“E ala e, ka Makali’i Ka hakina, e ala e!”
(Awake, little one, Makali’i In the east, arise!)
Makahiki is a time between October and March when much of the food is harvested and accounted for, offered to the gods and ali’i, and traded/distributed throughout the island.
It is a tradition in Hawai’i nei to look to the eastern skies. For as the sun sets on the western horizon, the constellation of Makali’i arises on the eastern horizon.
It is the season of the God Lono.
A time of great thanksgiving. Lono brought the rains, the fertility to the land, and fish to the nets. During this time of Thanksgiving, peace was observed throughout all the islands, and skills were practiced to determine the best teachers for the new year.
Lono is one of the four Gods in Hawaiian cultured believed to have existed before the Earth existed.
Lono is said to be the God of music, peace, rainfall, and most notably, fertility and agriculture—agrarian foods, especially the kumara or sweet potato.
In his honor, the great annual festival of the Makahiki was held. During this period, war and unnecessary work was forbidden.
Some background on the meanings of different words:
Makali’i=Pleaides/Seven Sisters Constellation
Ali’i=officer, ruler, monarch, peer, headman, noble, aristocrat, king, queen, commander; royal
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