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Hawai`i presents a unique opportunity for understanding the evolution of the
relationship between plants and women because of the extraordinarily strong connection
between the Hawaiian people and the land. In Hawaiian tradition, women tended to their
families by gathering certain plants, making kapa, fishing nets and baskets, shore fishing,
etc. Because of this connection with the `aina, the land, a very fruitful (pun intended)
possibility for exploration is the connection between women and plants.
Because of Hawai`i’s colonial history, which has left its indelible mark on
society, these roles and traditions have irrevocably changed. This study will explore the
relationship between women and plants in Hawai`i with respect to several styles of plant
work. For the purposes of this project, they are the following: education, medicinal uses
of plants (la`au lapa`au), lei-making, and conservation efforts. Of course, these are by
no means the only ways women are related to plants, nor are the categories as clear cut as
they may seem to be. That is, the line between them may blur at different times. For
example, it seems unlikely that one could separate lei-making from cultural uses of
plants, or medicinal uses from cultural uses rooted in religious practices.
This study is NOT a history of the Hawaiian kapu system with regards to plants, it
is not about farming or agricultural uses of plants, nor is it a genealogical tracing of
different plants, or the incredibly nuanced language used to describe plants in Hawaiian
myths, legends, or chants. Of course, these are all certainly worthwhile areas of inquiry
and fascinating topics in the Hawai`i context. However, they are beyond the scope of this
project for several reasons. The most important of these is that, sadly, I do not speak the
Hawaiian language well enough to be able to decipher the kaona (double meanings)/
intricacies of the chants and legends, and would be doing a serious disservice to
Convention