A ''konohiki'' is a headman of a land division or

ahupuaʻa Ahupuaʻa () is a Hawaiian term for a large traditional socioeconomic, geologic, and climatic subdivision of land. It usually extends from the mountains to the sea and generally includes one or more complete watersheds and marine resources. Th ...

of the

Kingdom of Hawaii The Hawaiian Kingdom, also known as the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ɛ ɐwˈpuni həˈvɐjʔi, was an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country from 1795 to 1893, which eventually encompassed all of the inhabited Hawaii ...

who administered the land ruled by an

aliʻi The aliʻi were the traditional nobility of the Hawaiian islands. They were part of a hereditary line of rulers, the ''noho aliʻi''. Cognates of the word ''aliʻi'' have a similar meaning in other Polynesian languages; in Māori it is pronoun ...

chief.

Background

The lands of the ruling chiefs of Hawaii were divided into radial divisions of land when possible. These divisions were under the control of other smaller chiefs and managed by a steward. Land was divided up in strict adherence to the wishes of the ''ali‘i nui''. The island was called the ''mokupuni'' and was split into several ''moku''. The ''moku'' (district) parameters ran from the highest mountain top, down to the sea. These divisions were ruled by an ''aliʻi ʻaimoku'' who would have been appointed by the ruling chief. Each of these ''mokus'' were further split into ''ahupuaa'', named after the dividing boundary alter (altar? Ahu=altar, pua'a=pig) where taxes were collected for each area during the

Makahiki The Makahiki season is the ancient Hawaiian New Year festival, in honor of the god Lono of the Hawaiian religion. It lasts four consecutive lunar months, approximately from October/November through February/March. It is a time for men, women ...

. Each ''ahupuaa'' was then run by a headman or chief called a Konohiki. In Keelikolani vs Robinson, the term is also translated as "

land agent Land agent may be used in at least three different contexts. Traditionally, a land agent was a managerial employee who conducted the business affairs of a large landed estate for a member of the nobility or landed gentry, supervising the farming ...

". In Territory vs Bishop Trust Co. LTD., when the agent was appointed by a chief they were referred to by the title of ''konohiki''. When referring to the titled person as Konohiki, this meant that they were charged with the care of the division of land for the king or nobility the land was awarded to. The term could also be a designated area of land owned privately as compared to being owned by the government. A chief of lands could not lose life tenure on the land even after being discharged from the position, but a head man overseeing the same land has no such right. Often ''

'' and ''konohiki'' are referenced together; however, while most or all konohiki were aliʻi nobility, not all aliʻi were konohiki. The Hawaiian dictionary gives the definition as a headman of a land division, but it is also used in describing fishing rights as well. The term when broken in two parts is as follows: Kono being defined as to entice, or prompt and hiki defined as something that can be done. The konohiki was a

relative Relative may refer to: General use *Kinship and family, the principle binding the most basic social units of society. If two people are connected by circumstances of birth, they are said to be ''relatives''. Philosophy *Relativism, the concept t ...

of the aliʻi and would oversee the coordination of the property, including

water rights Water right in water law is the right of a user to use water from a water source, e.g., a river, stream, pond or source of groundwater. In areas with plentiful water and few users, such systems are generally not complicated or contentious. In o ...

, land distribution,

agricultural Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created f ...

use and any maintenance. The Konohiki would also make sure the right amounts of gifts and tributes to the aliʻi were properly made at the right times. As

capitalism Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their use for the purpose of obtaining profit. This socioeconomic system has developed historically through several stages and is defined by ...

was incorporated into the kingdom the konohiki would become the tax collectors, landlords and wardens over the fisheries.

References

{{reflist, 33em Hawaiian Kingdom Hawaiiana Hawaii culture Hawaiian nobility