In some places it is not strange to see what cannot be seen by others. Often times I find myself seeing beyond what most of us see as I spend my day driving to and from doing all the things we all do as families living and working in Kapolei. Maybe it is the aspirations of a dreamer. Not sure how it happened or when it started but I find myself often seeing beyond mere walls, buildings, roads, shadows of people with no faces. To see it as it once was ……through the eyes of one who has passed this way before. It grows out of a sincere and genuine relationship with the aina upon which we lay our head.

I think most of us today have developed a talent to ignore those things that frustrate us and dwell on that which comforts us. One can find peace in the past. When life was simple. I think we all feel at times if only we could go back to when we were young. When days were long and sunny. When we found pleasure in simple things. To dwell on how life once was. To see the O’o as he feeds on the Noni at Kanehili. To see Hi’iaka as she admires her reflection in the pond of Hoakalei. To see Namakaokapao’o as he seeks his father’s mahiole (feather helmet) and ahuula (feather cape) beneath the standing breadfruit tree at Kualaka’i. To see Kahai-a-Ho’okamali’i at Kualaka’i. Seeing is what these articles are all about. Our Kupuna had another way of sharing that thought, or that ability……or talent. I have heard it referred to as the “Makakolu”, or the “third eye”. To see what cannot be seen….to appreciate and embrace that which we cannot understand.

This is what this essay is about…..it is about those who have passed this way before us……before we came along. It is about choices. That which defines lives………even today. Maybe there is a lesson here…………………

I remember while growing up how my kupuna always told me that life was all about choices. She always made it seem so simple. We are the choices we make. One can define oneself in terms of these choices. I can hear those words as if it was just yesterday. This is a story I will share with you. This is another story of Kaupe’a and those who those who “eat spiders and moths” in an attempt to seek their aumakua and their way to the “Leiwalu ‘O Leilono”. Maybe it is they who are the shadows with no faces that we see……

I have shared in other essays the ancient beliefs of our kupuna regarding the two separate forces of energy that inhabited our physical body. Hawaiian Historian Sam Kamakau informs us that they called these two energies “Wailua”. One was referred to as a “dream spirit” and the other was that energy which sustained our lives and carried on the life-sustaining processes of the body such as the functions of the heart, brain, lungs and breathing. It was believed that life, death and sleep overlapped. When one went to sleep and dreamed this “dream spirit” leaves the body and travels. “Dream spirits” can resolve problems and visit departed family members. If one was a practitioner of the arts and he dreamed he met with someone who shared information he would take this advice seriously. If the person does not wake up, or in their beliefs the “dream spirit” does not return to the physical body that defines death. In death if this person lived a good life and was respectful of all the Kapu, he respected the wishes of his parents and basically lived a good life he would have the advantage of his aumakua or family guardians (guardian angels?) to help him find his way to a “Leina Ka Uhane” or leaping places into the next world. If however he was not a good person and was not able to find an aumakua or family guardian who would help him he would be banned and doomed to wander in desolate and barren places. He would wander and exist by eating spiders and moths in places referred to as an Aokuewa or “Places of Wandering Spirits”. So therefore there are two places, a “Leina Ka Uhane” and an “Aokuewa”. On the island of ‘Oahu the Leina Ka Uhane is at Kaena Point and perhaps also at Pu’uokapolei based on a kanikau by Kekuapo’i. Every island has an Aokuewa, Kama’oma’o on Maui, Mana on Kauai, Halali’i on Ni’ihau, Uhana on Lanai, Ma’ohelaia on Molokai and the wiliwili groves of Kaupe’a on O’ahu or as we know it today as Kapolei……..

In an effort to get an appreciation out of what we are sharing today there is one fundamental Christian belief that we need to understand. From this I will draw some parallels to bring some kind of clarity to this. In a Christian sense there are three places in death. There is a heaven, hell, and a third place known either as limbo, purgatory and which other cultures may have different names. This third place is where one’s spirit, soul or “dream spirit” goes to make up. It is his second chance. If you are not good enough to find your way to a better place or not so bad so as to be condemned to pain and suffering for eternity, it is purgatory where you would go to make up for past deeds or poor choices. However most of us believe that purgatory is somewhere else. In a Hawaiian cultural sense…………purgatory……….is here. In places known as an aokuewa.

These are the places whose stories we are all very familiar with. It is not to say that strange things do not happen elsewhere. Of course they do. However it is places such as Kaupe’a where they happen most often. I will share just a few from a personal perspective. I have had strange unexplainable things happen to me on other islands but these are just those that have occurred here in Kaupe’a…………Kapolei.

