Aloha nō e Leighton

Bradda Leighton was reunited with the ocean yesterday off Maunalua for the first since his prolonged illness over the last 4 years after suffering from a diving accident. Family and many friends were at Maunalua Beach Park to celebrate his life.

As a well know waterman, Leighton Look was remembered for his many talents including being an expert paddler and steersman, founder and coach of Hui Lanakila Canoe Club, expert carpenter, canoe builder and paddle maker, commercial fisherman, UH Manoa civil engineering graduate, Kalani High School football team linebacker in the early 1970's and many other things.

Leighton and his younger brother and my good friend Les helped me put in a nice big driveway at my folks house in Niu several years back. They also hosted many crazy parties including the biggest New Years eve parties with more fireworks than one could imagine. Leighton always would let my kids have as much fireworks as they wanted after their supply ran out. He always had coolers full of them. He would dive and fish days in advance of the parties and have the best food available with every imaginable seafood on the table.

Leighton will be really missed by his family, the paddling community & all the gang from Niu Valley who knew him since small kid time.

Aloha nō e Leighon a hui hou kākou i ka palekaiko o ko kākou Hakulani.

Yesterday's Limu Huki Tally

2000 lbs of invasive algae were removed from the reef flat in front of Paiko yesterday. Big mahalo to all the volunteers for your kokua and big mahalo to the gang from The Nature Conservancy for your on-going support of this effort.

Ke Kuahiwi o Hawaii Loa

1.
2.
3.
Hawaii Loa ridge between the Ahupua'a o Niu and the Ahupua'a of Wailupe still displays many native plant species from the original native Hawaiʻi dryland type forests which once covered much of the land in this area.

Koa (pic. 3), Maile (pic. 5), ʻIlima (pic. 7), ʻŌhiʻa Lehua (pic. 6), Lama, Naupaka Kuahiwi (pic. 4) & ʻIliahi or Sandalwood (pic. 1 & 2) are just some of the native plants & trees that can still be found here.

The Sandalwood trade, the introduction of foreign plants and trees and the introduction of cattle in the 1800's changed the landscape to a drastic extent. For example, the Kiawe tree which was prevalent in the valleys and lower hills of this area before homes were built was brought in to Hawaiʻi. It was quickly spread all over the place by the cattle which ate the Kiawe beans. The amount of invasive guava on the ridge is alarming as it is in many other areas.

The park and trail head on Hawaii Loa ridge is now at a place in which we once as kids called the dust bowls. The dust bowls were giant eroded out areas of red dirt. The dust bowls were our final destination as kids after hiking up the ridge from the highway and up through where all those million dollar homes are now, or up the side of the ridge where the gorge is above Niu Valley Intermediate School and tennis courts.

In those days Pheasant could be seen flying from the bushes and wild dogs were in the mountains and deep in the valleys which made it quite spooky wondering if you would ever run into them while hiking. Our weapons of choice were pellet and BB guns to defend ourselves and shoot at stuff. I never ran into the wild dogs; however, my family saw them on occasion from a distance in the Niu Valley school grounds and adjacent hills in the 1950ʻs and early 1960ʻs. I did see large dog foot prints in the dust bowls periodically though. Also, the dogs would dig into the deep piles of ironwood needles and make dens for the pups. We saw these ironwood needle dens often in the dust bowls and surrounding areas of the mountain.

There was no trail than behind the dust bowls as there is today that leads up to the top of the Koʻolau mountains (top picture) where you can look over to the windward side of the island to Waimanalo & Kailua.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Limu Huki

Another nice harvest of invasive algae was completed on Friday, August 29 by members of Mālama Maunalua and with the support of The Nature Conservancy.

Approx. 3540 lbs of invasive algae were pulled from the reef in front of the Kuliouʻou/Paiko area. Cleared areas are slowly growing bigger; however, the work is only in the beginning stages.

We load bags of seaweed on the Kayak and push it to shore where we unload the bags, than wheel barrow it to the road and load it on trucks. The work is labor intensive but we always have lots of fun. Maybe at some point, we can get the Seaweed Super Sucker back on the reef and use that again to see how it compares to hand pulling.

Avrainvillea amadalpha (mud weed), Gracilaria saliconia (gorilla ogo) and Acanthophora spicifera (prickly seaweed) are especially thick types of invasive algae in this area. After the removal of the invasive algae, the goal is to restock this area with native limu like "Limu Manauea" and other native species in which many areas in Maunalua Bay were once famous for.

