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!

Beach Clean-up & Invasive Seaweed Removal at Maunalua

Plenty of people, young and old, showed up on Saturday, January 12 to offer their kokua in cleaning up Maunalua Bay Beach Park and in removing alien algae from the reef flats in front of Kuliou'ou.

Alyssa Miller & Mahi Genson La Pierre led off the morning with a briefing, than Mahi conducted a pule after which we all went off to pick-up rubbish and clean the shoreline, park, boat ramp area and parking lot. Others went to Kuliou'ou Beach Park and walked out onto the flats to pull invasive seaweed.

I believe approximately 800 lbs plus of seaweed was pulled and brought back to Maunalua Beach Park for sorting and investigation. I watched Eric Co's bottomed-out pick-up truck pull-in, than we unloaded I would guess maybe 30 to 40 bags of seaweed which were weighed and emptied onto the sorting table.

Eric informed everyone about what to look for in the piles of seaweed, with the invasive stuff to be discarded, and any native limu and small animals found to be put back into the sea.

As I drove past the park on the way out after the mornings activities, the beach park and ocean looked especially beautiful in the sunlight thanks to all the good work put in by everybody who participated and that was the ultimate pay off on that fine morning.

Mahalo to everyone for coming out on Saturday and helping malama the ahupua'a of Maunalua.

Makahiki Games at Maunalua Beach Park

Many thanks to Mahi Genson La Pierre for providing education and Hawaiian games at Maunalua Beach Park on Saturday, Dec. 15 in honor of and celebrating the Makahiki season.

A handfull of us gathered in the morning and had a good time rolling "ulu maika" stones, sliding "moa pahe'e" darts and throwing Hawaiian spears. Gladly, none of us participants was designated for sacrifice. A coconut husk secured to a coconut tree was used as a target for the spears.

Some pictures are shown to the left of the finely crafted game pieces in which Mahi had made some of himself. Also, of the games being played.

Mahalo nui loa again to Mahi for the fun morning.

Koko Marina Center - Ahupua'a o Maunalua

In the 1950's and early 1960's on the land on and around where Koko Marina Shopping Center now stands were several commercial establishments.

These establishments included a small "mom & pop" type store called Woodlawn Market that was situated approximately where Foodland is now located. Next to Woodlawn Market was a tavern or road house where brawls and fights were reportedly quite common. There was a saimin stand that was converted into a snack shop called the Pink Poodle also next to Woodlawn Market. A Union Oil Station stood near where the church is on Lunalilo Home Road across from the current Unocal station.

In the early 1960's, Henry Kaiser also had his executive and administrative offices along with some experimental structures on the land where homes are now situated along the highway west of First Hawaiian Bank.

Lastly, radio and television personality Lucky Luck had a tavern where the Mormon Church is now located. At that time, people would bring crabs and fish they caught in Maunalua Bay and Lucky would prepare it for them in his tavern.

Lucky Luck was a neighbor of mine in Niu Valley for a brief period of time when I was a kid. I remember hanging out at his house a few times (he had a swimming pool) and having the pleasure of meeting him. He was quite a jovial fellow.

Seaweed Super Sucker in Action off Ahupua'a 'o Kuliou'ou

On Wednesday, Nov. 7th - Eric Co, Kanekoa Kukea-Shultz, Jeff Sayre, Ramona Sayre & Linda Onomoto took the Super-Sucker out on the reef flats off Paiko Lagoon for some action. I was able to meet them when they came in later in the afternoon at Kuliou'ou Beach Park to help sift through the approx. 5 bags of limu that was sucked up.

There was approx. 72 lbs total of limu total sucked up from a 5 square meter area. Approx. 711/2 lbs of this limu was the invasive type and 1/2 lb was native limu. The native limu and small animals that were found in the bags of limu were put back into the ocean.

Eric - please throw in any comments you might have regarding (what I think was) the first outing of the machine in this area, on how the machine worked or the ratio of invasive limu to native limu found. See pictures above of super sucker machine and limu being sifted.

Wailupe Fishpond - Ahupua'a 'o Wailupe

Remaining on the subject of fishponds. Another fishpond in Maunalua Bay was Wailupe fishpond. This fishpond was adjacent to Wailupe Beach Park and located across from the Wailupe fire station. This area is now known as Wailupe Circle.