We lived at one time at the bottom of Makakilo at a relatively new subdivision named Kapolei. Not the Kapolei that we know today, but one that is just adjacent to Hawaiian Waters Water Park on the eastern slope to Pu’u Pala’ila’i. We had a perimeter house lot facing the H-1 Freeway. Our house was on Akaawa Street. The front door and back door was perfectly aligned such that you could see through the house out the back when standing on the front porch. You could see the kiawe and interesting rock walls in the brush. Many things happened there which is perhaps one of the reasons we moved to where we are living today. I will share only a few in an effort to keep this as short and brief as possible. It was a perimeter lot where the dry kiawe trees and dry brush at certain times of the year came right up to our house so there was always the concern of brush fires especially on New Years. To keep the brush back I kept my horse and a goat in the back. Hoping that they would enjoy eating the many different grasses growing out of the rock walls. There were many times when my horse would behave in a manner that led me to believe that children were playing in the area. As most of us would do I brushed it off as not meaning much since in most cases I could not see anyone. And as most of us know horses can be unpredictable. However I started paying a little more attention to incidents involving my goat whose name was “Blah”. I often found it strange that his 5-gallon bucket of water was often found empty. I assumed that he enjoyed drinking a lot of water. The empty bucket would be found still standing with the ground surrounding the bucket dry. It got to a point that it was happening too often to make much sense. After having stretched my garden hose over the wall one day to fill his bucket with water I returned to check the filled bucket immediately after I had rolled the hose back up. To my amazement the bucket was empty. The bucket was still standing and the ground surrounding the bucket was dry. A chill went up my back that I can still remember clearly to this day. This is a true story that I have never been able to explain. There have also been many occasions when in the middle of the night my wife would wake to see a shadow of a woman standing at the foot of our bed. At one time I had a dog, whose name was Ali’i, that I kept under my house directly beneath our bedroom. He was not an old dog but he was always a well mannered quiet dog. One evening in the middle of the night he kept waking us up with all the noise and running around. It got so bad I woke up and went to check. I got dressed, turned on the light under the house and walked and peeked under the house to see that it looked like he was playing. His tongue was hanging out and his tail was wagging excitedly as if he was playing with someone he knew. I dismissed the behavior of the dog as nothing unusual and went back to sleep until the next day. When I went to check on him in the morning I found him dead. Ali’i did not belong to me. His owner who was a family friend had passed away about a month prior. He and his owner an elderly Hawaiian man had lived in Punalu’u and had routinely walked almost daily together on the beach. That dog’s behavior had changed drastically since the day his owner passed and became very withdrawn. I personally believe it was his owner that he was playing with under my house on that night before he died. There are many more stories as the many stone walls between my house and the freeway. I think those walls are still there today and can be seen from the freeway.

When Hawaiian Waters Water Park first opened they had a difficult time keeping the same security guards. Guards frequently found themselves chasing what they thought were children but could never find them. When Barbers Point NAS first closed in 1999 it was the same situation with security guards. Security guards were chasing what they thought were children through the abandoned buildings but never finding them. Kapolei Middle School had incidents of unexplained shadows of children playing and of a woman who would disappear behind closed doors. Many office buildings in Kapolei were blessed by Hawaiian Kahu many times because of unexplained incidents. Many unexplained accidents along the freeway by Honokai Hale. Incidents of drivers trying to avoid what they thought was an individual standing on the road. Many stories of new home owners in Kapolei seeing shadows. One story was shared with me by a woman whose family recently moved from Maui to a new house in Kapolei. Her young son would wake up in the middle of night crying saying a man with something red on his shoulders and something red on his head standing at the foot of his bed staring at him. The boy was only about 3 or 4 at the time. I have been asked many times to help bless new homes in Makakilo, Kapolei and Ewa for similar reasons. The stories are many. The concern was real.

Those wandering souls may still be here. However the oral traditions hint that these lost souls may still have a second chance. There is a place where they could be saved. It was called the Leiwalu ‘O Leilono. A strange tree with only two branches. It is an endless search on their part to find friendly souls or friendly aumakua to help them seek the Leiwalu ‘O Leilono, the breadfruit tree of Leilono. It can only be found at Kapukaki.

