" because the multiple sturdy trunks of the plant can resemble those of certain palms. The plant's crown is made up of tightly arranged long leaves that form a gigantic fan-shaped cluster at the tip of a woody trunk. Single-trunked specimens are especially spectacular. In Hawaii, the trunks are likely to grow from a few feet high to about 30 feet.
Because the plant accumulates drinkable water at the base of the leaf clusters, it has long been considered a traveler's ally. (You'd probably have to be really thirsty to drink the water since it is a breeding ground for mosquitoes and bugs.) More than a quart of water may be present in the closed cavity at the base of each large leaf stem. According to the late Marie Neal, who was the botanist at the Bishop Museum for more than four decades, this water reserve actually served as extra support for the leaves in strong winds.
The leaves can grow from four to nine feet long on thick, overlapping leaf stems that are even longer. (Obviously, this plant is way too large for most home gardens.) They look like huge banana leaves. In strong winds, the leaves shred like banana leaves.
Large green fan-shaped flower clusters (inflorescences) arise from leaf axils and consist of up to twelve long, stiff, boat-shaped bracts alternating on opposite sides of the stems. They look like enormous heliconia flowers in subdued colors. Each of the bracts is about three feet in length and contains many whitish flowers. The six flower segments are not joined and one segment is shorter than the others. The three-parted seed case contains several blue-fuzz-coated, edible seeds. The blue seed coating contains an antiseptic fat.
Some travelers' trees put out offshoots banana-style, in addition to the flowers and the seeds; some do not.
In its native Madagascar, the trunks of the trees can grow up to two feet in diameter and to nearly 75 feet in height. The wood of the trunk and the sturdy leaf midribs was once used in jungle house construction and the dried leaves provided an adequate thatch. The young leaves and the starchy fruits were eaten in Africa and in Madagascar. In other tropical areas the dry fruit clusters were used in flower arrangements.
The plants grow very slowly. They can withstand extreme drought conditions for a long time, but removing the crown or damaging the growing tips will result in a dead tree stump. They let go of their dead leaves and flower clusters reluctantly.
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Traditional Maui Land Divisions
It's a given: Conquerors divide up land in a way that strengthens the power of the new rulers. It is a means for controlling the resident population.
According to Martha Beckwith's HAWAIIAN MYTHOLOGY, the division of lands on Maui traditionally happened during the time of Chief Kakaalaneo who "lived in the present Lahaina district on the hill Keka'a". A kahuna named Kalai-ha-ohi'a divided up the island into districts, sub-districts and smaller divisions. Each of these was controlled by an agent appointed by the landlord of the next larger division. (Mostly the agents were either relatives or trusted friends of the chief who was in charge of the larger land division.) The whole thing was controlled by the ruling chief, who awarded the responsibility for managing the bigger pieces of land to his relatives or friends.
Most of the districts ran from the mountains to the sea. Included in each of the districts were the valleys, gulches and streams that watered the land and helped to produce the food for the areas. Populations in the areas varied according to how much water was available for the irrigation of cultivated land.
Apparently all of this happened not long after the era of Kumuhonua on Oahu. Traditionally, it was said that the Oahu chief was a contemporary of Wakea, the mythical ancestor of the Hawaiian race, so presumably this all took place at the very beginning of the migration of the ali'i to the Hawaiian Islands.
Kalai-ha-ohi'a divided the island into eleven major districts ('okana) : Lahaina, Ka'anapali, Na Wai Eha (the Four Streams), Hamakua, the Ko'olau, Hana, Kipahulu, Kaupo, Kahikinui, Honua'ula, and Kula.
The Lahaina district was the preferred playground for the Maui high chiefs and their entourages. The climate was lovely; the area was beautiful, and it was well located - within relatively easy reach of the other fertile, well-irrigated areas of the island and not far from Molokai and Lanai as well. Food from the sea and from the extensively cultivated valleys (Ukumehame and Oluwalu) along the southeastward coastline outside Lahaina was abundant.
The Kaanapali district, to the north of Lahaina, swings through the five valleys watered by streams draining the western slopes of the West Maui watershed (Honokawai, Kahana, Honokahua, Honolua and Honokohau), goes around the point to Kahakuloa and beyond towards Waiehu Valley.
"The Four Streams," included the four great valleys which cut far back into the slopes of West Maui. The streams in these valleys drain the eastward watershed of Pu'u Kukui and the ridges that radiate northeastward, eastward and southeastward from it. They were the four largest streams on the windward side of West Maui. Two of the great valleys, Waihe'e and Waiehu open toward the sea and had streams that emptied into it. Waikapu and Wailuku were the other two valleys included in this district.
The Hamakua district included Hamakua-poko (short Hamakua) and Hamakua-loa (long Hamakua) are two coastal regions where the sloping foothills and plains are intersected by small gulches that come to the sea along the northern coastline of East Maui. The streams (and gulches) in the area include Maliko, Kuiaha, Ho'olawa, Waipi'o, Hanehoi, Hoalua, Kailua and Na'ili'ilihaele. A considerable population lived in the area.
The Ko'olau district includes the high, rugged northeast coast of East Maui. Its cliffs, islets, and inlets are eroded by the waves driven by the trade winds. As the trade winds blow up across the forested hillside on the steep flanks of Haleakala, they are cooled and let go the moisture in them. It is one of the wettest coastal regions in all the islands. O'opuola Gulch marked the boundary between Hamakua and the Ko'olau. The district continues southeastward along the coast, including Honomanu, Nu'uailua, Keanae, Wailuanui, past Nahiku and ending at Ulaino and Honoma'ele.
