Mahele's Social Effects On The Maka Ainana

The traditional landholding system was called the ahupua’a. The manager of the land was Kamehameha’s chiefs after kamehameha died. After kamehameha died his son liholiho (kamehameha the second) did very little to change the land ownership in hawaii. The Mahele had social impacts/effects on the maka’ainana. According to “the letters of distress” it is stated “We are in trouble because we have no firewood and no la’i (ti leaf) and no timber for houses, it is said in the law that those who are living on the land can secure the things above stated, this is all right for those present who are living on the lands which have forests, but, we who live on lands which have no forests, we are in trouble.” “The children are eating raw potato because of no firewood, the mouths of the children are swollen from having eaten raw taro. We have been in trouble for 3 months, the konohiki with wooded lands here in Kane’ohe have absolutely withheld the firewood and la’i and the timber for houses….” This is a social impact because it describes the way they lived. This affected the maka’ainana in a negative way because the poor children got swollen mouths from
According to “the letters of distress” it is stated “This is the reason of my being sorry and my protest, too, concerning the improper survey made by the surveyor on my premises was very lessened, the places that I worked and raised my crops, pineapple, bananas, onions….replanted and all began to grow again were all pulled up.” “my taro patch was also taken, piece of kula(plains) houselot and five patches, 3 oranges trees bearing fruit and because i was grieved for the loss of my crops and my patches having been acquired by the foreigner who made claim thereto, the foreigner who made the survey listened to the lying claim of that foreigner... and Ihave been living there ever since and now is the first time.” This affected the maka’ainana in a negative way