The pond was 41 acres in size and had a wall approx. 2500 feet long. The west side or Wailupe Beach Park side of the pond evidently had a sandy area. There were four inlets or outlets to the pond (makaha) on this side. The wall of the pond consisted of water worn basalt rock which was 12 feet wide. The inside of the pond consisted of sand and silt. McAllister - Arch. of Oahu; Sterling & Summers - Sites of Oahu pp. 274-275.

Wailupe fishpond was a larger pond than Niu's Kupapa pond. The channel and anchorage that exists to this day around Wailupe Peninsula was dredged in 1947 by Hawaiian Dredging and the material was pumped into the old Wailupe fishpond so that homes could be built on the fill land a few years later.

Paiko Lagoon Field Trip - Ahupua'a 'o Kuliou'ou

This last Saturday, Oct. 13 - a group of us from Malama Maunalua led by Alyssa Miller and Christina Ryder of Ducks Unlimited ventured into Paiko Lagoon Wildlife Sanctuary for a sightseeing tour and a discussion of the flora & fauna of the area. We also were able to clean litter from the area and pull-up some of the invasive seaweed growing in the lagoon.

Alyssa had described some of the previous work that has been done in the area including removal of some of the invasive plants and trees. There removal provides space and less competition for some of the native plants to grow in the region such as the Pohuehue vine and Milo trees which are trying to keep steadfast on the beach area. Also, how Paiko Peninsula has been historically very unstable with sands constantly shifting over time.

Christina mentioned that the lagoon is very productive in regards to providing safe grounds for pua or offspring of certain fish such as oio, mullet, aholehole & kaku (barracuda). Baby mullet were seen jumping and swimming in schools throughout the area.

Not many birds were seen in the lagoon while we were there except for some Kolea (Pacific Golden Plover) & possibly a couple of 'Ulili (Wandering Tattler) off at a distance. No Ae'o (Hawaiian Stilt) or "Auku'u (Black Crowned Night Heron) were seen; although, I often do see them in the lagoon and in other areas in Maunalua such as the canals in the valleys leading to Kuapa pond. "Ulili are common to see on the beach and mud flats off Kuli'ou'ou Beach Park.

Mostly invasive seaweed was found in the lagoon such as the Gracilaria (Gorilla Ogo), Avrainvillea (Leather Mudweed) and the Acanthophora (Prickly Seaweed). Where the mudweed was growing it was quite soft & muddy. Your feet sink into the sediment making it difficult to walk at times. Although, mostly all of the seaweed I observed was invasive - I did see a small pocket of Limu Palahalaha. Another green seaweed was growing in small areas in which I cannot remember the name other than it has "tax" in part of its scientific name. The leaves look like small palm fronds. I don't know if this particular seaweed is an invasive or native seaweed. It was growing right at the inlet into the lagoon. There is some Limu 'Ele'ele growing on rocks outside the lagoon; however, I didn't see any inside the lagoon.

The Avrainvillea seaweed which is growing thickly on the flats outside the lagoon I had heard is not liked by fish. From my observations in this area, this seems to be true. I never see much fish in the area where it is growing other than a periodic barracuda.

Paiko Lagoon is a beautiful place and very unique to this area now. I view it as sort of a last vestige of what was once common in this area before Kuapa pond was dredged and developed by Henry Kaiser.

Kupapa Fishpond - Ahupua'a 'o Niu

Where Niu Iki Circle is now adjacent to Kalanianaole Highway and opposite (makai) of Niu Shopping Center was once an ancient Hawaiian fish pond called Kupapa.

The pond was filled in and used for agricultural purposes before house were built in that location. The wall of the pond was originally 3 feet high and 8 feet in width forming a semicircle approx. 2000 feet long. The pond area was several acres in size - McAllister (Archeology of Oahu) & Sterling & Summers p. 273 (Sites of Oahu ).

Does anyone have any information or knowledge regarding the old Kupapa pond area prior to houses being built on it in approx. the 1960's.