Leilono is a place of reprisal. It is the place in the traditions or stories of old that the wandering spirits on the plains of the wiliwili groves of Kaupe’a need to seek in order to be saved. It is long trek from Kaupe’a to Leilono in their attempt to find some friendly aumakua who could help save them from falling into the endless night of Milu. Leilono is described as being at Moanalua. It is described as being on the northern side of Kapukaki at the boundary between the Moku of Ewa and the Moku of Kona. It is also explained as being right in line with a burial hill at Aliamanu. Kapukaki is better known today as Red Hill. Interesting enough it is also described as being on the right side of the North Star. It is said that the Leiwalu ‘O Leilono can be found here. It was a small hole about 2 feet in circumference. This is the hole that the wandering spirits from Kaupe’a have come to seek. If one cannot find a friendly aumakua to help save him, his only chance of being saved is to find the breadfruit tree of Leilono. It is known in the oral traditions as the Leiwalu ‘O Leilono. When one would peer through this ka puka o Leilono, this small hole he will find this tree. It had on it only two branches. It is here that those wandering spirits who had not been able to find a friendly aumakua would have to make a critical choice. He had come a long way from Kaupe’a to be saved. As he peered down into the hole he would see the breadfruit tree of Leilono. Of the two branches he would have to decide which branch would save him. If he chose the wrong branch it would break and he would tumble down into the hole plunging into the pit of total darkness and endless sleep. It is known in the oral traditions as the po pau ‘ole. If he grabbed hold of the correct branch that would hold and not break, it would bring him the help of the friendly aumakua. From that branch the soul would see the aumakua realm and his ancestors. He would thus be saved.

The Leiwalu ‘O Leilono at Kapukaki (Red Hill) however was guarded on the east by a giant caterpillar watchman. On the west it was guarded by a giant Mo’o watchman at the pond of Napeha. I have been told that Napeha was a swimming pond west of Kapukaki (Red Hill). It was a pond that got its name from the Chief Kuali’i who drank water from it. The name came from Kuali’i being out of breath and tired when he came upon this pond to refresh himself. These wandering souls had to get past these giant watchman in an effort of making a choice and thus either be saved or to perish forever in the po pau’o’e of Milu. A place of total darkness and endless sleep.

A last thought to leave you with. There are three realms for the spirits of the dead according to the ancients and we have spoken of all three today. There was first, the realm of the homeless spirits, the “Aokuewa”. Kaupe’a is that place…..limbo……….purgatory we know today as Kapolei. The second realm is the realm of the “Ao ‘Aumakua”. It is a good place that one day we all want get to and restore those acquaintances with our ancestors or those who have already passed. The third place has many names such as the realm of the “Milu”, of Kapokuakini, of Kapokuamano and perhaps that of Pu’uokapolei……….when Chief Kahahana died his wife Kekuapo’i wrote an oli kanikau in honor of his life. She wrote it around 1785 when her husband died from injuries he received from the assault of Kahekili on the island of O’ahu. He died at Pu’uloa or today Ewa Beach. His body was taken to Apuakehau Heiau in Waikiki and sacrificed by Kahekili. In this oli kanikau Kekuapo’i mentions all the names of places that were special to her husband. She however makes an interesting reference to Pu’uokapolei. She states that her husband’s “spirit” entered the Milu by way of Pu’uokapolei.

In addition to hula, Kapo, the older sister of Pele, was also known for sorcery. In some hula rituals and ceremonies……….it is Kapo……………who is summoned…………….it is she who is called to enter one’s body.

I have never questioned any of these stories from people who shared them with me. I only know that I need to share them. They are not mine to keep. We all struggle with them however they are never questioned. We may not understand but can only appreciate them simply because these are the stories and beliefs of our ancestors. They are not to be feared………but to be embraced………These are the stories of Kapolei.

This essay was first published on myadvertiser.com in February 2008.

I find it interesting as I stand on the Pu’uokapolei Hula Mound and reflect back some 14 years from this same spot. The year was 1994. This was a year after the Ahahui Siwila Hawaii O Kapolei was chartered in 1993 as a new Hawaiian Civic Club tasked with a responsibility to bring a Hawaiian cultural presence to the young city of Kapolei. We have come a long way since that day members of the new Kapolei Hawaiian Civic Club stood on the exact same spot I am standing on today. I was not amongst those members on that day and I cannot recall why I was not with them however the memory of the story they all shared with me is as clear as if I was with them.

