Bamboo was known to ancient Hawaiians as ʻohe. The plant was considered to be a kinolau of the creator god Kāne. This relationship is forever remembered on the island of Oʻahu in a town called Kāneʻohe literally translated as the bamboo husband.

ʻOhe was brought to these islands by migrating Polynesians who braved the vast Pacific Ocean searching for new land. These voyagers understood ʻohe's importance and made good use of the plant.

The ʻOhe stem could be used as a water container. One end would be sealed off to creat a perfect, long, cylindrical cup. By using a tool called the ʻohe puhi ahi ancient Hawaiians were able to start fires. They would blow air through the ʻohe puhi ahi onto the embers of a kindling fire.

Hawaiians would shred the stem to make rope, mats, hats, and screens.

Cutting the ʻohe stem in half lengthwise, then cutting out the nodes, allowed for an excellent means of irrigation. This system allowed water to flow down a newly made irrigation trough from a stream into the loʻi patch.

The ʻohe was also used during birth. The tough wood could be carved into a knife specifically meant to cut the umbilical cord.

Long ʻohe sticks called lapa were used to apply dye to kapa cloth. Small geometric shapes were cut to make ʻohe kāpala which were used to stamp designs onto kapa.

The plant could also be used to make homes, bridges and gutters.

The plant was used in hula, chant and mele. A three-holed nose flute, ʻohe hano ihu, is made from the hollow stem of a bamboo shoot. Percussion instruments, including the pūʻili are also made using ʻohe. Other sounds can emanate from the ʻohe kāʻekeʻeke, tubes of the thick-walled bamboo, with closed nodes on the bottom end. These are alternately struck on the ground produce the pleasing, resonant tones that accompany well-known mele hula "Kahikilaulani" and "Holo Ana ʻo Kalākaua."