Hawaiian Poi Dog
Encyclopedia
The Hawaiian Poi Dog or ''ʻīlio (''ʻīlio mākuʻe for brown individuals) is an extinct breed of pariah dog
from Hawaii
which was used by Native Hawaiians as a spiritual protector of children and as a source of food
.
, a Hawaiian staple food
made from kalo or taro
root. Poi was used to fatten the dogs for use as food because meat was too valuable to be used as dog food. Since the Hawaiian Islands
did not have large land mammals other than feral hogs, Poi dogs weren't needed for hunting. The dogs were never deliberately bred to a standard, but human
and natural selection
still came into play.
European explorers like Captain Cook encountered pot-bellied, short-legged poi dogs that freely associated with hogs in the village. The dogs had very short hair that could come in any color, but brown poi dogs were regarded as distinct enough to warrant a specific name. The dogs also had peculiarly flattened heads. The latter trait is sometimes ascribed to the diet of the dogs in some unspecified way. Considering that poi does not require chewing, the dogs might have lost the need to maintain strong temporalis muscle
s; a reduced temporal fossa
will cause a dog's head to appear flattened. Poi dogs were considered rather dim-witted and sluggish – any good hunting dog with acute senses would neither make a good poi dog, nor be particularly useful on the islands – however, the dogs were strong-willed and not easily commanded.
The poi dog was a two-purpose breed – used for food and as a lucky charm
. Unsuited for anything else, the breed declined to extinction as the native religion was abandoned and eating dog meat became unfashionable. Feral
dog
s of European settlers interbred with the poi dogs, and by the early 20th century at latest, the breed disappeared as a distinct entity.
.
Pariah dog
The term pariah dog originally referred to Chinese/Indian feral dogs of a particular type, but it is now used by the United Kennel Club to refer to a purebred dog category.- Feral dogs of India :...
from Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
which was used by Native Hawaiians as a spiritual protector of children and as a source of food
Dog meat
Dog meat refers to edible parts and the flesh derived from dogs. Human consumption of dog meat has been recorded in many parts of the world, including ancient China, ancient Mexico, and ancient Rome. According to contemporary reports, dog meat is consumed in a variety of countries such as...
.
History
The original Hawaiian poi dog derived its name from poiPoi (food)
Poi is a Hawaiian word for the primary Polynesian staple food made from the corm of the taro plant . Poi is produced by mashing the cooked corm until it is a highly viscous fluid...
, a Hawaiian staple food
Staple food
A staple food is one that is eaten regularly and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a diet, and that supplies a high proportion of energy and nutrient needs. Most people live on a diet based on one or more staples...
made from kalo or taro
Taro
Taro is a common name for the corms and tubers of several plants in the family Araceae . Of these, Colocasia esculenta is the most widely cultivated, and is the subject of this article. More specifically, this article describes the 'dasheen' form of taro; another variety is called eddoe.Taro is...
root. Poi was used to fatten the dogs for use as food because meat was too valuable to be used as dog food. Since the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
did not have large land mammals other than feral hogs, Poi dogs weren't needed for hunting. The dogs were never deliberately bred to a standard, but human
Artificial selection
Artificial selection describes intentional breeding for certain traits, or combination of traits. The term was utilized by Charles Darwin in contrast to natural selection, in which the differential reproduction of organisms with certain traits is attributed to improved survival or reproductive...
and natural selection
Natural selection
Natural selection is the nonrandom process by which biologic traits become either more or less common in a population as a function of differential reproduction of their bearers. It is a key mechanism of evolution....
still came into play.
European explorers like Captain Cook encountered pot-bellied, short-legged poi dogs that freely associated with hogs in the village. The dogs had very short hair that could come in any color, but brown poi dogs were regarded as distinct enough to warrant a specific name. The dogs also had peculiarly flattened heads. The latter trait is sometimes ascribed to the diet of the dogs in some unspecified way. Considering that poi does not require chewing, the dogs might have lost the need to maintain strong temporalis muscle
Temporalis muscle
The temporal muscle is one of the muscles of mastication.-Structure:It arises from the temporal fossa and the deep part of temporal fascia...
s; a reduced temporal fossa
Temporal fossa
The temporal fossa is a shallow depression on the side of the skull bounded by the temporal lines and terminating below the level of the zygomatic arch.-Boundaries:...
will cause a dog's head to appear flattened. Poi dogs were considered rather dim-witted and sluggish – any good hunting dog with acute senses would neither make a good poi dog, nor be particularly useful on the islands – however, the dogs were strong-willed and not easily commanded.
The poi dog was a two-purpose breed – used for food and as a lucky charm
Lucky charm
Lucky Charms is a breakfast cereal.Lucky charms are items within cultures that are believed to bring luck and may refer to:- Lucky Charms in Western Culture :*Four-leaf clover, an uncommon variation of the common, three-leaved clover...
. Unsuited for anything else, the breed declined to extinction as the native religion was abandoned and eating dog meat became unfashionable. Feral
Feral
A feral organism is one that has changed from being domesticated to being wild or untamed. In the case of plants it is a movement from cultivated to uncultivated or controlled to volunteer. The introduction of feral animals or plants to their non-native regions, like any introduced species, may...
dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
s of European settlers interbred with the poi dogs, and by the early 20th century at latest, the breed disappeared as a distinct entity.
Usage
Today, the term "poi dog" is most often used to refer to mix-breed dogs, but also attribute specific characteristics to Poi dogs, including the ability to eat anything, a strong will, and a unique appearance composed of different breeds. "Poi Dog" is also used to describe mixed breed dogs; sometimes, the term is colloquially used to describe people of mixed Hawaiian-Anglo heritage, although the more common term in use is hapaHapa
Hapa is a Hawaiian language term used to describe a person of mixed Asian or Pacific Islander racial or ethnic heritage.-Etymology:In the Hawaiian language, hapa is defined as: portion, fragment, part, fraction, installment; to be partial, less. It is a loan from the English word half...
.
External links
- Drawing of dog from Honolulu Zoo breeding program in Hemmer & Backhaus (1990): Domestication at Google Books
- Hawaiian Poi Dog Information
- Hawaiian Poi Dog info