Kalauhaʻehaʻe

Kalauhaʻehaʻe also called Lucas Spring is located in the Ahupuaʻa o Niu (above). It is a historic site and a wahi pana. The Maunalua Fish Pond Heritage Center, the community and the University of Hawaii at Mānoa are actively working together at this time to preserve this site.

The goal besides saving the site is to restore it to its original pristine quality as a fish pond and to use it for cultural and educational purposes through the University of Hawaiiʻs Hawaiian Studies Department.

Much of the fresh water flow to the stream was cut off during the widening of Kalanianaʻole Highway approx. 10 years ago. Upon restoring the below ground fresh water flow from the mauka side of the highway, the pond could become productive again.

Also, it would also create a vast improvement in the adjacent Maunalua Bay area where efforts are ongoing by Mālama Maunalua. Data collection, fish monitoring, invasive algae removal and other community projects administered by Mālama Maunalua are underway to stop degradation and restore the pristine quality of the bay.

Ka Lae o ka ʻŌʻio

Ka Lae o ka ʻŌʻio is the point that extends out into the ocean as you round the turn on Kamehameha highway at the end of Kualoa and enter the beginning of Kaʻaʻawa (as you head towards Kahuku -top picture above).

Ka Lae o ka ʻŌʻio not only separates nā ahupuaʻa of Kualoa and Kaʻaʻawa. It also separates nā moku (districts) of Koʻolaupoko and Koʻolauloa.

Kanehoalani hill or ridge directly above Ka Lae o ka ʻŌʻio is steeped in legend (bottom picture). The famous burial cave of aliʻi called Pohukaina located in this ridge is said to have once had many entrances and extend through out the Koʻolau mountains.

There was also a spring above Ka Lae o ka ʻŌʻio called Kaʻahuʻula. Kaʻahuʻula spring was reportedly destroyed by the US army during WWII when a gun site was built above and earth and rock from the gun site area covered the spring. The gun site can be seen to this day.

I am not positive as to the exact meaning of Ka Lae o ka ʻŌʻio except that with the kahakō over ʻŌʻio it means "The Point of the Bone Fish". Without the kahakō over ʻOʻio, ʻOʻio means "procession of ghosts of a departed chief and his company" per the Pukui/Elbert "Hawaiian Dictionary". I have seen it labeled in some texts as "The Point of the Bone Fish"; however, if you read about Pohukaina Cave and Kanehoalani ridge above, possibly "The Point of the Departed Chief" would be accurate also?

Hawea Heiau

Hawea heiau is located at the foot of Kaluanui Ridge (Mariners ridge) in the ahupuaʻa o Maunalua.

Remnants of the ancient site are where the coconut grove is located (see pictures above). This grove is near marshy land. Water holes in this area once provided fresh water when it rained to people living or passing through the area. Also, in ancient times there was a spring in this area called Waiakaʻaia which provided fresh water (History of Hawaii Kai & Maunalua - pg 34).

According to Levi Chamberland, a missionary who traveled through the Maunalua area in the early 1800ʻs, there was a village near where the Hawaii Kai Recreation Center is located now. This village according to him was called Keawaʻawa.

He counted nearly 100 huts in this area in which my guess would be that they were a combination of hale pili (thatched huts) and pāpaʻi lawaiʻa (fishermens huts). The inhabitants were mostly kānaka lawaiʻa (fishing people).

Nā Manu Kamaʻāina

Just a couple of pictures shot today while returning from a job on the Koʻolau side of Oʻahu. I stopped to shop in Kailua at a place near the Hamakua wetlands. Saw an ʻAlae ʻUla (Common Moorhen - bottom) and an ʻAukuʻu (Black-Crowned Night-Heron - top) at close range. The Hamakua wetlands are a good place to view wetland type birds native to Hawaii.

The ʻAukuʻu is often seen in Maunalua in the canals behind Kuapa pond. I have not seen the ʻAlae ʻUla in Maunalua though. Often the Aeʻo (Hawaiian Stilt) is seen in Maunalua around the pond areas and also in Kamiloiki Park.

The Hamakua wetlands are very much like what the wetlands of Maunalua and Kūapa pond looked like before Hawaii Kai was developed (below).

If you have not already noticed, the Kōlea (Golden Plover) has returned within the last couple of weeks. Also, the ʻŪlili (Wandering Tattler) should be returning also at this time. You can often see ʻŪlili around Kuliʻouʻou Beach Park (on the beach) and around the Paiko Lagoon area.

