Carrying identity, memory and responsibility through Hawaiian Inoa
According to the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument website, Inoa or (names) convey several different meanings in Hawaiian culture. The site says names are given to remember historic events, geographical features, ancestors and mo’olelo or stories/histories. "Since Hawaiian is a spoken language, genealogies were memorized at an early age and were passed down orally through generations,” the site explains.
Living up to a name
Alexis Keaaloha Kalani Kelly, a junior majoring Hawaiian studies from Haula, Hawaii said her name means “the love from heaven,” given to her by her parents with the counsel of some of elders in her family. “I was five years old when I started piecing what my name meant and had other people tell me about it as well. But, truly understanding the name when I grew a little older made me feel honored and blessed having a sweet name,” she shared.
Spending high school in California, Kelly shared how her name became shorter to cater to people who weren’t familiar with Hawaiian names. “I went by Kea and that itself had a different meaning which means, 'pure' or 'white' ..." With that, she used to dislike how her name translates in English, where people would translate Kea literally as "white." "I did not like that. It can also mean purity, but some people would think of it as skin color and it bothered me,” she explained.
However, her dad always reminded her that she has a big name to live up to and that sometimes one can see it as a burden or a blessing, Kelly said. “It was difficult because I don’t think I’m that loving to people and it was hard for me to look at myself and say that I am not my name, that I must go by something else and I felt a little ashamed to go by my name,” she added.
Eventually, Kelly realized living up to one’s name starts with desire and effort. “I learned that I do have love for people. My name’s a gift and living up to what my name means is who I want to become,” she explained.
The aloha in her name, Kelly said, inspires her faith but also carries the most weight. “I see the aloha as the pure love of Christ and understanding that makes me want to try harder, love more and give more if I can,” she explained. “I think none of us have reached a level of the purest love like Christ yet, but I really want to get close to that,” she continued.
At the end of the day, it can be challenging [to live by the name] but I would never trade it for anything in the world. I’d be Hawaiian every single time.
Words with Mana
Kawēkiuaumoaika‘ohukaukuahiwi Ku‘uleialoha Alcomindras Palakiko who goes by Kiu, a freshman from Lahaina, Hawaii majoring in Hawaiian Studies said her whole first name was given by her mom. She said her name means, the tip of a mountain surrounded by the mountain-sitting mist. “Spending my younger years at Kamehameha High School back in Maui helped me learn and understand the depth of my name,” she said. “Having my mom explain it to me helped me appreciate it more because I always thought of my name as really long, but there’s beauty in [the] words that make up my name,” she explained.
Palakiko said understanding the Hawaiian language is essential to help one understand the Hawaiian names better. “In Hawaiian culture, words are everything,” she said. “There’s mana into these words so when you think of the make-up of these names and put them together, it’s really powerful,” she explained.
Palakiko described a conversation with her mother helping her understand responsibility as something embedded in her upbringing. “This responsibility is normal because I’ve been raised in Hawaiian environments and values, It is who I am.”
At one point in her life, Palakiko said shortening her name became a habit whenever she would introduced herself to people. “I’ve always been asked what my name meant since childhood. So at times, I’d give them a shorter version of what it means like “‘oh it’s the tip of a mountain’” or saying, “‘it’s just my Hawaiian name,’” she added.
For Palakiko, colonization’s impact on how some Hawaiians see their names is heartbreaking. “It’s sad because our names hold so much meaning. At times I feel like it isn’t treated as important as it used to be,” she added.
Hawaiian names are extremely powerful and intentional, said Palakiko. “These names are given, sometimes through signs or dreams. So, when you are given a Hawaiian name, the least you can do is live up to it and honor where it comes from and what you do for the Hawaiian community,” she added.
Names as cultural memory
Kaulumaika, a blog on Hawaiian Names and Naming, explains the modern Hawaiian naming system as it varies in depth and commitment. Drawing from a book called Nānā I Ke Kumu, the site outlines the traditional naming practices, including inoa pō or, names received in dreams, inoa hō‘ailona or names revealed through signs, inoa ho‘omana‘o or, names of remembrance and inoa kupuna or, names of ancestors.
“There are those who give their children a Hawaiian name because they saw a movie or vacationed or lived here for a long time,” the site notes. “But anciently these were some ways they named their children,” the site says.