ʻO ka poʻe ʻEulopa i holo mua loa i nā wai o ke kai Bermejo i hoʻohilohi ʻia e nā hiʻohiʻona i loaʻa iā lākou ma ko lākou ala; he mea maopopo ia manaʻo lākou he mokupuni ka mea maoli o ka peninsula.
Ua hoʻokele lākou i ko lākou mau moku a nānā i nā mokupuni liʻiliʻi i mea ʻole wale nō akā ʻo nā kualono o nā kuahiwi a me nā kahakai i kū mai i miliona mau makahiki i hala aku nei i ke awawa a hiki i ko lākou piʻi ʻana i ka ʻilikai a loaʻa ka lā. ʻAʻole paʻakikī e noʻonoʻo, i kēlā mau lā, ke lele ʻana o nā iʻa e hoʻolauleʻa ana i ka hōʻea ʻana mai o nā mea komohewa a me nā ʻohana o nā koholā pūʻiwa e nānā ana i ka poʻe kipa.
ʻO ka poʻe ʻEulopa i holo mua loa i nā wai o ke kai Bermejo i hoʻohilohi ʻia e ka hiʻona i loaʻa iā lākou i ko lākou ala ʻana; he mea maopopo ia manaʻo lākou he mokupuni ka mea maoli o ka peninsula. Ua kalaiwa lākou i ko lākou mau moku a nānā i nā mokupuni liʻiliʻi i mea ʻole wale nō akā ʻo nā kualono o nā pae mauna a me nā kahakai i kū mai i mau miliona i hala aku nei i ke awawa a hiki i ko lākou piʻi ʻana i ka ʻilikai a loaʻa ka lā. ʻAʻole paʻakikī e noʻonoʻo, i kēlā mau lā, ke lele ʻana o nā iʻa e hoʻolauleʻa ana i ka hōʻea ʻana mai o nā mea komohewa a me nā ʻohana o nā koholā pūʻiwa e nānā ana i ka poʻe kipa.
ʻO kēia mau mokupuni, i noho ʻia e nā kamaʻāina lewa, kai a me ka ʻāina terrestrial, i mua o nā maka o ka poʻe huakaʻi, hanohano a me ka mehameha ma ke kahakai hema o ka peninsula i lei ʻia e ka Sierra de La Giganta.
Maliʻa paha he manawa kūpono a huli hewa paha o ka huila i alakaʻi i nā kāne ʻoluʻolu e ʻimi nei i kahi ala ʻē aʻe i ka nuku o ke awawa; I ka hala ʻana o ka manawa, ua hoʻomau ka huakaʻi, ua ukali nā huakaʻi kekahi i kekahi, ua ʻike ʻia ka ʻāina hou ma nā palapala ʻāina a ma luna o lākou ka "mokupuni" o Kaleponi me kā lākou mau kaikaina.
I ka makahiki 1539, ua hōʻea mai kahi huakaʻi i kākoʻo ʻia e Hernán Cortés a ma lalo o ke alakaʻi a Francisco de Ulloa i lako pono ʻia i ka nuku o ka muliwai ʻo Colorado. Ua piʻi aʻe kēia, hoʻokahi kenekulia ma hope mai, i kahi hoʻololi o ka kahakiʻi honua o ia manawa: he peninsula maoli ia ʻaʻole no ka manawa: he peninsula maoli ia a ʻaʻole ia he mokupuni mokupuni, e like me kā lākou i manaʻo ai ma mua.
ʻO nā peʻe momi i ʻike ʻia ma kahi kokoke i ke awa o Santa Cruz, i kēia lā ʻo La Paz, a malia paha ʻo ka exaggeration –common denominator o nā moʻolelo he nui i kākau ʻia i ka wā o ka naʻi aupuni.
ʻO ka noho ʻana o Sonora a me Sinaloa i ka waena o ka ʻumikūmāhiku kenekulia a me ka hoʻokumu ʻana o ka nuʻukia o Loreto ma 1697 ma ka hema o ka penikala e hoʻomaka ana i nā kenekulia nui.
ʻAʻole wale ka nohona kūlohelohe i hōʻeha i ka hoʻouka kaua ʻana o nā mea noho hou, a ʻo nā Pericúes a me Cochimíes, nā kamaʻāina autochthonous, ua hoʻopau ʻia e nā maʻi; I loko o ia mea, ua hoʻemi ʻia ka Yaquis a me Seris i ka palena kiʻekiʻe o kēlā mau panalāʻau a lākou i neʻe manuahi ai.
Akā i ka hapa lua o ke kenekulia 19 a me ka hapa mua o ka 20, hoʻonui ka ʻenehana i ka ikaika o ke kanaka: lawaiʻa, mahiʻai nui a hoʻonui ʻia ka mining. ʻO nā kahe o nā kahawai e like me Colorado, Yaqui, Mayo a me Fuerte, i waena o nā mea ʻē aʻe, ua oki ka hānai ʻana i nā wai o ke awawa a laila nā holoholona a me nā mea kanu, pili i kahi kaula meaʻai paʻakikī i nā manawa ʻike ʻole ʻia, kūʻē i nā hopena.
