William Kuamoʻo Helelani Kealoha Kapuni, Pōhaku Kuʻi ʻAi, c. 2000, carved vesicular basalt, 27 x 15 x 13.5 cm (National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, 29/9627; Gift of Victoria G. Kapuni in Memory of her Beloved Husband William K. Kapuni)
Hele no ka ʻalā, hele no ka lima
The rock goes, the hand goes.
To make good poi, the free hand must work in unison with the poi pounder.[1]
One of the most ubiquitous Hawaiian objects found in museums and private collections worldwide is the humble poi pounder, known in the Hawaiian language as pōhaku kuʻi ʻai or pōhaku kuʻi poi. Ranging in size, color, and texture, they are carved from ʻalā (dense waterworn basalt) found on beaches, streams, and in rivers into elegant utilitarian tools. Paired with a papa kuʻi ʻai (poi-pounding board), the poi pounder is used in pounding kalo (taro, Colocasia esculenta) and other starchy vegetables such as ʻulu (breadfruit, Artocarpus altilis) and ʻuala (sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas) with water into a nutritious sticky paste called poi. Kalo is the primary staple crop of Kanaka ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiians) and is considered to be a manifestation of Hāloanakalaukapalili, a premature child born to Wākea and Hoʻohōkūkalani whose earthly remains became the first taro plant. Their second child, also named Hāloa, is considered to be the progenitor of Kanaka ʻŌiwi. [2] Thus, kalo is regarded as an ancestor by many. The pōhaku kuʻi ʻai, the primary instrument used in creating poi, is imbued with deep significance for Kanaka ʻŌiwi, representing a classic example of the union of functionality, form, and symbolism in Hawaiian art and design.
Left: Pōhaku kuʻi poi, pounder with upper terminal knob; center: Pōhaku puka kuʻi poi, pounder with perforated arched handle; right: Stirrup pounder (© The Trustees of the British Museum, London)
Types of poi pounders
There are three poi pounder types that developed in the Hawaiian Islands. The first and most common consists of a rounded convex base, a shaft, and an upper terminal knob (pōheoheo) which prevents the hand from slipping upward. The second type consists of an elliptical base and a perforated arched handle and is primarily used and manufactured on the island of Kauaʻi. These pounders are referred to as pōhaku kuʻi ʻai puka (perforated poi pounder), or pōhaku puka for short. [3] The third type, also from Kauaʻi, is the stirrup pounder; it has no perforations and features a flat front surface and a hollowed back.
“A Hawaiian couple making poi,” c. 1900–1923, photographic print (Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.)
Making poi
Historically, the act of pounding poi on a poi board was a common sight throughout Hawaiʻi. The following quote describes a typical scene of poi making in the densely populated area of Lahaina, Maui, prior to the arrival of westerners to the islands:
E ike mau ia ana malalo o na lau laau, iloko o kekahi wahi kuono malumalu, na papa koa ku’i poi a me na pohaku oia hana, a e ike mau ia ana no hoi ke kino puipui a me na lima oolea o ke kanaka Hawaii, e kui ana i na kalo ono, e hoehoene ana ke pohapoha o ka pohaku kui ai a ke kanaka.
It was a common sight to see under the trees, in some shaded nooks, poi boards made of koa wood and poi pounders used in that activity; it was also common to see the stout bodies and strong hands of Hawaiians pounding delicious taro, accompanied by the delightful smacking sound from people’s poi pounders.[4]
To make poi, the corm of the kalo plant was harvested, steamed, peeled, and placed on a poi board for processing. The poi pounder was then used to break down the kalo into smaller pieces until a hard mass known as paʻi ʻai or ʻai paʻa was created. [5] At this stage, the mashed taro could be wrapped in ti-leaf and stored for future use. When it was ready to be eaten, water was gradually added to the paʻiʻai until it formed smooth poi. Once completed, the poi was transferred to an ʻumeke (bowl, calabash) for storage and consumption.
Piʻi no ka poho, kani kohā!
Up comes the palm—and bang!
A good smack. The pounder is moistened by a dampened hand before it is brought down on a mass of hard poi.[6]
“Pounding Poi—preparing dinner, Hawaiian Islands,” c. 1896, stereograph card, 9 x 18 cm (Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.)
James Gay Sawkins, Making Poi from Kalo, 1852, watercolor on paper, 26.5 x 18.3 cm (National Library of Australia, Parkes)
A watercolor image of two men producing poi, created by James Gay Sawkins in 1852, offers an example of the many images and descriptions of poi making that were produced by foreigners visiting and/or settling in Hawaiʻi in the 19th century. Travel narratives, missionary accounts, and other foreign representations of Hawaiʻi oftentimes mentioned kalo as the “staff of life” for Kanaka ʻŌiwi, with varying tones of distaste or excitement directed towards the traditional way of eating poi, which was typically scooped up with the index finger and middle finger from a shared ʻumeke. By the early 20th century, scenes of pounding poi were widely circulated through postcards, magazine articles, stereograph cards, and other visual mediums to promote tourism in the islands. These images varied from staged scenes depicting subjects in an idealized pre-contact setting, to candid photographs of men and women pounding poi at their homes.
“Old Hawaiian Making Poi,” c. 1905–15, postcard (Walter Havighurst Special Collections, Miami University)
Solomon Robert Nui Enos, Pōhaku Ku‘i ‘Ai 3, 2021, oil on bristol board, 9 x 12 inches (private collection) © Solomon Robert Nui Enos
Poi as a symbol of Kanaka ʻŌiwi life
Although poi consumption and the manufacture of pōhaku kuʻi ʻai declined during the 19th and 20th centuries, the first decades of the 21st century have witnessed a resurgence of these activities, largely due to the efforts of various Native Hawaiian organizations and individuals. Courses, workshops, and other community events organized throughout the islands are providing individuals and their families with opportunities to create their own pōhaku kuʻi ʻai and papa kuʻi ʻai to encourage the reintegration of poi making practices as part of everyday life in Hawaiian households. Beyond the practice of making poi, pōhaku kuʻi ʻai continue to be celebrated in other forms of material culture such as paintings, stickers, and t-shirts, signalling this object’s continued importance as a symbol of Kanaka ʻŌiwi life and culture.
