Kahuna

A may be versed in agriculture, canoe building, or any other skill or knowledge area. The term itself kahuna, literally means "keeper of hidden knowledge". People who came from outside Hawaii distorted and stereotyped the term as a witch or wizard. They may be called on by the community to bless new buildings and construction projects, or to officiate weddings. Some of the classes of as practiced in pre-contact Hawaii are: • or : High priest • : Prophet - Mason Server • : Dream interpreter • : Reader of skies and omens • : Carving expert • : Sculptor • : Canoe maker • : House builder • : Leader of a (hula group) • : Makers of chants and music • : Navigator • : Expert seaman • : Expert fishnet maker • : Expert at catching fish with a net • : Reader of weather signs • : Expert bird catcher • : War strategist • : Leader of the warriors • : Cares for the bones of the dead • : Expert story teller • : Led functions and ceremonies for the Ali‘i. Kahuna nui According to Fornander, there are ten colleges or branches of the Hawaiian priesthood: • , , and were said to practice sorcery, to bring death or injury to others by means of prayer. • : one who practices medicinal healing. • (): one who locates the site for the construction of , or temples. • : one who divines and predicts future events, a prophet. • : soothsayers, diviners, prophets. Hewahewa, a direct descendant of Paao, was a to Kamehameha I. A contemporary, Leimomi Mookini Lum is a . David Kaonohiokala Bray was a well-known . King Kamehameha IV, in his translation of the Book of Common Prayer, used the term to refer to Anglican priests, and to refer to both lay and ordained Anglican ministers. means Gospel preacher in Hawaiian. in Hawaiian means prayer, spell or blessing. == Legal status ==

Craft were never prohibited; however, during the decline of native Hawaiian culture, many died and did not pass on their wisdom to new students. As an example, when the was built to be sailed to the South Pacific to prove the voyaging capabilities of the ancient Hawaiians, master navigator Mau Piailug from Satawal was brought to Hawaii to reteach navigation to the Hawaiians. After American missionaries went to Hawaii in 1822, they reportedly prohibited practices. But, in the 100 years after the missionaries arrived, all practices were legal until 1831, some were illegal until 1863, all were legal until 1887, and some were illegal until 1919. Since 1919 all have been legal except sorcery, which was initially declared illegal but was decriminalized in 1972. The first Christian missionaries arrived in 1822. Kamehameha I had earlier believed that Christianity may bring mana or heavenly power to revitalise the Hawaiian community. Kaahumanu, one of the most powerful people in the Hawaiian realm as Queen regent, was baptised "Elizabeth" in 1825. She formally declared Christianity to be the new state religion with a Sabbath on December 21, 1823. Eleven years after missionaries arrived, she proclaimed laws against hula, chant, kava, and the Hawaiian religion. == Non-Hawaiian uses ==

The term was used in the 1959 film Gidget, in which "The Big Kahuna", played by Cliff Robertson (Martin Milner in the TV episode), was the leader of a group of surfers. The figure of the Big Kahuna became commonplace in beach party films of the 1960s, such as Beach Blanket Bingo, in which the Big Kahuna was the best surfer on the beach. Hawaiian surfing master Duke Kahanamoku may have been referred to as the Big Kahuna, but he rejected the term as he knew the original meaning. In the New Age spiritual system known as Huna, which uses some Hawaiian words and concepts appropriated from Hawaiian tradition, The prevalence of these works in pop culture has influenced definitions in English dictionaries, such as Merriam-Webster, which not only defines kahuna as "a preeminent person or thing" but also offers "Hawaiian shaman" as a secondary definition. Wells College professor Lisa Kahaleole Hall, a Native Hawaiian, wrote in a peer-reviewed journal published by the University of Hawaii that Huna "bears absolutely no resemblance to any Hawaiian worldview or spiritual practice" and calls it part of the "New Age spiritual industry." == See also ==