Ua aha nā mokupuni ma ke kai hema o Cortez? Ua hoʻopili ʻia lākou. ʻO ke guano i waiho ʻia e nā manu ma kahi o nā makahiki he mau kaukani i lawe ʻia i nā ʻāina ʻē e lawelawe i mea momona. ua hoʻohana ʻia nā mines gula a me nā pā paʻakai, kahi i hōʻike ʻia ai he pōmaikaʻi ʻole; ua hele aku nā ʻano kai he nui e like me ka vaquita ma waena o nā ʻupena trawl; ua waiho ʻia nā mokupuni me nā poino hiki ʻole ke hoʻoponopono hou ʻia a me nā hoalauna liʻiliʻi ma ka moana.
E like me ka poʻe kiaʻi i wehe ʻia i loko o kahi kūlana nani, ua ʻike nā mokupuni i nā makahiki he nui i ka hala ʻana o nā mokuahi, ka mea i hala i ke kenekulia i hala i huakaʻi mai Kapalakiko, Kaleponi, a komo i ʻAmelika Hui Pū ʻIa ma hope o ka hele ʻana i ka wai o ka muliwai ʻo Colorado; noho mau ʻole lākou i mua o nā moku lawaiʻa a me kā lākou upena upena; he poʻe ʻike lākou i kēlā me kēia lā o ka nalo ʻana o nā lāhui he nui.
Akā aia nō lākou ma laila a me lākou kā lākou mau mea hoʻolimalima kahiko a paʻakikī hoʻi i kūʻē aku ʻaʻole wale i ka hala ʻana o ka manawa akā ʻo nā loli hoʻi o ka honua a, ʻo ka mea ʻoi loa, ka hana nui a ka poʻe hiki ke lilo i mau hoaaloha mau na lākou: kāne.
He aha ka mea e loaʻa iā mākou ke hele huakaʻi mai ke kai mai Puerto Escondido, i ke kulanakauhale o Loreto, a i ke awa o La Paz, kokoke i ka hopena o ka peninsula? ʻO ka mea e kū nei i mua o mākou he panorama kupaianaha ia, kahi ʻike ikaika loa. I ka nani maoli o ke kai i ʻoki ʻia e nā ʻikepili o ke kapakai a me nā ʻano capricious o nā mokupuni i hoʻohui ʻia nā kipa ʻana o nā dolphins, nā koholā, nā manu o nā hale palupalu a me nā lele lahilahi, a me nā pelikani hoʻi i ka ʻimi ʻana i ka meaʻai. Ke neʻe nei ke kani a nā liona kai, ʻoiai lākou e ʻākoakoa nei i kekahi i kekahi e ʻālohilohi ana i ka lā a ʻauʻau ʻia e ka wai e haki ana i nā pōhaku.
E mahalo ka mea nānā pono loa i ke ʻano o nā mokupuni ma ka palapala ʻāina a me ko lākou mau kihi ma ka ʻāina; nā kahakai aniani a me nā kūʻono, nā mea wale nō o ka Caribbean; nā ʻōuli ma nā pōhaku e hōʻike ai i nā makahiki o ko mākou honua.
ʻO nā loea i nā mea kanu endemik a me nā holoholona e ʻike ma laila i kahi cactus, ma laila kahi mea kolo, kahi mamilaria, kahi ʻeleʻele, i ka pōkole: biznagas, nā ale, nā iguanas, nā moʻo, nā moʻo, nā ʻiole, nā ʻiole, nā ʻalu, nā ʻio, nā pelika a me nā mea hou aku.
E ʻoliʻoli nā mea like ʻole i nā kahawai kai lalo maikaʻi loa a me nā ʻano ʻokoʻa, mai ka heʻe nunui a i nā iwi maoli o ka starfish; e ʻike nā lawaiʻa haʻuki i ka lawaiʻa a me ka marlin; a me nā mea paʻi kiʻi, ka hiki ke kiʻi i nā kiʻi ʻoi loa. Kūpono ka hakahaka no ka poʻe i makemake e noho kaʻawale a i ʻole no ka poʻe e makemake e kaʻana like me kā lākou mea aloha i ka ʻike o ka ʻike ʻana i kahi kai, ʻoiai me nā luhi, me he mea lā ʻaʻole i hoʻopā kekahi iā ia.
ʻO nā mokupuni ʻo Coronado, El Carmen, Danzante, Monserrat, Santa Catalina, Santa Cruz, San José, Kapalakiko, Partida, Espíritu Santo a me Cerralvo kahi hōkū o ka ʻāina e pono e mālama ʻia no ka pono o ke kūlohelohe a me ka pono o ka ʻike.
