Holua Honu (Margaret -Peggy- Spelman)
It’s a Honu World™ presents:
Holua Honu by Margaret (Peggy) Spelman
Holua Honu travels using the holua (sled) to talk story of the importance of sustaining his environment.
Our Holua Honu is a green sea turtle, the most common of sea turtles native to Hawaii where he has many spiritual associations. The legendary Kauila is the “mythical mother” of all turtles and perhaps of children as well. It’s also said that turtles were the guides for the first voyagers to Hawaii. In addition, the Honu is one of the seven original aumakua’s, which is a family or personal god, often a deified ancestor. The Honu is revered in other cultures as well; such as in Chinese mythology, the sea turtle represents wisdom.
Our Honu, the Holua Honu, is a story teller and invites the children down to the shore to learn about his environment and the need to protect itself from mankind’s enlarging footprint. Holua Honu tells his story using many Hawaiian customs.
The Holua Honu travels using the holua (Hawaiian wooden sleds) that ancient contestants use to race mauka to makai. These contests were similar to bob sledding, except lava rock, ti leaves, and lahala mats were the base for sliding rather than snow. Winners were those who went the farthest, alive.
He is decorated using traditional ohe kapala prints. Ohe kapala are stamps made of bamboo used to print kapa in ancient times. Today, ohe kapala are used in making tapa, costumes and every day wear.
His ohe kapala decorative colors are the traditional colors of mankind – black, brown, yellow, red, and white.
The colors are overlapped/shaded in the traditional hiapo fashion to indicate the beauty of blending.
Holua Honu’s Story
There are five ohe kapala prints on me, starting from my coral base upward thru my carapace or shell that tell my story.
A’aina, the land or foundation we stand upon.
Sand and coral are my foundations. We, the Hawaiian green sea turtles, are the only turtles in the world that bask. It is our rest between foraging and journeys to regain strength to avoid capture by our enemies. Coming too near to touch us not only disrupts our needed rest time but human skin oils can cause a fungal growth on our “skin”.
Nalu, waves or sea.
The sea is crucial for our water, food and voyaging. The brackish water of Ka’halu’u Bay creates an environment for seaweed to grow at certain times of the year. Also there is another food that we need and love. Limu is a special kind of algae that grows on the coral and rocks of Ka’halu’u. This is one reason that there are many honu near Ka’halu’u beach.
Ha’uki’uki, armored sea urchin symbolizing sustainable nourishment.
Coral is considered a building block of the islands. The corals are living animals that eat, grow and reproduce. The less interference with our reefs, the longer our reefs, honu, sea urchins and coral fish will stay in balance. Good practices are:
Just bring yourself, with no lotions or fins into the water and enjoy.
Standing on the coral or kicking it injures or kills the tiny coral animals. Pink coral is injured coral, while black coral is dead.
Please, when swimming do not step on our precious coral and avoid using fins—wear only soft swim shoes in case you accidentally touch coral.
Salt water keeps you buoyant and it is easiest to look at underwater scenery from a floating position.
Please take back home what you bring to the beach. Items left end up in the sea water and little plastic toys and bags can be mistaken for food by baby ocean creatures.
Wait 15 minutes after applying sun lotion before entering the water.
Pe’a, sail, signifying voyage.
One of our spiritual journeys is to the French Frigates to mate, lay and hatch our young. That is a round trip that ranges about 1600 miles. My flippers are needed for my travels only. Need I say more other than please do not ride holding on to our shells.
Ua lani, rain which is a blessing from above.
Rain is the ultimate recycler. Rain replenishes all life on land and sea. Indeed, we are blessed with every drop.
Mahalo for listening to my story. I look forward to seeing you at the shore.
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