Aunty Kala Holden at the hula mound

Those members who shared this story with me and were present on that day were Bob and Kala Holden, Melissa and Dan Lyman, Mike Kido, Jalna Keala, Annelle Amaral and Kumu Hula Olga and Noah Kalama. It is important to understand that the club knew very little of the cultural history of Kapolei but was driven to learn of its history and to identify that place that could best serve as the venue for that learning and sharing. With the little knowledge these members had of this new city Aunty Olga Kalama wrote a chant in a matter of minutes as ……if someone was whispering the words to her. It happened on this day 14 years ago…… on this very spot that I am standing on today. No one knew it but Aunty Olga would set the path for this young Hawaiian civic club. That path started here at Pu’uokapolei……..It was on a late August afternoon in 1994…….the sun was settling into Po (night). The distant sun seemed obscured by a haze. As the sun passed through this haze the sunset glow turned into all the colors of Kapo of different hues of red, yellow, orange with “black spots”………..can this be……………….the ”Lei of Kapo”?

Eo Mai E Kapolei Heed the call, O Kapolei
Ka Pu’u O Kapo, La Ea To the hill of Kapo
Ke Ala Mai Ka Hikina The path from the east
A I Komohana, La Ea Until the west

Napo’o’ana O Ka La The sun sets
I Pala’ila’I, La Ea At Pala’ila’i

Haku ‘ia Ka Lei Alaula The sunset glow creates a lei
I luna O Ke Ao, La Ea In the clouds above

Ha’ina Ka Puana Tell the refrain
No Ka ‘Aina Kapolei, La Ea About the land of Kapolei

La Ea, La Ea, La Ea

Immediately after Aunty Olga Kalama finished her chant the park sprinklers came on and everyone was drenched. Everyone who was present felt that it was a powerful “ho’ailona” or a sign of good things to come. From a cultural perspective that was a powerful sign even though it was triggered mechanically by the park irrigation. It gave everyone a feeling of having been “baptized”. It was a manifestation of embarking on a new life. Everyone could feel a sudden heart beat…….a sudden breeze………..or was it a breath…………………

Since that day we have learned how true this chant has become. Pu’uokapolei literally means the “hill of the beloved Kapo”. We have also learned that the oral traditions refer to it as the “western gate of the setting sun”. The “eastern gate of the rising sun” is at Kumukahi on Hawaii Island. At the time of the change of seasons on or about May 1 the sun sets in the “Mahinaona”. It is believed by most cultural thinkers that the “Mahinaona” is Pu’u Pala’ila’i. We know today that the celebration of May Day or Lei Day celebrated on May 1 of every year may have had its origins as a celebration of the “change of seasons” or …………..Pu’uokapolei Day.

The very first event subsequent to this day was the legislature’s passage of the Kapolei Hawaiian Civic Club’s bill to change the name of Barbers Point to the ancient name of Kalaeloa. Members of the Ahahui have made significant contributions in terms of restoring the ancient Hawaiian names of this region by suggesting new street names and project names many of which have been integrated into the area plan. A concerted effort has been made to educate all of us on all of the ancient place names with Pu’uokapolei as the “piko” of that learning. Aunty Olga’s Oli is no longer just words but a reality.

I have shared all the stories regarding Puuokapolei having served as a marker for the “change of seasons”, that it was home of Kamaunuaniho, that a heiau once existed here and that it served as a landmark to ancient travelers passing along the trail that we now know of as Farrington Highway. You can find details of these stories in other cultural essays.

It started here where today stands a grandest hula mound ever built in all of Hawaii nei in these modern times……but it is not just a hula mound. It is the manifestation of a history that has been restored and integrated into its construction. It is a story of the dual nature of Kapo and Laka and a celebration of the “change of seasons”.
Here is its story…….its design manifest the cultural significance of Pu’uokapolei as the marker for the “change of seasons”. This was done through the collective efforts and consultation between architects of Architects Pacific and Kumu Hula John Kaimikaua of Makakilo and Shad Kane of the Ahahui Siwila Hawaii O Kapolei. It was an extraordinary effort. Several models were considered. The final design was one that integrated the history of Pu’uokapolei and facilitated a multi-purpose of both hula and community activities.

There are two mounds. The elevated mound constructed of coral boulders is for hula only in keeping with proper hula protocol of Kapo and Laka and the wishes of Kumu Hula John Kaimikaua of Makakilo. The second mound is for community functions and also to serve as a seating space for all future hula festivals. Electric power is provided to both mounds for both lighting and sound systems. As a cultural component of integrating the surrounding cultural landscape into the hula mound the coral boulders forming the retaining walls for the elevated hula mound came from the ancient place known as Kanehili or today known as Kalaeloa (formerly Barbers Point NAS).

