Kūkulu, A Tribute to the Pillars of Mauna a Wākea is a compilation album of prayers, chants, songs and spoken word poetry paying tribute to the stance for the protection of Mauna a Wākea (Mountain of Sky Father), also known as Mauna Kea. Many of the selections were contributed by Kiaʻi (Protectors) who spent 2019-2020 on the Ala Hulu Kupuna, the Mauna Kea Access Road, participating in the daily ʻAha ritual and in all efforts to safeguard this sacred mountain. In acknowledgment, recognition and honor, we lift up Mauna a Wākea and all Kūkulu (Pillars), past, present and future. May your heart be filled and may each of you be taken on a journey back to the Ala in ceremony once again.
Mauna Kea Education and Awareness (MKEA) extends a heartfelt mahalo to everyone who made this compilation album possible, including the MKEA Hui and all composers, musicians, chanters, singers, family members, protectors, friends, supporters, and relations in Hawaiʻi and beyond. All lyrics and supplemental information are available on www.mkea.info. Selections are included in the feature film, Standing Above the Clouds. All proceeds are donated to MKEA for the protection of Mauna a Wākea and other sacred places here in Hawaiʻi and everywhere around the world.
Producers: Pua Case, Shawn Pimental, Sonny Lim
Featured Artists: Hāwane Rios, Lorna Lim, Wehilei Lim-Ryder, Makaiwa Kanui, Kuʻulei Music, Kaumakaiwa Kanakaʻole, Lanakila Mangauil, Chadd ʻOnohi Paishon, Pomai Bertelmann, Brother Mikey, Bethany Billowus, Pua Case and a collective of chanters, singers and musicians assembled to pay tribute to the pillars of Mauna Kea.
Sponsored by Mauna Kea Education and Awareness, Hawaiʻi Peoples Fund, Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples.
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NĀ ‘AUMĀKUA
(adapted from Hawaiian Antiquities by David Malo, p. 11)
Nā ʻAumākua mai ka lā hiki a ka lā kau
Mai ka hoʻokuʻi a ka hālāwai
Nā ʻAumākua iā Kahinakua,
Iā Kahinaʻalo
Iā kaʻa ʻākau i ka lani
ʻO kīhā i ka lani
ʻOwē i ka lani
Nunulu i ka lani
Kāholo i ka lani
Eia nā pulapula a ʻoukou ʻo Mauna a Wākea
E mālama ʻoukou iā mākou
E ulu i ka lani
E ulu i ka honua
E ulu i ka pae ʻāina o Hawaiʻi E hō mai i ka ʻike
E hō mai i ka ikaika
E hō mai i ke akamai
E hō mai i ka maopopo pono E hō mai i ka ʻike pāpālua
E hō mai i ka mana
Ancestors from the rising to the setting sun
From the zenith to the horizon
Ancestors who stand at our back and front
You who stand at our right hand
A breathing in the heavens
An utterance in the heavens
A clear, ringing voice in the heavens
A voice reverberating in the heavens
Here are your descendants, the light
Safeguard us
That we may flourish in the heavens
That we may flourish on earth
That we may flourish in the Hawaiian Islands Grant us knowledge Grant us strength
Grant us intelligence
Grant us understanding
Grant us insight
Grant us power
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ʻO HĀNAU KA MAUNA
Hāwane Rios
ʻO hānau ka mauna a Kea,
ʻŌpuʻu aʻe ka mauna a Kea,
ʻO Wākea ke kane, ʻo Papa ʻo Welinuʻu ka wahine,
Hānau Hoʻohōkū he wahine,
Hānau Hāloa he aliʻi,
Hānau ka mauna. he keiki mauna na Kea,
O ka lili o Wākea o ka haʻi i ka hala,
O ke kū kukū lāʻau ʻana me Kāne,
I hoʻouka ai i iloko o Kahikikū,
Heʻe Wākea kālewa kona ʻōhua,
Kuamū ʻia e Kāne, kuawā ʻia e Kāne,
Hoʻi mai Wākea a loko o lani momo—e,
Moe Wākea moe iā Papa,
Hānau ka lā na Wākea,
He keiki kapu na Wākea,
ʻO ka uluna o Wākea na Kea nō,
Hanau ka mauna he makahiapo o kapu na Kea,
ʻOia hoʻi—o ka mauna—hanau ka mauna,
ʻO ka mauna auaneʻi kō lalo nei la,
ʻO wai la auaneʻi kō luna la?