Ahupua'a 'o Maunalua

On Saturday, Oct. 6 - It was good fun taking a leisurely walk up the private road atop 642 foot high Koko Head originally called "Mo'okua 'o Kaneapua" and "Kuamo'okane" with other members of Malama Maunalua. The group was led by Alissa Miller and Anne Rosa.

Both Alissa and Anne gave interesting insights about the surroundings of the area as they focused on Maunalua and Hanauma Bays.

Anne pointed out interesting cultural & historical aspects of the area such as the wind of Hanauma which is called 'Ihi'ihilauakea. Also, a crater of the same name is located in Koko Head to the west of Hanauma where a very rare native fern grows. She mentioned how Hanauma was used as a launching point for Hawaiian sailing canoes heading out to sea. The bay providing a safe, sheltered habitat and an abundance of seafood while waiting for ideal conditions to launch.

Alissa informed us about Maunalua Bay and what some of Malama Maunalua's current & upcoming projects are for Maunalua Bay. Also, the importance of continued monitoring of Maunalua Bay by Makai Watch members. The view of both bays was quite impressive from our vantage points.

Mahi La Pierre had told us the mo'olelo of Kuamo'okane at a previous Malama Maunalua Makai Watch meeting. In brief, Kuamo'okane is the back of Kaneapua (Kuamo'okane). A version of the story can be told on a future posting.

Ahupua'a 'o Niu - The Old Niu Valley Pier

In Maunalua Bay, in the ahupua'a of Niu in the Kona district of Oahu - up until sometime (approx.) in the late 1970's or early 1980's there was an old pier that extended out in front of Niu Valley (just Diamond Head side of Niu Peninsula or Niu Iki Circle (once an ancient fish pond named Kupapa). The old wood plank pier extended out approx. a 1/4 mile over the reef flat or about 2/3rds of the way to the breakers from the beach.

There was a platform on the very end of the pier (maybe about 10 ft x 10 ft) with a metal ladder. The pier was used when I was a kid for playing, fishing, flying kites off the end of and for a shorter paddle out surfing. We had some great games of king of the pier there. King of the pier consisted of pushing others kids, who wanted to play, off the end of the pier into the water and the last one standing on the pier was the winner (I was usually one of the first to get thrown off and don't ever remember winning the lucky title of king of the pier).

Does anyone know when the pier was originally built and for what purpose? Did it have something to do with the cattle & dairy ranches that were in this area before residential development? The pier was in disrepair when we played and walked on it as kids. Some of the planks were very springy.

Also, in Maunalua Bay - old rusting metal piles are in the water to this day off Paiko peninsula in front of the neighboring ahupua'a of Kuliou'ou. What structure or function were these piles originally a part of? There is no channel adjacent to the piles; however, there is a channel running parallel to the shore in front of Kuliou'ou Beach Park (appor. 50 yards off-shore). The piles are on the reef flat directly outside Kuliou'ou stream outlet adjacent to Kuliou'ou Beach Park.

Popoia

Just off shore of the Kailua ahupua'a in Kailua Bay is Popoia island. Also, known as Flat island, Popoia measures 3.7 acres in size and has a maximum elevation of 10 feet above sea level. It is owned by the State of Hawaii and is designated as a seabird sanctuary.

Popoia means rotted fish. It was named Popoia because of fish bones left at this place (Sites of Oahu , pp. 238). Ko'a (shrine) for moi was previously located in the center of the island. The 1946 title wave ruined the ko'a. Ko'a was used up until the 1920's by informants father with appropriate pule (prayer) - (Sites of Oahu, pp. 238, informant Louis Mahoe).

'Apuakehau Stream

Before the Ala Wai canal was built in the 1920's, mauka streams draining from the ahupua'a areas of Palolo, Manoa and Makiki filled swampy land, ponds and rice fields in what we now known as Moili'ili, McCully and the Waikiki area mauka of Kalakaua Ave.

These marsh lands drained into three streams that extended makai through the Waikiki area. The stream on the east edge of Waikiki was near what is now Kapahulu Ave. This stream was called Ku'ekaunahi. The stream on the west edge of Waikiki drained into the sea where Ft. Derussy is today and was called Pi'inaio. The middle stream running dead center through Waikiki was called 'Apuakehau. 'Apuakehau entered the ocean where the Outrigger Hotel is today on Kalakaua Ave. (between the Moana Hotel and the Royal Hawaiian Hotel). Kaiualani Ave. covers the original path of 'Apuakehau stream.