ʻOama Season

No work scheduled for today (or actually had work but never did any). Went fishing instead...
So it is for me! I take little mini-vacations when I can since I usually don't take long ones.

Went ʻoama fishing at my favorite ʻoama fishing spot at Waiʻalae Beach (above). After catching about a couple dozen went home for a break. Than went to spot near Makapuʻu late in the day to see if there were any pāpio to be had. ʻAʻohe! Used about have my bait. Took the rest home. Will fry um tomorrow for snack. Hopefully, will have time to catch more ʻoama in a few days and try again for pāpio somewhere else.

Pu'u o Hulu

If you listen to Hawaiian songs you often will hear place names mentioned in the mele.

The Waiʻanae coast has many majestic and beautiful ridges extending from the Waiʻanae mountain range towards the sea. Take note of the beauty of these ridges next time you drive or visit the Waiʻanae coast.

One of these ridges is called "Puʻu o Hulu" (pictures above & below). This is the ridge near the sea that separates Nānākuli and Māʻili.

This ridge is mentioned in the well known paniolo mele called "Kaula ʻIli". This song consists of two versus with the lyrics of the second verse being more often heard. The second verse starts with " "Hoʻomākaukau kou kaula ʻili".

The third line in the lesser heard first verse goes "Eia aʻe ʻo Puʻuohulu" which says "Puʻuohulu hill draws near".

Take note of the beauty of this hill next time driving Farrington highway between Nānākuli & Māʻili and the "hill is drawing near".

New Web Sites

Congradulations to Mālama Maunalua, Maunalua Fish Pond Heritage Center & Hui Maunalua in the launching of there new web-sites (shown below) which are now up and running. Please be sure to check them out!

These organizations are surely among those at the forefront of bringing the community of Maunalua and adjacent ahupuaʻa together in preserving the past and in working towards the future for the betterment of our community and local environment.

Mālama Maunalua: www.malamamaunalua.org
Maunalua Fish Pond Heritage Center: www.maunaluafishpondheritage.com
Hui Maunalua: www.maunalua.net

Keahupua o Maunalua

"Keahupua o Maunalua" is the original name for Kuapā Pond in the ahupuaʻa o Maunalua.

In old Hawaii, the Keahupua o Maunalua was "kapu" for most makaʻāinana (commoners) to enter or take fish from. The penalty for violating this kapu would be death. Kuapā pond in its original state (which of course has been transformed into what is called Koko marina more recently) was a fine example of Hawaiian engineering and construction.

Approximately where Kalanianaʻole highway is located now and extending along the makai side of Maunalua is where the makai side pond wall stood. The top of the wall was very narrow (only a few feet) as compared to the amount of fill land that separates the ocean and marina today.

The wall extended from the east edge of Kuliouʻou to mauka of Kawaihoa (Portlock) and was fitted with several mākāhā (sluice gates) to regulate the fresh and salt water flow into and out of the pond. This original pond wall probably stood for hundreds of years before it was demolished around 1960 when the development of what is now called by many Hawaii Kai started.

Keahupua o Maunalua at 523 acres was the largest or one of the largest fish ponds in Hawaii.

Ke Kula o Kamauwai

In the old days the ahupuaʻa o Maunalua was famous for itʻs sweet potatos (ʻuala) in addition to itʻs fish (iʻa) from Kuapa Pond.

The ʻuala growing land that stretched from Kamiloiki to Kealakipapa was called "Ke Kula o Kamauwai". Beside growing on the plains/open lands (kula) of Maunalua, ʻuala were also grown in certain valleys (awāwa) such as Kamilonui.

The Hawaiians traded ʻuala from "ke kula o Kamauwai" with early English ships and with whaling ships that anchored offshore in Maunalua Bay during the late 1700ʻs to the mid-1800ʻs.

Outside Hawaii TV Show on OC 16

Kudo's to Cal Hirai on his great work on segments about Mālama Maunalua Makai Watch in OUTSIDE HAWAIʻI shown on OC 16. This is a great show which is very entertaining and educational. It discusses many environmental issues and cultural topics which should be of great interest to us all (thanks goes to Mahi for sending the schedule out to us earlier!)

