Listening to the Ancestors
Kaʻawaloa Cacao
Ka`awaloa, in the past was a Hawaiian village and royal residence on Kealakekua Bay’s northern edge. This sacred place and home to Hawaii’s most royal hosts and hostesses literally means “the distant kava.” Runners went to Waipi’o in the north and Puna in the south to obtain ‘awa plants that made up the traditional ‘awa drink that chiefs consumed.
Awa
Awa (also known as kava) was and is still used in a variety of ways in traditional Hawaiian and Polynesian culture. Today awa is grown in Hawaii.
Uses
- Relaxation and Sleep: ʻAwa is known for its sedative properties, making it a popular drink to induce relaxation and promote restful sleep.
- Social Gatherings: ʻAwa is often shared during social occasions, serving as a way to bring people together and foster community.
- Ceremonial and Ritualistic Use: ʻAwa plays a role in important ceremonial rituals and is considered a sacred plant in some cultures.
- Medicinal Uses: The leaves, bark, and roots of the ʻawa plant have been used traditionally for various medicinal purposes, including soothing aches and pains, suppressing appetite, and relieving anxiety.
Awa has other names in Polynesia:
ʻAva (Samoa), Yaqonaor yagona (Fiji), Sakau (Pohnpei), Seka(Kosrae), and Malok or malogu (parts of Vanuatu).
In 1779, Ka`awaloa was a thriving village of grass thatched houses, tidy stone walls, an important temple complex, healthy coconut palms, and numerous inhabitants. Webber, the artist assigned to Cook’s third voyage, recorded its appearance in a few of his drawings, the earliest record we have of this place.
Look in the background of the famous engraving of masked canoe paddlers in Kealakekua Bay. You will see Ka`awaloa in the background, thickly shaded by foliage and palms.
When foreigners arrived on the islands they began to change the names of places. English names like Captain Cook were substituted or the original Hawaiian names were shortened. Not only is this disrespectful to the Hawaiian people but it also looses the mo’olelo [stories] behind the name as well as the mana [spiritual power] associated with the name and place.
Our 100% Ceremonial Hawaiian Cacao is grown on the slopes of Mauna Loa above the waters of Kealakekua Bay and Ka’awaloa.