News

Signs of When to Throw the Net: Reading the Ocean’s Invitation
Signs of When to Throw the Net: Reading the Ocean’s Invitation In Hawaiian fishing, throwing the net (ʻupena hoʻolei) is not about chance — it is about knowing when the ocean says yes. The true lawaiʻa (fisher) never forces the cast. Instead, they read the ocean’s subtle signs — movements, sounds, colors, and even silence — to sense the moment when the sea opens its hand. These signs, called nā hōʻailona o ke kai, are nature’s quiet language guiding every throw. The Language of Movement Fish announce their presence long... Read more...
Legends of ʻUpena: The Sacred Net that Connected People and Sea
Legends of ʻUpena: The Sacred Net that Connected People and Sea The Hawaiian ʻupena (net) was never just a tool. It was an extension of the fisher’s spirit — woven with skill, patience, and prayer. Across generations, the ʻupena appears in chants, legends, and genealogies as a living symbol of unity, interconnection, and respect between humankind and the ocean. The First ʻUpena: Gift of the Sea One moʻolelo (legend) tells of the first net given to humans by the sea goddess Hina. Long ago, the people of Maui struggled to... Read more...
Hawaiian Seasons: Kau, Hoʻōilo & the Makahiki Cycle
Summary: In traditional Hawaiian time-keeping the year is framed by two main seasons—Kau (dry/hot) and Hoʻōilo (wet/cool)—with the celebrated multi-month festival of Makahiki marking transition and renewal. These cycles guided agriculture, fishing, and ceremony based on celestial and ecological cues. Seasonal Division: Kau & Hoʻōilo Ancient Hawaiians recognized two primary seasons: Kau, the hot, dry months of late spring through summer; and Hoʻōilo, the cooler, wetter period from late fall through winter. Kau began when the star cluster Makaliʻi (Pleiades) set in the dawn sky, marking drier soils and the... Read more...
Upena Dictionary: First Installment
this is the first installment to recreate the Upena Dictionary using reformated content exclusively from: https://trussel2.com/HAW/haw-nets.htm I. General Net Terms ʻupena – Fishing net, web, trap. ʻupena hoʻolei / ʻupena kiloi / ʻupena kiola – Throwing or cast nets. ʻupena kolo – Immense bag net 16–24 fathoms deep (towing net). ʻupena kuʻu – Gill or set net, let down from canoe. ʻupena papa – Bag net of three sections: puhi nui (largest mesh) → puhi iki → pūpū/mole. ʻupena pili – Two nets joined at opening of a pākuʻikuʻi. ʻupena... Read more...
Kaulana Mahina: The Hawaiian Moon Calendar
Summary: For generations, Hawaiians followed Kaulana Mahina—the moon calendar—to guide fishing, planting, and ceremony. The moon’s rhythm determined when to act, rest, and harvest, aligning all work with natural tides and light. What It Is The Hawaiian lunar month (malama) follows a 29.5-day cycle. Each month divides into three ten-night periods called anahulu: Hoʻonui – waxing nights, when the moon grows. Poepoe – full and nearly full nights, when light peaks. Hoʻēmi – waning nights, when light fades. This cycle guided daily labor so humans worked with—not against—environmental flow. Named... Read more...
Terms for Hawaiian net makers
Terms for Hawaiian Net Makers: The Language of Craft and Respect In Hawaiʻi, the art of net making — haku ʻupena — carried a vocabulary as intricate as the nets themselves. Each term marked skill, role, or relationship between people, material, and sea. The names reveal how Hawaiians understood labor: not as hierarchy but as harmony — where technical mastery, spiritual alignment, and social duty were bound by word and practice. 1. Haku ʻUpena — The Net Weaver The most common title, haku ʻupena combines haku (to braid, compose, or... Read more...
How to Nurture Your Fishing Spot: Feeding, Stewardship, and Rhythm
How to Nurture Your Fishing Spot: Feeding, Stewardship, and Rhythm A good lawaiʻa (fisher) doesn’t just find a fishing spot — they raise it. To nurture a place is to make it kai momona — “fat water,” rich and living. Old Hawaiian fishers treated each fishing ground like a garden: cared for, rested, and fed. The ocean remembers generosity; a tended spot keeps giving. 1. Know the Life of the Place Watch how current bends, how sand drifts, where foam settles. Observe fish movement by time, moon, and tide. Record... Read more...
Menehune and the Fisherman: Legends of Hawaiʻi’s Hidden Builders of the Sea
Menehune and the Fisherman: Legends of Hawaiʻi’s Hidden Builders of the Sea In Hawaiian lore, the Menehune — the mysterious, small-statured people of the night — are best known for their skill in building: fishponds, heiau (temples), and great stone walls completed before dawn. But among their many talents, one lesser-told tradition connects them to the lawaiʻa, the fisherman. These hidden folk were said to guide, challenge, and sometimes bless the fishers who respected the sea and the craft of the net. 1. Who Were the Menehune? The Menehune are... Read more...
Hiʻa: The Hawaiian Fish Shrine of Faith and Abundance
Hiʻa: The Hawaiian Fish Shrine of Faith and Abundance In ancient Hawaiʻi, no fisherman cast a net without first giving thanks at the hiʻa — a sacred stone shrine that connected the people, the sea, and the gods. The hiʻa was the heart of every fishing village, a silent witness to generations of prayer, offering, and respect for the ocean’s bounty. The Meaning of the Hiʻa The word hiʻa means “to offer” or “to raise up.” Each hiʻa was a physical and spiritual structure — a pile of carefully chosen... Read more...
Kuʻula: The Hawaiian God of Fishermen
Kuʻula: The Hawaiian God of Fishermen Kuʻula is one of the most important deities in traditional Hawaiian fishing. He is the akua lawaiʻa — the god of fishermen — protector of nets, canoes, and the abundance of the sea. Every successful throw of the ʻupena (net), every calm tide, and every full canoe of fish was once attributed to Kuʻula’s favor. The Origins of Kuʻula Kuʻula is said to have lived as a man in ancient times, a skilled fisher who taught others to fish with humility and generosity. His... Read more...
Kuwā: The Netmaker’s Prayer of Hawaiʻi
Kuwā: The Netmaker’s Prayer of Hawaiʻi Before a single knot was tied or a new ʻupena (net) touched the sea, the Hawaiian lawaiʻa ulana ʻupena — the netmaker — began with prayer. This sacred chant, known as Kuwā, was an invocation to awaken skill, humility, and protection. It aligned the maker’s hands, the fiber’s spirit, and the ocean’s patience. The word kuwā means “to space” or “to create intervals.” In the act of net weaving, kuwā described not only the rhythm between knots but also the spiritual pauses — the... Read more...
Patience in Throwing the Net: The Quiet Strength of the Lawaiʻa
Patience in Throwing the Net: The Quiet Strength of the Lawaiʻa In Hawaiian fishing, patience (hoʻomanawanui) is as important as strength. A perfect throw is not measured by distance or size — it is measured by timing. The ʻupena hoʻolei (throw net) demands stillness of body, focus of mind, and respect for rhythm. For the lawaiʻa, patience is not waiting idly; it is an active awareness — a readiness to move only when the sea invites. The Waiting Game A seasoned throw-net fisher will tell you: the ocean speaks first.... Read more...