OC 16 OUTSIDE HAWAIʻI Schedule:

• Monday @ 12 am, 11am, 9:30pm
• Tuesday @ 2:30 pm
• Friday @ 1:30 PM
• Saturday @ 4am, 11:30 am
• Sunday @ 6pm
  

Sending Out a Kāhea

Sending out a call to all, if any one knows of any families or individuals who lived on Maunalua Pond or in the Ahupua'a o Maunalua prior to development of Hawaii Kai starting in the early 1960's, please reply to this post.

There is much interest to talk story with these individuals or families and document as much as possible of the old history of Maunalua. Kupuna who lived in this area with any knowledge or insights into the Ahupuaʻa o Maunalua and its history would be of great value to the community and community members who are working to restore and preserve the environmental health & cultural knowledge of this area.

Kaʻapuni Oʻahu

Today, many hard working volunteers came to Maunalua Beach Park to kokua in pulling a large amount of invasive alien seaweed from the bay. Others picked up ʻōpala along the shoreline and in the boat ramp parking lot.

The event was in celebration of Hui Nalu Canoe Clubs 100th birthday and was called "Kaʻapuni Oʻahu" in which the canoe club paddled around the island of Oʻahu. Duke Kahanamoku who was born in 1890 was one of the founders of Hui Nalu in 1908 (he would have been 18 years of age) and was a classmate of one of my aunties (my grandmothers sister) at Kaʻahumanu School in the late 1890ʻs and early 1900ʻs.

As a side note, I knew Dukeʻs brother, Sarge Kahanamoku and his wife when I was in high school and I worked at the Niu Valley Shopping Center hardware store (called "Handyman") in the mid 1970ʻs. He would come in and ask for me when he needed assistance. I would sometimes deliver stuff out of the back of my old yellow Datsun pick-up truck to his townhouse in Maunalua when he lived on Spinnaker Isle on the marina. He was a super nice guy and would always give me a nice tip after delivering stuff to him.

Also included in the celebrations and in partnership with Hui Nalu Canoe Club, Mālama Maunalua and other groups in the community were environmental, cultural & educational awareness activities in conjunction with the "International Year of the Reef" campaign.

Community service projects on this Memorial Day weekend included working with "Paepae o Heʻeia" and their Heʻeia fish pond restoration project, "Nani o Waiʻanae" and their Nānākuli Beach clean up & finally today finishing up at Maunalua with "Mālama Maunalua" and their alien algae removal and beach clean up.

Hui Nalu canoes shuttled volunteers back & forth and brought in bag after bag of alien seaweed to be loaded into trucks, disposed of or used for mulch. According to Eric Co who spearheaded the alien algae removal effort, 3705 lbs of alien algae was removed or nearly a half acre was cleared of the invasive seaweed. Quite an accomplishment I would say!

Mahalo nui to all for all your good work.

Maunalua Talk Story with Uncle Fishy

Mahalo nui to Tokio "Fishy" Jodoi and Annie Inouye for meeting with us this past Sunday at Kuliʻouʻou Beach Park to talk story about the Maunalua of days gone by.

Uncle Fishy is nearly 90 years young and told us about the old days of living in the ahupuaʻa of Maunalua. His parents had lease rights to Maunalua fish pond from 1915 to 1938 with a couple other families.

Uncle Fishy grew up working on the pond with his family. He had to restock the pond with baby ʻamaʻama (mullet) which they would catch in the bay outside of the pond in front of Maunalua, Kuliʻouʻou, Niu, Wailupe and Waialae. The would catch the ʻamaʻama with nets and raise the pua (baby fish) in the pond until market size and than sell them.

They could control water flow and fish entering the pond by operating several mākāhā (sluice gates) at the entrance to the pond. Other fish besides ʻamaʻama that would enter the pond included, ʻawaʻawa, āholehole, awa, pāpio and kākū.

Uncle Fishy told us of how he would study by kerosene lamp at night and they would have to get there drinking water from town.

He remembers being able to see the glow of the big volcanic eruptions on Hawaii island during the 1930ʻs from the Kalama Valley and Sandy Beach areas.

Uncle Fishyʻs family lived in a structure that was approx. 50 yards from where Hawaii Kai drive meets Kalanianaole Hwy now. To get to town and back home, you would have to cross the May Way bridge which was just a single lane wood bridge. This bridge, Uncle Fishy said was plenty sufficient in those days because you would only have maybe 3 or 4 cars per day travel the bumby coral rock road to come all the way out to Maunalua which was than considered the "sticksʻ or "boondocks".

More about Uncle Fishy later.