The ancient and famous surfing spot called Kalehuawehe was located just outside the mouth of the stream (probably about where Canoe's surfing spot is located today). 'Apuakehau stream formed a muliwai (lagoon) just before it entered the ocean.

On the west bank of 'Apuakehau stream approximately where the Royal Hawaiian Hotel is today was the royal coconut grove at Helumoa. If you walk through the beautiful gardens of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel - some of the tall coconut trees standing there today are remnants of that grove.

The famous chief of O'ahu in the 1500's, Kakuhihewa lived at Ulukou on the east bank of 'Apuakehau stream which is now where the Moana Hotel stands.

'Apuakehau nor any of the other steams mentioned above exist anymore. At least as they once did on the surface of the land. However, we are reminded that the spirit of 'Apuakehau is not dead - it flows below ground and during heavy rains the Outrigger hotels basement parking garage reportedly often floods with water. The water originates from drains in the garage floor. This is the water of 'Apuakehau which still runs below ground under the buildings and streets that now cover Waikiki. See Down Wind Productions website for interesting facts, comments and pictures about Waikiki and 'Apuakehau stream.

Maniniholo Dry Cave

In the Kaiwiku'i mountain ridge in the Ha'ena ahupua'a of Kaua'i there is a large cave at the base of the ridge called Maniniholo. Maniniholo was the name of the head fisherman at a time when the menehune were leaving Kaua'i.

Maniniholo and is workers once gathered an abundance of seafood from the reefs and bay at Ha'ena for a feast. They did this to honor the menehune before their departure from the island.

Since there was such a great amount of food gathered, some of the food remained after the feast. During the night, the remaining food disappeared.

Maniniholo realized that the e'epa had taken the food after seeing them in the lava cracks in the sides of the cliff above the beach. He and his workers dug into the cliff and killed the e'epa (Wichman, Kaua'i - Ancient Place Names & Their Stories - p. 127-128).

The Maniniholo dry cave is located adjacent to the main road and is across from Ha'ena Beach Park.

Kanoenoe Plain

Central Oahu is loaded with many ancient place names that are no longer commonly called by these names. One of these names is Kanoenoe plain. This area falls within the ahupua'a of Waipio in the Ewa district.

Kanoenoe plain is the area which is now covered by the Central Oahu Regional Park. This is a newer park of good size that was completed within the last couple of years. It is located just south of Kipapa Gulch and west of the Waipio Gentry residential development. Before the park, the land was covered by pineapples and before that, possibly sugar cane.

Some of the place names of the old central Oahu area are included in a poem that was as follows:

The icy wind of Lihu'e plied its spurs,
Pulling up the bridle of Hale'au'au,
Speeding headlong over Kalena
And running over the plain of Kanoenoe.

Na Wahi Pana O Ewa
Ka Loea Kalaiaina, July, 22, 1899 Newspaper
Sterling & Summers, Sites of Oahu p. 21

Kamilonui

Kamilonui Valley which lies in the ahupua'a of Maunalua in the Kona district of Oahu is one of the last valleys of significant size in all of Honolulu which remains undeveloped.

The land is used primarily for agricultural purposes at this time. The valley is under threat of development even though farmers leases extend for approx. 15 more years. See letter I wrote to the Honolulu Advertiser Editor in 2005 which addresses the valley and the adjacent heiau called Pahua.

Rock shelters and burial caves were once used in the valley (Sites of Hawaii, p. 264). One of the larger caves above the old Kaiwi road which use to extend to the back of the valley (along the east side) is visible half way up the ridge on the northeast side of the valley.

Although, Kamilonui valley was once included in the larger Maunalua ahupua'a, the valley has nearly all of the elements of a traditional ahupua'a. The base of the valley lacks a large seafront area; however, it does contact the tip of Kuapa pond which is connected to the sea. This valley would be an ideal location to put into practice traditional dryland cultivation and to serve as a model of a traditional ahupua'a system extending from mauka (low mountain peak of Ko'olau mountains above the valley) to makai (mauka tip of Kuapa pond).

