Papamū: The World on a Kōnane Board
John Kaohelaulii, kōnane practitioner for many years out of Kaua‘i, sees not only a game, but a metaphor for Hawaiian life, on the kōnane board. He says, “To me, the papamū (kōnane board) was a reflection of the ‘ahupua‘a. Because typically the black ‘ili‘ili was rock, pōhaku. The white ‘ili‘ili was coral. So representing the ocean resources and the mauka resources.”
Kimo Chun, projector manager for Kamehameha Schools, was one of the tournament organizers who saw the community engaging in the game of kōnane, and stepped in to offer support for a new tournament tied in with Kanaeokana’s ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i revitalization efforts. He said, “It’s a great opportunity for our families to come out, our students to come out to learn about kōnane, and then actually to then showcase their skills.” The 1st Kōnane Tournament Invitational was held at Kukui Grove Center in Kaua‘i, as part of the 2025 Ola Ka ‘Ī events.
Kōnane is a traditional game played in Hawai‘i by our kūpuna for centuries. The basic rules are simple: you jump your ‘ili‘ili over your opponent’s and into an open hole. You can move forward. You can move backward. You can go right to left, left to right. You cannot go diagonal and you cannot just move. You have to jump over your opponent. The objective of this game is to make the last move. Not who acquires the most pieces. Whoever makes the last move.
The 16 person tournament was a big success, with the winner at the end of the day being middle schooler Lauro Hakaumotu from Chiefess Kamakahelei School. Although he only started playing a month before the tournament, he seems to be a natural at the game and was able to win all 4 rounds.
Kimo Chun continued by highlighting the other arenas where kōnane cultural practice can be relevant, saying, “We’re trying to build a kōnane mindset for our lāhui. We start diving deeper into the deeper meanings of what kōnane can offer us in terms of mo’olelo, in terms of strategy, in terms of governance and so forth.”
Uncle John laments that most Hawaiians today don’t know how to play kōnane. However, he is determined to continue sharing the game in hopes more people will grow to love it. He sees our uniquely Hawaiian worldview encoded in the gameplay itself: “It’s a Hawaiian way of thinking. A good example is when you look at checkers and kōnane. Checkers is a very aggressive game. It’s about consuming your opponent’s pieces as fast as you can. Kōnane is the opposite. You have consumption in kōnane, but you have to manage that consumption for long term sustainability.”
“What you’re doing on the papamū is resource management. It’s not this side versus that side. It’s all communal. It’s the Hawaiian way of doing things. Weʻre all in the same island together. And if we don’t work with each other and manage our resources, we’re going to be in big trouble.” Seeing the papamū as the ‘ahupua‘a, and as the island we live on, can give us a deeper appreciation for not only the game of kōnane but for how our kūpuna saw the world and their place in it.
“The papamū was a reflection of the ‘ahupua‘a. What you’re doing on the papamū is resource management.”