Ahupua'a o Maunalua - Kua'aina

Maunalua still does have kua'aina which is back lands or country. Beautiful country and wild life (pua'a) are still here as seen on a recent afternoon visit.

We should strive to keep as much as possible (of what little is left) of the kua'aina o Maunalua. The area is still unique and should be preserved in the proper way for future generations through the application of the traditional Hawaiian ahupua'a land management system.

Traditional Hawaiian cultural practices and farming on this land would educate the surrounding Hawaii Kai community of things Hawaiian which is desperately needed in this area especially with the large amount of malihini who have moved to this area from the mainland and other countries more recently. A greater appreciation for the land and Maunalua Bay by all might result.

Keeping balance within the community by stopping future over-development and starting to re-create more traditional ways of managing the land would be paramount in maintaining the health of this community.

Ahupua'a o Maunalua - Pahua Heiau

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is seeking organizations or persons interested in stewardship of Pahua Heiau in Maunalua. OHA can be contacted directly for information.

Pahua is most likely an agricultural heiau and is located at the foot of the ridge between Kamiloiki & Kamilonui Valleys. OHA owns this 1 acre lot in which the heiau is located. The heiau measures approx. 68 feet by 40 feet and consists of a rock terrace and several low walls. Pahua was partially restored in the mid-1980's.

Ahupua'a o Maunalua

Last Wednesday a friend and I went to the top of Koko Crater via the old trolley car tracks that extend up the southwest side of the crater. The tracks are heavily used these days by hikers and fitness enthusiast. I remember watching the white trolley car go up and down the crater when I was a small kid in the 1960's.

I last went up to the top of Koko Head about 6 or 7 years ago and there was hardly anybody using the tracks at that time. As you may have seen on TV or in the news there is some controversy regarding the use of the tracks by hikers and others due to the close proximity of the rifle range. The rifle range is located in a smaller crater called Kahauloa Crater (see pictures 1, 2 & 3 below). Hanauma Bay and Koko Head (Kuamo'o o Kane or Mo'okua 0 Kaneapua) are in full view behind Kahauloa crater in Pic. 3.

Kohelepelepe is the Hawaiian name for Koko Crater. I believe the more common name of Koko Crater was inspired by the missionaries who did not like to use the name of Kohelepelepe for the crater because they did not like the meaning of the words. Read about the legends of Pele and Kamapua'a if you don't know or want to learn more. I am to hilahila to explain it.

Pic. 4 shows a small crater like island in Kuapa Pond (Koko Marina) which has water in the center of it. This island is a valuable sanctuary for native or indigenous wetland birds which I sometimes see in the marina or in grassy parks of Hawaii Kai after heavy rains.

Maunalua Bay at sunset is visible in Pic. 5.

1. 2. 3.

4. 5.

Lucas and Kuliwai Ponds - Ahupua'a of Niu & Kuliou'ou

Believe it or not, there are two existing fish ponds in the Maunalua area that still exist and have not been filled in (yet!) like Wailupe and Kupapa (Niu Peninsula) fish ponds have or altered like Kuapa fish pond has.

On Tuesday, Feb. 19, a group of us were allowed to access a residential lot from Paiko Beach that is currently being held by the state. On this lot is a fish pond called Lucas Spring (see color pictures below). The pond has a house on post and piers that is partially built over it. The house I believe was condemned during highway widening several years ago. During the highway widening, it is believed that a substantial amount of the below ground fresh water flow to the pond was cut-off or blocked. Consequently, the amount of fresh water entering the spring has greatly diminished. The pond was very productive before with mullet, awa, aholehole and other fish that like brackish water. In one of the pictures below you can see a kahawai or makaha that is still there that once connected the pond to the ocean.

The black and white photo below shows the other pond in the area called Kuliwai (one old map called it Kanewai). This pond is land locked and surrounded by private property and residential lots. There is a narrow kahawai that connects it to Paiko Lagoon. The black and white photo was taken in the 1950's. I believe the little island in the pond is still there; however, the coconut trees on the island have recently died.

The hope is that these two wahi pana in Maunalua will remain. Lucas Spring and Kuliwai Pond have been neglected for too long! It is time for them to be restored, cared for and used for cultural purposes or as seen proper by experts such as those at UH Manoa Hawaiian Studies Department. Proper stewardship of the ponds would be of great benefit to the restoration and health of Maunalua Bay region and surrounding ahupua'a.

We must not let these historic Hawaiian sites be lost forever in our community. Way to much has been lost already!