Traditional Healing
Sean Chun
Cultural Practitioner, Ho‘ola Lāhui Hawai‘i
“A lot of the knowledge that I’ve been taught isn’t in books,” says Sean Chun, cultural practitioner at Ho‘ola Lahui Hawai‘i, Kaua‘i’s designated Native Hawaiian Health Care provider. Chun has over 25 years of experience in the traditional practice of la‘au lapa‘au (Hawaiian healing), which uses medicinal la‘au (plants) and pule (prayer). He collects hi‘aloa (a shrub, also known as ‘uhaloa) to treat sore throats, high blood pressure, and brain fog. He uses ‘awa (kava) for muscle relief and viruses. Contemporary healers use 154 native plants in la‘au lapa‘au, according to a study conducted in the mid-90s. “It’s a holistic approach including the household, including the family, including healing the land,” Chun says. “Because you can be physically well but mentally sick. What good is that?”
Photos courtesy of David Eickhoff, Olivier Koenig, Pixabay, Li Yang on Unsplash.