Anciently there was a powerful relationship between Pu’uokapolei, Kaupe’a, Kanehili and Ku’alakai. A trail once existed between Pu’uokapolei and Ku’alakai as it passed through Kaupe’a and Ku’alakai. In the story of Pele and Hiiaka when Hiiaka went to Kauai to find Lohiau and take him to Pele she stopped at Pu’uokapolei and met with Nawahinekama’oma’o. Kapo is the older sister of both Pele and Hi’iaka. The story has Hi’iaka leaving Pu’uokapolei and passing through Kaupe’a and Kanehili and arriving at Ku’alakai (Nimitz Beach). The coral boulders from Kanehili solidifies that relationship today and will be a part of every future hula festival in honor of Kapo.

Cultural Mound and Map Stone

The Pu’uokapolei Hula Mound is aligned with setting of the sun at the time of the “change of seasons” which is on or about May 1. Anciently Pu’uokapolei served as a marker for the change of seasons. Hawaiian Historian Sam Manaiakalani Kamakau identifies it in this way.

The people of O`ahu reckoned from the time when the sun set over Pu`u o Kapolei until it set in the hollow of Mahinaona and called this period Kau, and when it moved south again from Pu`u o Kapolei and it grew cold and the time when young sprouts started, the season was called from their germination (oilo) the season Ho`oilo. There were therefore two seasons, the season of Makali`i and the season of Ho`olio.” (S.M. Kamakau, Mo`olelo Hawai`i, Vol. 1, Chpt.2, p. 23.)

Kamakau then states that when the sun set over Pu’uokapolei in the Mahinaona that was the division of the seasons or the marker for the “change of seasons”. But where was the observer standing on May 1 in order to see the setting sun over Pu`u o Kapolei? A hint came from Hawaiian Historian Emma Nakuina Metcalf.

It was determined from the work of Nakuina that the observer would have made this observation from the Opunaha Kuahu which was in the area of where the present Waikiki Aquarium is now located. Every year on or about May 1 and 2 there is a joint celebration with Kumu Hula Keola Lake’s Halau at the Waikiki Aquarium and members of the Kapolei Hawaiian Civic Club at Pu’uokapolei celebrating the setting sun over Pu’uokapolei in the Mahinaona (Pu’u Pala’ila’i).

Puu Palailai as observed from the Waikiki Aquarium, May 2, 2007. Photo by Dr. Lynette Cruz

This alignment of the setting sun as observed from the Waikiki Aquarium was integrated into the design of the hula mound as it faces Pu’u Pala’ila’i. Attached is the architect’s drawing of the hula mound with the integration of that lineal view plane. If one were to draw a straight line connecting the Opunaha Kuahu (Waikiki Aquarium) and Pu’u Pala’ila’i (Mahinaona), that line would pass over Pu’uokapolei, the hula mound, cultural mound and map stone.

Sadly Aunty Olga and Noah Kalama are not with us today. Aunty Olga passed away within a year after this memorable day and Noah followed her shortly after. But make no mistake they are still with us. I hear her in the rustle of the leaves as the wind blows through the native garden. I hear her footsteps as I look over my shoulder. I smell the scent of the flowers in her hair. I see her smile as she stands on the hula mound in approval of all that we have done…………..…Aloha no Aunty Olga.

This story was first published on myadvertiser.com in January 2008.

It is hoped that these stories I share with all of you do several things rather than just to share knowledge with those who seek it. Perhaps most importantly is to help all of us see what we can no longer see. To see beyond mere buildings, paved roads and cars and get a better appreciation of this place we all call home. Such is a place known in time as ………Kapua`ikaula.

Many of the stories and traditions associated with Kapua`ikaula seem to refer to Kapua`ikaula and Puuloa as the same place. We do know that it is in the Moku of Ewa. Puuloa is not just Ewa Beach but rather all of Pearl Harbor or as it is anciently known, Keawalauopu`uloa (the many harbors of Pu`uloa). Some felt that it was on the Honolulu side of the channel entrance to Keawalauopu`uloa and others thought from the stories that it was on the Waianae side of the channel upon approach from the sea. In all these stories there was a strong connection to Pu`uloa. From all indication it appeared to be a fishing village located along the shore. According to the oral traditions there are many references to it being a place of canoe landing and departure. So where in the Moku of Ewa did this interesting place exist.