ʻO wai la, ʻo ka lā, aia—aia hoi hā.
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ʻO HĀNAU KA MAUNA A KEA
(Adapted from Mele Hānau o Kauʻikeaouli by Joshua Lanakila Mangauil and danced as a hula paʻi umauma)
ʻO hānau ka mauna a Kea
ʻŌpuʻu aʻe ka mauna a Kea (x2)
ʻO Wākea ke kāne,
ʻO Papawalinuʻu ka wahine (x2)
Hānau Hoʻohōkū, he wahine
Hānau Hāloa, he aliʻi (x2)
Hānau ka mauna a Kea
He keiki Mauna na Kea (x2)
Eō Wākea
Born is the Mauna a Wākea,
The mountain of Wākea buds forth
Wākea is the male, Papa Walinuʻu the female.
Born is Hoʻohōkū, a female,
Born is Hāloa, a chief,
Born is the Mauna, a mountain-child of Wakea.
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ALA HULU KūPUNA
Pua Case
Hoʻohihi ka manaʻo no ke kuahiwi Nā mamo o ka lani, he hulu aliʻi He pua hā lau mamane i lei iā ʻoe
No neia Ala Hulu Kupuna
No neia Ala Hulu Kupuna
Eō, Eō, Ea, Ea
ʻAkahi nō a ʻike, i lei kau poʻohiwi Ke ʻala o nā pua, i hoʻahu ʻili He pua ʻāhinahina, i lei iā ʻoe
No neia Ala Hulu Kupuna
No neia Ala Hulu Kupuna
Eō, Eō, Ea, Ea
Hū mai ka ʻiʻini, e kuʻu pili Kū huluhulu kahi paʻa kāhili He pua ʻaʻaliʻi i lei iā ʻoe
No neia Ala Hulu Kupuna
No neia Ala Hulu Kupuna
Eō, Eō Ea Ea
Eia au me ʻoe
I aneʻi mai ʻoe e hoʻi
Eia hoʻi ʻoe
E maliu mai ʻoe, e pili mau ai
He pua, he mamo, he hulu kupuna Nā lei o nā wahine noho mauna Nā lei o nā koa aloha ʻāina
E ola ka piko o ka ʻāina aloha
E ola ka piko o ka Mauna a Kea
E ola ka piko o ka Mauna nui a kea
My thoughts are entranced with the mountain
The mamo birds of the heavens, the feathers for royalty
A māmane blossom, A lei that I bestow to you
For this, the Ala Hulu Kupuna
For this, the Ala Hulu Kupuna
I have never seen this lei placed on the shoulders
The fragrance of this flower, to cover the skin
An ʻahinahina blossom, A lei that I bestow to you
My desire rises for ʻoe my companion
Huluhulu stands, the hand feather standard
An aʻaliʻi blossom, A lei that I bestow to you
Here I am with you
Come back to be by my side
You are with me
Turn towards mel, we will be together always.
A flower, A bird, a beloved elder
The leis of the women who dwell on the mountain
The leis of the aloha ʻāina guardians
Grant life in this, the center the piko of the lands of Mauna Kea.
Long life the umbilical cord of the of the beloved land
Love life the center of the mountain of Kea (Wākea)
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Kahailimauna
Na Pua Case
Heahea ka lāʻula i ke alaula
Noho mai ka noe o ke kuahiwi
Kama moku ʻo ka lei ʻohu o leināʻala o nā pua
Ke ola o nā hanauna, no ka aina mauna, ka honua
No nā hanauna mau a mau, ʻO Kahaiimauna, he inoa
Warmth of the first light
Mist of the white rainbow
Island child of the leis, the fragrance of the flowers
The life of the generations, the mountain lands, the earth
For all generations, Kahailimauna, in your name. Written in honor of Kaleiʻohuʻolumakua Sleightholm and her ʻohana
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THEY STOOD ON THE MOUNTAIN
Bethany Billowus
And they stood on the mountain.
for the ancestor's ancestors
for the 7th generation's next 7 generations.
