Love Where You Live

Niu, or “coconut,” valley is tucked between ‘aina haina and Kuli’ou’ou in East Honolulu.  One of O’ahu’s smallest valleys, the community was home to fisherman, gathers and subsistence farmers.  It was famous for its sweet potatoes.    Niu is one of the most useful plants to islanders world wide.  Not only did the tree provide shade and the nut provide food and drink, but the husk of the nut could be used to make rope and the palm fronds could be used for shelter or woven into mats, hats and fans.  Cutting down a palm tree was practically an act of war on the chief of that area.  Traditionally, a coconut tree would be planted at the birth of a child.  The tree would fruit by the seventh birthday and live for up to  70-100 years, providing food for a human’s entire lifetime (Jeannine Johnson).