The Ethnobiology of Pre-globalization Hawaiian Feather Cloaks and Capes

The Hawaiian feather cloaks were a distinctive, pre-contact artifact, a symbol of rank..  Although untold labor and thousands of bird feathers were involved, they were freely given as a mark of respect to the voyage leaders, beginning with Captain Cook in 1778.  Voyage logs, native Hawaiian papers, and biological literature were examined for my Hawaiian Ethnobotany course, and another project.

 

The bird specialists went into forests, wearing kī leaves rain capes as camouflage. Sticks smeared with plant “bird lime” snared the birds.  The yellow feathers found under the wings of the‘ō‘ō and mamo were plucked, the feet washed with kukui nut oil  and released.   

 

The ‘i‘iwi and  ‘apapane bodies were completely covered with red  feathers, so were killed.  The birds were packed for the trip down in banana petiole sheaths, skinned, and then cooked and eaten. The endemic olonā’s fiber were processed to make the garments’ netting.