Moʻolelo

This simple ʻōlelo nōʻeau affectionately describes a close relative. It also eloquently describes the powerful physical and spiritual connection that binds us to our kūpuna. The ēwe, the piko, the bones, and the blood are all physical reminders of our relationship to our kūpuna and ʻaumākua, but they are also reminders of the responsibility we have been given to honor them.

Tūtu Pūku'i defines the ēwe, or 'iewe, as more than just the umbilical cord -- it is the "afterbirth, placenta, infant, and relative of a common ancestry." 'lewe can even be used to refer to one's birthplace -- ewe hānau o ka 'aina are "natives of the land" -- or to a common family trait. It houses the mana of both mother and child -- a physical representation of this most sacred and powerful connection. In this wider context, one can see how a baby's 'iewe ties him not only to his mother, but also to the countless generations that came before him, nurtured him, and claim him.

There are numerous references by Native Hawaiian scholars as to the paramount significance of properly honoring the 'iewe upon a child's birth. According to Tūtu Puku'i in Nănā i ke Kumu, the 'iewe was most often washed, as "the unwashed placenta could cause the baby's eyes to be weak or sore. The placenta carelessly disposed of could bring harm to the child. The placenta that was burned or that was dried out could diminish the child's vitality." Today, Native Hawaiians still practice this private ceremony of honoring the 'iewe, thereby protecting the newborn child's mana and health, at the same time reinforcing his spiritual connection to his ancestors. 

Tūtu Puku'i tells us that a child's 'iewe would often be buried beneath a certain tree that would then become the "property" of that child and would keep him from wandering, ensuring that the child's spirit would never be homeless. "Puna maka kōkala -- Puna of the eyelashes that curve upward like the thorns of the pandanus leaves," refers to the practice of burying the 'iewe beneath a hala (pandanus) tree so that the child's eyelashes would grow long like the thorns of the hala. Tutu Pūku'i explained that during ceremonies like these, families oftentimes prayed to both ke Akua and the child's 'aumakua, thanking them for blessing the mother with a successful birth and invoking their mana during the ceremony. 

Although these practices undoubtedly trace back to antiquity, Samuel Kamakau cites in Ka Po'e Kahiko that these practices were first recorded during the time of Heleipawa, a Maui chief and the son of Kapawa. According to Kamakau, the places where an ali'i's piko and 'iewe were deposited were as important as his birthplace, his famous deeds, and the land where each was buried. In ancient times, "when a male child was born he was taken immediately to the mua (the men's eating house and family chapel) [to be consecrated to the gods.] If he was a royal child... the placenta was washed well in water and taken care of by the kahunas, and the child was washed." 

Sometimes these things are not spoken of until it is necessary. One such family, upon asking the hospital for their firstborn's 'iewe, was told simply, "it isn't done." That was back in 1977. They had intended to plant a baby hala tree over the 'iewe, and although they were denied their request, planted the little tree anyway. That hala tree, the father shared, died within a couple of years. Although their yard is full of healthy hala trees, this one "needed its 'iewe and could not survive without it."

Not all families will come forward to share their stories, as for some it is much too personal, but we know these practices still exist today. Even if this practice no longer exists in our own individual ʻohana, we all have a kuleana to stand with those who understand the health of our children will be threatened by the loss of the 'iewe, a vital connection between mother, child, and kūpuna.

Sources:

“Kuʻu Ēwe, Kuʻu Piko.” Melehina Groves. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lAqGVLq-VLEzq8VjItBT7Vgfut4knD7b/view?usp=sharing.

"Cultural Birthright or Infectious Waste?" Ka Wai Ola o OHA Newsletter, March 2006, vol. 23 no. 3 

"Customary Release of Placentas Demanded" Honolulu Star Bulletin 2/11/06