Traditional Hawaiian Uses of Plants

To continue this year's exploration into ethnobotany (or, "the study of how people use plants in different cultures, regions, and time periods"), our next book is Lāʻau Hawai‘i: Traditional Hawaiian Uses of Plants, by Dr. Isabella Aiona Abbott (Bishop Museum Honolulu, 1992). The book provides a detailed description of the Polynesian canoe and Hawaiian native plants that are most important for Hawaiian culture. Before its publication, such a a general text on the traditional cultural uses of plants did not exist. [Although Plants of Old Hawai'i, by educator Lois Lucas (Bess Press, Honolulu, 1982) provided us with a wonderful high-level introduction to canoe plants.]

Dr. Isabella Aiona Abbott (1919-2010) earned her doctorate degree in algal taxonomy from the University of California, Berkeley in 1950. In 1972 she became a full professor in Stanford University’s biology department, and published her definitive book Marine Algae of California in 1976 with George J. Hollenberg (earning her the nickname of "First Lady of Limu"). She later taught Hawaiian ethnobotany at the University of Hawaii. She learned about traditional Hawaiian foods and the Hawaiian language from her mother. Dr. Abbott chose to emphasize the ethnobotany and cultural aspects of Hawaii's plants in this book, rather than focusing on the plants themselves.

The Preface and Introduction set the context for the book and how it came to be. Chapter 1 describes the first Hawaiians—their origins from the maritime Lapita people (later the Polynesians), the migration routes from Polynesia to the Hawaiian islands, and the plants they brought with them. Chapter 2 describes the evolution of Hawaiian culture and its relationship to the land and crops, using a framework of development periods—First Settlements and the Development Period, the Expansion Period, and the Historic Period. Chapter 3 describes the religious dimensions of Hawaiian agriculture, which included sustainable practices of caring for the land to ensure ongoing productivity.

Chapters 4 - 17 describe important canoe and native Hawaiian plants that provided sustenance and met every need of cultural life, including food, housing, transportation, ritual, healing, warfare, music, and leisure. Woven throughout the chapters is information about "Kapu", the ancient Hawaiian laws, rules, and taboos that governed all aspects of life, including social interactions, gender roles, religious practices, and food preparation. As an example of kapu, taro was a forbidden food for women and limu was forbidden for men (in this example, women became the cultural experts on seaweed as a food source and knew the names of Hawaii's limu species, while men did not). The Afterward describes changes in society and plant use after first contact with European culture in 1820. The backmatter includes an appendix of flowering plant and fern names, chapter notes, a bibliography of citations, and an index.

My husband and I are planning a trip to several of the Hawaiian islands in the next year or two, so I  especially appreciated reading about the migration from Polynesia to Hawaii, the developmental phases of Hawaiian culture, the impact on Hawaiian culture after first contact, and the renaissance of Hawaiian culture in the 1970s. I also appreciated learning more about canoe and native plants, the reliance on plants for all aspects of Hawaiian life (ethnobotany), the deep respect for the land; and the dedication to its stewardship. I was also interested to learn about making kapa, cordage, war regalia, and houses, from plants and other natural materials. The chapter on war regalia includes a photo showing the netting to which bundles of feathers were attached to construct the helmets and cloaks worn by Hawaiian nobility. I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the people of Hawaii and Hawaiian ethnobotany.