Let`s start by sharing some interesting stories of this place. When Peleioholani, mo`i (ruler) of the island of O`ahu, Kauai and Molokai died his son Kumuhana assumed authority of these islands. Kumuhana however was not a respected Chief. Most people and other Chiefs and Kahuna saw him as self-serving with no sense of responsibility.

Shortly after his assent to mo`i he simply disappears from all stories and traditions. Little is known of him. The stories that immediately follow is a search for a new mo`i. That responsibility fell into the hands of Kahuna nui of O`ahu Kaopulupulu. He was the spiritual pillar and advisor to the Chief of this island. It was well known by all that Kaopulupulu was very disappointed in Kumuhana at the time he disappeared. Kaopulupulu felt that in filling the vacancy left by Kumuhana the nephew of Peleioholani, Kahahana was best suited for the position.

Although Kahahana was born on O`ahu he was sent to Maui as a young boy and was raised as a hanai son in the court of Kahekili. The relationship between Maui and O`ahu was strained during these years. This difficult relationship was the result of an assault on island of O`ahu by Kauhiakama of Maui some 200 years earlier. The Administrative Chief of the island of O`ahu at that time was Kaihikapu-a-Kakuhihewa. His grandfather was Kaihikapu-a-Manuia who built the huge fish ponds of Kaihikapu and Lelepaua at Kapua`ikaula. His father was the great O`ahu Chief Kakuhihewa. Kauhiakama’s warriors suffered a major defeat and Kauhiakama`s body was sacrificed and desecrated by Kaihikapu at Apuakehau Heiau at the present site of the Moana Hotel in Waikiki. His bones were used to make fish hooks and his skull was used as a receptacle for human excrement. This was something that Maui had never forgotten and swore that their descendants will one day take revenge. That day was soon arriving. Kahekili had never forgotten.

Kaopulupulu sought out the sister of Kahahana and asked that she go to Kahekili and ask that he allow Kahahana to return to O`ahu to serve as Mo`i. After she had arrived in Maui and submitted the request of Kaopolupolu, Kahekili met with his hanai son Kahahana. He informed Kahahana of the request of the Kahuna nui Kaopulupulu and gave his approval on condition that all of the land and ocean resources of Kualoa would be his. Kahahana agreed to these conditions not knowing the value of this gift. When Kaopulupulu and all the O`ahu chiefs heard of the agreement Kahahana made with Kahekili they all disapproved. This was the beginning of the decline of the Nanaulu geneaological line of O`ahu chiefs.

Kaopulupulu was a true prophet at the time that Kahahana became the Chief of O`ahu. He was respected by everyone and held in high esteem amongst both the Chiefs and Kahuna class. He was the Kahuna nui. He served Kahahana faithfully although he disagreed with the agreement he made with Kahekili. He made every effort to make Kahahana understand that his authority and rule relied on the sanctity of Kualoa. Kahahana`s arrogance and thoughlessness caused Kaopulupulu to return to his home in the Moku of Waialua in Waimea at the “Valley of the Temples”. His heiau known as “Kupopolu Heiau” still stands in silence somber beneath the weeds on the Haleiwa side of Waimea Bay mauka of Kamehameha Highway. It is on property belonging Kamehameha Schools.

Kaopulupulu had his knee tattooed as the word deaf and knee is the same. He did this so all would know that his chief was deaf to all sound advice. When the news of Kaopulupulu tattooing his knee got to Kahahana, he angrily ordered that Kaopulupulu be put to death. All the while Kahekili trying to convince Kahahana that Kaopulupulu was a traitor and to heed to the conditions of awarding Kualoa to him. Kahahana`s Nakoa sought out Kaopulupulu and found both he and his son Kahulupue at Kupopolu, Waimea Bay. The intent was to bring him to Ulukou (Waikiki) by way of Kapua`ikaula and sacrifice him at Apuakehau Heiau. The Nakoa however took him and his son Kahulupue to Waianae by way of Kaena. They stopped at Pu`u Kahea today in the area where the old plantation manager’s house used to be. It was at Pu`u Kahea where Kahahana’s Nakoa stabbed and fatally wounded Kahulupue. It was here that Kaopulupulu shouted out to his son and said, “make every effort to reach the sea, then the land shall belong to the sea.”

As a prophet in this reference Kaopulupulu is saying that the future of these islands lie in the sea. Kahulupue ran and made it to sea in the area of Mount Lahilahi at Makaha and swam out and was never seen again.

