Final Report: Malo‘o ka lani, wela ka honua (When the sky is dry, the earth is parched): Investigating the cultural dimensions of Indigenous local knowledge responses to changing climate conditions
Dates
Acquisition
2023-04-30
Citation
Katie Kamelamela, Final Report: Malo‘o ka lani, wela ka honua (When the sky is dry, the earth is parched): Investigating the cultural dimensions of Indigenous local knowledge responses to changing climate conditions: U.S. Geological Survey.
Summary
Indigenous communities make up less than 5% of the world’s population while stewarding 85% of biodiversity on the planet. In Hawaii, Native Hawaiian language resources, including proverbs, stories, and chants, provide glimpses to how people adapted with environmental rhythms, seasons, and offerings. Drought, the absence of water for agricultural, economic, and social use for a period, is important as a main water resource in Hawai‘i are clouds captured and purified by high island mountains in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. This research provides insight on Native Hawaiian relationships to drought historically as well as current practices within community-based management. Of importance are historical records of drought spanning short [...]
Summary
Indigenous communities make up less than 5% of the world’s population while stewarding 85% of biodiversity on the planet. In Hawaii, Native Hawaiian language resources, including proverbs, stories, and chants, provide glimpses to how people adapted with environmental rhythms, seasons, and offerings. Drought, the absence of water for agricultural, economic, and social use for a period, is important as a main water resource in Hawai‘i are clouds captured and purified by high island mountains in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. This research provides insight on Native Hawaiian relationships to drought historically as well as current practices within community-based management. Of importance are historical records of drought spanning short term in one section of an island to three generations across multiple islands. Also, revealed is the use of molo to describe the condition of land that is in a state of drought. Prior to modern water access, as we know it, drought impacted all parts of Hawaii, not only dry or malo‘o areas. While drought and famine may be widespread the impact severity on resources varies across the islands. Native Hawaiians sought breaks from drought through visiting family in various parts of the same or different islands, who shared food and water reserves. People also prepared for drought by drying and fermenting foods, observing weather indicators, moving to new lands, conducting cultural practices such as prayers, and acting in a kind manner. Organizations continue to adopt Hawaiian language proverbs to guide work ethic and community visions, speaking to their timelessness. Relationships across landscapes continue to play a key role in alleviating stress from environmental events such as drought, wildfire, and famine through sharing information on arid planting approaches, managing invasive species, and sharing food resources.