The Hana district, on the very eastern end of Haleakala is one of the wettest, lushest areas in the Hawaiian Islands. It has a long history as a favored place of the ruling chiefs of both Maui and the Big Island. Perhaps this is because the Alanuihaha Channel, between the southeast and south coast of East Maui and 'Upolu Point, the northwest tip of the Big Island, could be crossed quite easily in a couple of hours when a trade wind was blowing. Mary Kawena Puku'i said that Hana was favored as a residence by the chiefs was because it was a resource for important materials for making war. The best wood grew there for making scaffolds and ladders for scaling the walls of fortresses and the best round smooth sling stones were found there.
Included in the Hana district are the wonder of Hamoa and its fishponds, and the Hawaiian homesteads at Maka'alae, Waiohonu, Pu'uiki, Pohue, Pukuilua, Haou, Hulihana, Muolea, and Koali. It goes past the deep little valley of Wailua, which is watered by three converging streams falling from the slopes of Kaumakani. It ends just before Kipahulu at Kahalawe Stream.
The Kipahulu district includes the great valley of the same name as well as its lower fringing forests. The Kukui'ula Stream, the small valley of Lolokea, and the Alele Stream that flows down through Hanawi Valley to the sea are all a part of the district as is Kalepa, and Nuanualoa Valley just before the plains of Kaupo.
The relatively dry Kaupo district includes Waiha and Punalu'u, as well as the Manawai-nui stream that drains the higher slopes east of Kaupo Gap and the ahupua'a at Nu'u which has a sandy beach and a landing where cattle were shipped and fishing canoes were kept. The forest area used to be much lower and the rain was more abundant before the introduction of cattle. The same is true of the Kahikinui district and the Honua'ula district as well. It has been said that at one time you could walk from Kahikinui to Makawao and never leave the shade of the trees.
The Kahikinui district is the vast volcanic wasteland westward beyond the high ridges that hem in Kaupo Valley. It was created by the 1750 eruption of Haleakala. Kahikinui ends just before the Honua'ula district, which includes the Ulupalakua ranch lands as well as a couple of lava flows from the 1750 eruption. Keone'o'io lies on the southernmost tip of coastal land in the Honua'ula district. Makena lies a few miles beyond it.
The Kula district is directly north of Honua'ula. In the old days, the district also included most of the seashore and the vast stony, flat, dry lands of the central plain of Maui, which was created by the joining of the two volcanic domes as well as the land up on the slopes of Haleakala. The word "kula" means "open country" or "plain".
It is a bit strange to think that once upon a time Kahului and Kihei were actually a part of the Kula district.
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CENTRAL MAUI
Now that we have discussed West Maui, let's continue on to central Maui.
Kahului:
The winning
Within Kahului is Maui’s only deep-draft harbor. In 1879 the harbor was first used as a commercial landing
‘Īao:
Cloud supreme
“Kepaniwai o ‘Īao” is the name of the famous battle that occurred within the area
Kepaniwai:
The water dam
This is the name of a battle in which an army was nearly annihilated. The stream was filled with human bodies after the slaughter. There were so many that the river water turned red. This was one of the first battles in which a Hawaiian army used cannons.
Kanahā:
The shattered
There is a legend about a man named Kapoi who lived with his wife just above Kanahā. One day Kapoi’s wife went to search for grasshoppers and found an owl’s nest filled with seven eggs. Kapoi’s wife took the eggs thinking that they were ducks eggs and gave them to him. Kapoi realized that they were owl’s eggs, but when the owl returned to retrieve them, Kapoi refused to give them back. Kapoi smashed the eggs against the stone wall that surrounded the house. Angered at the loss of their eggs, ‘A’apueo, the mother owl, and her mate, Pueokaia, gathered owls from all islands. Together, they destroyed all the men and chiefs in the area including Kapoi and his wife. The place where the unkind destruciton of ‘A’apueo’s eggs was avenged was called Wailuku.
Wai:
Water
There are four famous central Maui streams that begin with the name wai. Combined they are known as Nā Wai ‘Ehā (the four waters). These four streams are recognized throughout the Hawaiian Islands for their beauty.
The four streams are:
Wailuku, Waikapū, Waiehu, & Waihe’e
Wailuku:
Water of destruction
Site where the Kepaniwai battle happened
Waikapū:
Water of the conch
There was a conch shell here that could be heard everywhere in the Hawaiian Islands. The conch was stolen by a supernatural dog named Puapualenalena (yellow tailed feathers).
Waiehu:
Water spray
Waihe’e:
Slipping water
Paukūkalo:
Taro piece
Pu’uohala:
Hill of pandanus
Kahakuloa:
The tall lord
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STANDARD: It's good to see you!
BRADDAH-NICS: Nice you went come.
* * * * * *
STANDARD: It doesn't make sense to give up.
BRADDAH-NICS: No sense only give up!
* * * * * *
STANDARD: You're welcome!
BRADDAH-NICS: No make mention!
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Teri Beef
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lb. Beef Strips for Teriyaki
- 2 cups shoyu
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 ginger root
- 1 garlic bulb
Procedure:
In a large bowl, mix together shoyu, water, and brown sugar. Peel garlic and add into bowl. Peel ginger then cut into 4 pieces then add into bowl. Mix everything in the bowl then add in the beef strips. Put in refrigerator and let stand overnight. The next day take out the beef and fry until cooked (about 3 to 4 minutes).
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Lowson & Associates*
P. O. Box 998 *
Lahaina, HI 96767 Local: (808) 276 9015 e-Mail jo@jodorner.com |
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