Kaopulupulu was then taken to Kapua`ikaula by way of the trail by Pu`uokapolei. He was taken pass Pukaua, Pu`uokapolei, Keoniae, Puainako and Poohilo and arrived at Kapua`ikaula, Pu`uloa. It was here at Kapua`ikaula that Kaopulupulu was killed. However before he was killed he prophesized that where his body would be laid in Waikiki so too would his chief, Kahahana’s body lie. He further prophesized that all the lands of these islands would one day pass into the hands of foreign power from across the sea.

His body was then placed in a canoe at Kapua`ikaula and taken to Ulukoa (Waikiki) and placed upon an ahu (altar) at Apuakehau Heiau. The year was 1784. Five years earlier Captain Cook arrived in these islands and subsequently killed at Kealakekua Bay. Kamehameha was a young man on Moku O Keawe, Hawaii Island. Word of these islands was spreading around the world.

With Kaopulupulu gone it was easy for Kahekili to launch an assault on Kahahana. Upon word that Kahekili had arrived with his Nakoa on O`ahu, Kahahana with his wife Kekuapo`i and one other friend fled into the forest to escape the wrath of Kahekili. Kahekili devastated the island of O`ahu and ruthlessly killed many men, women and children. He sought out many of the remaining O`ahu chiefs and their wives and children. He killed the last remaining descendants of the Nanaulu clan who were the first Tahitian arrivals who had arrived on these shores approximately around 400 AD. Kahekili and Kamehameha were descendants of the Ulu Clan who had arrived in the eastern islands of the Hawaiian chain some 500 years later. Although cousins to the earlier Nanaulu Clan of O`ahu it was time that divided these Tahitian cousins. Kahekili had fulfilled the death of his ancestor Kauhiakama who was sacrificed and whose bones were desecrated some 200 years earlier. Kahekili found Kahahana in Pu`uloa where he was killed and taken by canoe from Kapua`ikaula and laid upon the same altar in Waikiki at the Apuakehau Heiau also in fulfillment of the prophecy of Kaopolupolu.

Our cultural history is such an interesting one that some things are so hard to explain. It could be said that maybe some occurrences are just a matter of coincidence. Kaopulupulu knew that these lands would one day pass into foreign hands and they would come from across the sea. He also knew that the fulfillment of that prophecy would only happen with his death. It was not something that he wanted but knew it was destined. Years later when sugar blanketed our once pristine native landscape one of Hawaii`s largest sugar markets was the United States. The northern and southern states were in the middle of their Civil War. Shipment of sugar to the northern states was cut off by the south which created an opportunity for Hawaiian sugar. As the shipment of sugar to the United States increased so did the tax on exported sugar to the U.S. Eventually King Kalakaua made an agreement with the United States that by reducing the tax on sugar he would allow the U.S. exclusive rights of access to Keawalauopuuloa (Pearl Harbor). This was the Reciprocity Treaty. Thus Kaopulupulu`s prophecy had come true. The very first lands to pass into a foreign power was Keawalauopuuloa. It was here that Kaopulupulu was killed.

So…….where is Kapua`ikaula. Where in Pu`uloa is Kapua`ikaula? After much research it was learned that the Moku boundary between Ewa and Kona (Honolulu) has changed several times. Today the Moku boundary parallels the fence line dividing Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard from Hickam Air Force Base. However upon further investigation it was learned that anciently the actual boundary was 1 mile east of the fence separating the bases. It allowed both Ewa and Kona to share in the inland fish ponds of Lelepaua and Kaihikapu which were built by Kaihikapu-a-Manuia who was the son of Kalaimanuia and the father of Kakuhihewa. Those fishponds which were 332 and 258 acres respectively now lie beneath the tarmac of both Hickam AFB and the Honolulu International Airport. The auwai are still there today and exit Mamala Bay and Keehi Lagoon. You can still see them today on your occasional flights off island. Kapua`ikaula is Hickam Air Force Base. The ancient Moku boundary between Ewa and Kona used Kapua`ikaula as a description of that division. Today the center of Kapua`ikaula would be in the approximate location of Hickam Harbor Beach adjacent to the reef runway. Is it any wonder why there is a street name of Pu`uloa in Mapunapuna?

Since 2002 the O`ahu Council of Hawaiian Civic Clubs and the 15th Airbase Wing Commander of Hickam Air Force Base has been sponsoring an annual Makahiki at Kapua`ikaula. The Makahiki is an ancient, annual festival that was dedicated to Lono, the deified guardian of agriculture, rain, health and peace. For over two thousand years, the significance of Lono and his contributions to the beliefs and practices of the early Hawaiian people, influenced the celebration of events held during the Makahiki Festival throughout the Hawaiian Islands. According to the ancient lunar calendar of Hawai`i, the beginning of the Hawaiian new year began on the first night of the rising of the star constellation Makali`i (Pleiades). The four months following the rise of the Makali`i (from October to the end of January) was set aside as a time for Lono to give thanksgiving for the bounty of the land and sea.

