HALE:Housing

HALE

Photo courtesy of Bishop Museum Archives

HALE• Hale noa/Hale moe – Sleeping quarters

• Hale mua – Men’s eating house; kapu to women

• Hale `aina – Women’s eating house; kapu to men

• Hale pe`a – House for women during menstruation

• Hale papa`a/hale ho`āhu – Food storage

• Hale kuku/hale kua – House for beating kapa

• Hale imu/hale kāhumu – Cookhouse

• Hālau wa`a – canoe house

CONSTRUCTION

• Select a site for the house

• Procure all the necessary materials

• Set up and lash the framework

• Tie on the thatch

• Create/complete the doorway

• Dedication of the house

FRAMING

• `Ōhi`a lehua

• Lama

• Naio

• Māmane

Framing of a hale at Kahanu Gardens

FRAMING: `ŌHI`A LEHUA

• Endemic

• The most abundant of all Hawaiian native trees

• Wood is long lasting and used for house posts

FRAMING: LAMA

• Endemic

• Lama grows in both wet and dry areas at lower elevations

• Used for house posts

FRAMING: NAIO

• Indigenous

• Otherwise known as false sandalwood

• Has a fragrance resembling `iliahi (sandalwood)

• Strong wood used most often for house posts

FRAMING: MĀMANE

• Endemic

• A small tree with stunning yellow flowers

• very hard, smooth wood

• Commonly used on Hawai`i and Maui

• Mainly used as thatching poles

THATCHING

• Pili

• Hala

• Kō

• Kī

THATCHING: PILI

• Indigenous

• Grows in clumps

• Pleasant aroma

• Harvested by uprooting the bunch

THATCHING: HALA

• Indigenous

• Thatched onto houses same fashion as kī

• More preparation was needed when using lauhala due to the thorns and midribs of the leaves

THATCHING: KŌ

• Canoe plant

• Approximately 40 varieties of kō

• Lau kō are used to thatch hale if pili is not available

THATCHING: KĪ

• Canoe Plant

• Bundles of 10 leaves of uniform size were secured to the thatching poles in a fashion that made inside finishing unnecessary

FURNISHINGS

• Mats (moena)

• Bed (hikie`e)

• Pillows (uluna)

• Candles (ihoiho kukui)

PŪLUMI NĪ`AU

• A broom-like bundle of nī`au (coconut leaf midribs) were used to sweep the mats, the paepae and the pathways near the house

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Mahalo!