And they stood with their hearts wide open.
across the earth.
100,000 times
100,000 hearts beating as one.
together we made a mountain.
and they sung
voices rising to the sky
reaching life times past and future.
an echo.
an echo that would one day be sung back
in the voices of the 7th generation's, next 7 generations.
a memory of those who stood
for the ancestors of the future.
who would gaze up at Mauna Kea
and know
and feel
and see
and remember
how their ancestors
7 generations past
stood on that mountain.
hearts wide open
hands raised
in ceremony
in prayer.
they'll hear the echo
and respond
with an echo of their own
an echo that will one day be sung back
in the voices of the 7th generation's, next 7 generations a memory of those who stood.
And they'll know
and feel
and see
and remember
their ancestors who protected that mountain. hands raised
hearts wide open.
And the legacy
will live on
in the echoes
sung by the ancestors
of the future.
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I Ola Nā Iwi
Makaiwa Kanui
E maliu I ka leo
E kāhea nei, a kāhea mai
E iho nā paia o luna a loku
Kani'ū o ka 'āina,
Kanikau o Kanaka
Hanu piha I ke ea
I ola nā iwi
A kū ka lāhui e
E hume ka malo
Ho'okala ka 'ihe
E koa e ikaika
E wiwoole
Me ka Ho'omana i ka wā nui
E ka lāhui
E hū e
Let those who have ears let them hear that is calling out
That is calling forth
Let our walls fall down and feel
The cry of the land
The cry of the people
May we breathe and understand
That these bones may live
And our nations will stand
Gird your loins
Sharpen your spears
Be brave,
Be strong,
Be fearless with patience
Oh nation of Hawai’i
Rise
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KAʻI KŪKULU
Pua Case
He aha lā he kūkulu?
He mauna!
He aha lā he kūkulu?
He ʻahu!
He aha lā he kūkulu?
He pōhaku!
He aha lā he kūkulu?
He kanaka! (x3)
What is a pillar?
A mountain!
What is a pillar?
A rock altar!
What is a pillar?
A boulder!
What is a pillar?
A person! (x3)
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OLI KŪKULU/MELE KŪKULU
Pua Case
E nā hoaʻāina e
E nā hoawelo like e
E nā hoapili e
E nā hoaaloha e ALOHA ʻĀINA!
Kūkulu e,
Nā Kūkulu ʻehā e. KŪKULU!
He mau maka koa e
Nā maka kaʻeo EŌ!
E Hū e, HŪ!
He Kū Kiaʻi Mauna, KŪ!
He Pōhaku kū, KŪʻĒ!
He ʻiliʻili kapu, ALOHA!
He koa wai e ola, OLA!
E Hū e HŪ!
Relatives of the big ocean of Kiwa
Relations of the first nations of Turtle Island
Friends,
Supporters from around the world LOVE FOR THE LAND!
Pillars,
the four cardinal points PILLARS!
We are beloved warriors,
We are strong (wearing our top knots on our heads) RESPOND!
Rise! RISE!
I am a mountain guardian, STAND!
A standing rock, RESIST!
A sacred stone, LOVE!
A water protector, LIFE!
Rise! RISE!
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NOHO MAUNA
Kuʻulei Music
E ola, e ola, e ola nō ea E nā wāhine noho mauna
E ola, e ola, e ola nō ea Mākuahine hale ola
E ola, e ola, e ola nō ea Na luahine kuanoʻo
E ola, e ola, e ola nō ea E Kahoupōkane hoʻi lā e
Kūpaʻa e nā wahine koa e
Kūpaʻa e nā kūpuna aloha e
Kūpaʻa e nā kāne haʻahaʻa e
Kūpaʻa e nā aloha ʻāina e
Eō, eō, eō mai e
E nā wahine noho mauna
Eō, eō, eō mai e
Mākuahine hale ola
Eō, eō, eō mai e
Nā luahine kuanoʻo
Eō, eō, eō mai e
E Mauna Kea hoʻi la e
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PANINA/KANI KA PŪ
Pua Case/Hāwane Rios
Ua ao, Ua ola, Ua noa,
Noa honua
ʻAmama ua noa a lele wale ai.
Paʻi ka lima, Paʻi ka lima, Paʻi ka lima