He ʻano hoihoi kā kēlā me kēia o lākou: ʻaʻole hiki i kekahi ke hoʻopoina i ke kahakai ma ka mokupuni ʻo Monserrat; ka helehelena nui o Danzante; ke kai kūʻono nui ma Kapalakiko; nā kahawai a me nā mangrove ma San José; ke aniani o ka lā ma luna o ka mokupuni ʻo El Carmen, kahi kikowaena hānau no nā hipa bighorn; ke kiʻi kuhihewa ʻole o Los Candeleros a me ka mea hiwahiwa ma nā mokupuni ʻo Partida a i ʻole Espíritu Santo, inā kiʻekiʻe a haʻahaʻa paha ke kai, a me nā napoʻo kupaianaha e ʻike wale ʻia i ke kai o Cortez.
ʻO nā mea āpau i hiki ke ʻōlelo ʻia a hana ʻia no ka mālama ʻana i kēia ʻāpana o ko mākou teritori. Pono mākou e ʻike i ka wā e hiki mai ana o nā mokupuni ma ke kai hema o Cortez e hilinaʻi ʻia i ka hāpai ʻana i kēia wahi ma ke ʻano he hale nānā kūlohelohe i hiki i nā malihini kipa ke nānā aku inā ʻaʻole ia e hoʻopili i kāna wahi maikaʻi.
KA MAKAHI MAKUAHI O ISLA PARTIDA: HE KANAKA FASCINATING HAVEN
ʻO ka pali ʻo Partida Island kahi puʻuhonua holoholona ʻokoʻa: he ʻano like ʻole ka heluna o nā manu wai.
I nā lua o nā pali nā pūnana boobies, a ʻike ʻia lākou e lili ana i kā lākou mau hua, nā kāne a me nā wahine e huli ana i ka ʻai. ʻOluʻolu ke nānā mau ʻana iā lākou, me nā wāwae polū, ko lākou plumage ʻeleʻele e like me kahi ʻeke a me ko lākou poʻo keʻokeʻo me kahi hiʻohiʻona o "ʻAʻole wau i hele". Nui nā manu o ke kai a kū pinepine i ka lihi o ka hohonu, e nānā ana i ke kai e ʻimi nei i nā kula iʻa; ʻO kekahi o kāna mau wahi punahele ka piko o ka cacti, mai ka nui o ka lepo, me he mea lā he hau. Lele nā manu Frigate i ke kiʻekiʻe, me kā lākou silhouette o nā ʻēheu lōʻihi lōʻihi, e like me nā ʻōpeʻapeʻa. Makemake ʻo Pelicans i nā pōhaku ma kahakai a hele aku mai ka luʻu a i ka lū e ʻimi nei i ka meaʻai. Aia pū kekahi me nā cormorant a me kekahi mau mopie, he stowaways paha ma kahi moku peʻa huakaʻi.
ʻO ka mea hoʻohihi nui o ka pali nā kolone o nā liona kai.
I ka hāʻule, hana nā meaolaola mai ke Kulanui o Baja California Sur i kahi helu kanaka e hoʻopaʻa i ka heluna kanaka.
Hele wale nā hapa nui o nā ʻīlio hae e kāne a hānau keiki; hoʻokumu paʻa ʻia ke kolone i nā wolfholes, ʻoiai ʻo nā ʻōpio ʻōpio e noho i kekahi pōhaku e hiki iā lākou ke piʻi aʻe, ma ka wāwae o nā pali. Hoʻonāukiuki nui lākou i kā lākou mau aloaliʻi a me nā hoʻopiʻi; mau ka lūlū i ka lā holoʻokoʻa.
I ka wā o ka male ʻana, hoʻopau ka kāne i ko lākou mau panalāʻau a lākou e pale aku ai me ka ikaika nui; ma laila lākou e mālama ai i kahi wahine o nā wahine like ʻole.
Hoʻopaʻapaʻa wale ʻia ka ʻāina nui, ʻoiai manaʻo ʻia ke kai he waiwai kaiāulu. ʻO ka hakakā pinepine ʻana ma waena o nā kāne kūleʻa, a ʻaʻohe hemahema o ka wahine i hoʻowalewale ʻia e kekahi mea ʻē aʻe, holo lākou mai ka harem. Kupaianaha nā kāne ikaika loa, ʻoiai ke huhū lākou a ulu nui e hoʻoweliweli i ka poʻe e ʻaʻa e komo i kā lākou kikowaena. ʻOiai ko lākou helehelena a palaualelo hoʻi, hiki iā lākou ke huakaʻi me ka wikiwiki ma mua o 15 km i kēlā me kēia hola i kā lākou hoʻouka kaua ʻana e makaʻu i kahi ʻenemi.
Ma lalo o ke kai he honua ʻokoʻa, akā like like me ka hoihoi.
ʻAi pāpale nā kula nunui o nā sardine; ʻālohilohi kā lākou mau kino manamana kohu liʻiliʻi i ke kālā. Aia kekahi iʻa multicolored a me kahi eel moray weliweli, me kahi hiʻohiʻona weliweli. I kekahi manawa ʻike ʻoe i nā stingray e "lele" hāmau a nalowale lākou i ka hohonu o ke kai, e waiho ana iā mākou me ke ʻano o ka noho ʻana i kahi moe ʻē ʻē i ka neʻe lohi.
Puna: Un Mexico Mexico No. 251 / Ianuali 1998
