Baby name story: Kalehiaikealaikahiki

black sand beach on Maui

According to Maui-based writer Kalehiaikealaikahiki “Lehia” Apana, every Hawaiian name has both a literal translation and a kaona — a “deeper, hidden meaning.”

As a child, Lehia was told that her name meant “the skillful fisherman on the pathway to Tahiti.” She was also told (by way of explanation) that her mother had been in Tahiti on a canoe-paddling trip when she discovered she was pregnant.

As an adult, though, Lehia became curious about her name’s kaona. So she asked the woman who created her name, Hokulani Holt — both a Hawaiian cultural/language specialist and a family friend — for more information.

Holt told Lehia that her parents had been involved in Protect Kaho’olawe ‘Ohana, an organization that campaigned against U.S. military exercises and bombing on the island of Kaho’olawe. They and others would (illegally) travel to the island by boat, and often visit the island’s westernmost point, Lae O Kealaikahiki (translation: “the point of the pathway to Tahiti”).

Holt explained:

I chose Kealaikahiki as part of your name because this place was special to your parents. Lehia [meaning skilled, as in fishing] was selected because the fishing is very good on Kaho’olawe, and [there is a] fishing connection with your dad.

When asked about the fishing connection, Lehia’s father said:

Before you were born, we were at Kaho’olawe for makahiki ceremonies. One of the guys went diving for fish, and you could tell he was proud when he came out of the water with a full line. A little while later, Rell Sunn [surfing champion and pioneer waterwoman] comes out with even more fish — blew him out of the water. I saw that, and I thought, she’s doing everything the guys are doing, and doing it better. I told myself, “My daughter can be like that, too.”

The original story wasn’t untrue — Lehia’s mother was in Tahiti when she found out she was pregnant — but Holt hadn’t known this when she created a name that happened to reference Tahiti (Kahiki).

P.S. These days, Lehia Apana co-owns Polipoli Farms on Maui.

Source: Apana, Lehia. “Defining Identity.” Maui No Ka ‘Oi Magazine Sept. 2014.

Image: Adapted from Black sand beach near Hana, Maui by Michael under CC BY 2.0.

[Latest update: Oct. 2024]

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