There is a stream in the valley that extends to the mauka tip of Kuapa pond that has water flowing through it with aquatic life. The flow does become heavy during rainy weather with the lower portion of the valley adjacent to stream prone to flooding.

Could this valley not serve as a model ahupua'a in which other areas (ahupua'a) developed or not, could learn from? Also, the use, management and cultivation of a dryland type ahupua'a could be observed and studied in contrast to a wetter type ahupua'a such as for example - Kahana valley. Pictures of Kamilonui valley, Pahua heiau and cave on east side ridge of valley are shown above.

Waolani

Waolani is a small valley located within the larger Nu'uanu valley. Nu'uanu valley is located mauka of downtown Honolulu. O'ahu Country Club now occupies much of Waolani valley. Legend states that the e'epa people once lived in this valley. The e'epa were similar to the menehune. Both of whom were known for being active and working at night.

Many heiau including some of the earliest were located in Waolani. A holua slide may have also previously been situated at the end of a ridge that separates Waolani & Nu'uanu valleys (McAllister - Arch. of Oahu - Sites of Oahu p. 304). I believe the ridge being described is Kekoalani ridge.

One of the famous heiau here was called Kawaluna. The heiau was sacred or a Po'ohonua (Place of Refuge) to all who were sick or who suffered from a wide range of strange ailments (McAllister, Arch. of O'ahu - Sites of Oahu p. 304).

A great battle occurred in Waolani several hundred years ago between ali'i from the Ko'olaupoko and Kona districts of O'ahu. The battle ended in the submission by the Kona ali'i to Kuali'i, the chief from Ko'olaupoko and also the mo'i of O'ahu at that time. Kuali'i than returned to Kailua in the Ko'olaupoko district. This battle was called the "Battle of Kawaluna" (Fornander, Polynesian Race, Vol. II - Sites of O'ahu p. 304).

The Kawaluna battle was in Waolani valley in the Kona district and the winner of this battle was an ali'i from the neighboring Ko'olaupoko district on the opposite (windward) side of the Ko'olau mountains. In speculation on my part, the Kona chief(s) must have felt a strong resentment towards Kuali'i (even with his status as mo'i of O'ahu) to come into their district and exert authority over them on their own grounds. The resentment (or other unknown reason) was obviously strong enough on the Kona chief(s) part to cause them to attempt to resist Kuali'i.

Makahoa Point

Northern point of the Malaekahana ahupua'a in the Ko'olauloa distrct of Oahu. A fishing shrine for the 'o'io fish was once located on the point. Also, a fish pond called Waipunaea was located near here. Adams field named after Andrew Adams, a Kahuku plantation manager in the early 1900's is located just inland of the point. Mokuauia island (Goat Island) lies on the opposite southern side of the bay.

Certain schools of mullet are said to originate from a place in Pu'uloa (Pearl Harbor) and swim around the southeast end of Oahu, around Makapu'u, and up the windward coast to Makahoa Point. Once they reach here, the schools of mullet disappear (McAllister, Arch. of Oahu). What happens to them is not known; although, it has been said that they may enter an unidentified sea cave or ocean tunnel.

If you have ever camped at the northern Malaekahana camp sites, you may have walked out to this point from the beach. On the way out to the point you have to cross Kaukanala'au stream which empties into the north portion of the bay. Makahoa Point is wind swept and horses sometimes graze here.

Pu'u o Moloka'i

Not of the island of Moloka'i, but of a small hill in the Waimanalo ahupua'a in the Ko'olaupoko district of Oahu.

Long ago a man from Moloka'i migrated to Waimanalo and took refuge on this hill. Soon after, others from Moloka'i followed and lived also on this hill. Over a period of time, these people and there descendents lost their identity as people being from Moloka'i and were absorbed by the people of Waimanalo. (Oahu Place Names - Bishop Museum)

The hill was said to have been in an old cane field in the vicinity of (across from) Waimanalo park. It would be of interest to know if Pu'u o Moloka'i disappeared long ago, if it disappeared in more recent times when residential development occurred or if the hill still exists in some way, shape or form?