Since Lono was the embodiment of all the characteristics of peace and welfare, all warfare was strictly forbidden during the time of the Makahiki. Since Lono represented the spiritual life-force that came out of all agricultural efforts, much feasting of every kind was done during the four months of the Makahiki. This focus on health and welfare made games of skill that tested a healthy body and mind a focal point of the Makahiki games.

It was here at Kapua`ikaula, some 250 years and earlier where the Makahiki Festival was celebrated. Other places in Ewa where the Makahiki games were played were Puuokapolei, Waikele, Waipio and Puuloa.

Let the games begin………..E Ho`omaka pa`ani……….

This essay was first published on myadvertiser.com in November 2007.

There is not much I can remember about Waimanalo on that drive from Wahiawa to Nanakuli to visit relatives. I think I must have been about 5 years old. The year must been around 1949 or 1950. As a matter of fact I cannot ever recall anyone in my family including those that lived in Nanakuli ever referring to the name of Waimanalo. It was never mentioned as if it never existed. It was just another valley like all the others as we drove on our quiet way to Nanakuli.

It was much different during those years. I can remember being the only car on the road for miles. Isn`t it interesting how life can be. I can honestly say that I never became aware of the name until it became a landfill. I find it interesting that it took trash to draw our attention to this once culturally significant valley. I will share some interesting aspects of Waimanalo that I think by the end of this story you will find it difficult to think of it as a heap of trash. Sadly, it may be trash that future generations will think of this once important place.

When Kamehameha won control of the island of O`ahu by defeating Kalanikapule he divided up the island amongst his leading war chiefs. He awarded the ahupua`a of Honouliuli to Kalanimoku as panilaau lands or conquered lands.

We are not exactly sure where he and his wife Kuahine resided during this period however we suspect perhaps in an area anciently know as Lepau. It was known as an area of chiefly residence.

John “Papa” I`i who is a source of the many stories I share with you is also from the area of Lepau. John “Papa” I`i and Kalanimoku served jointly in governance of these islands during those early years. Lepau was on the eastern point of Waipio Peninsula. A short paddle across Kaihuopalaai (West Loch) was Pu`uloa (Ewa Beach) another chiefly residence.

Stories have it that Kuahine ran away from her husband and hid in a village at Waimanalo. It is described as a community of people who lived along the trail to Waianae that we know of as Farrington Highway today. It was an area adjacent to the shoreline and entrance to Waimanalo where a river exited the valley. These homes appear in early maps drafted of the Ewa and Waianae shorelines. These friendly people were rewarded for hiding Kuahine by having their homes burnt down by the chiefs.

Although we today think of Waimanalo as a hot and dry area, it until recently had a permanent stream. During these early years Waimanalo Gulch was fed by numerous springs whose origins were at the higher elevations of Pa Lehua. There were also many sinkholes that provided fresh water for drinking. These sinkholes were providing fresh water as recent as the 1950s and 60s.

Kumu John Kaimikaua also shared a story told to him by a Kupuna of a spring by the name of Haulele. The spring came from a cave where the water fell from the roof of the cave. Today this spring and cave lies beneath tons of municipal solid waste. Today there are places where some of these ancient springs return after periods of rainfall. The water however would only travel a short distance then return into the permeable soil. One spring in particular after 3 months of steady rainfall last year had water running for about 6 months after the rainy season.

In order to understand the larger role that Waimanalo may have played anciently we need to take a look at similar places on other islands and weave that into how Ewa was perceived by the ancients. Waimanalo is in the Moku of Ewa. There are similarities associated with the geography of every island. Some islands are more eroded than others. Nevertheless these similarities can still be seen.

Keep in mind our Kupuna were the greatest navigators this world has ever seen. Their world was a series of parallel and intersecting lines that extended across all the islands and beyond the horizon to distant stars and constellations. It followed the path of the sun and the moon. It crossed intersecting points on land along ridges, cut the apex of mountain tops and it cut across the top of a mountain with bottom of a valley much like how a shooter would line up the rear site of a gun with the front site. Lines that connected Kumukahi on Hawaii Island with Pu`uokapolei. Lines that connect Mauna Kapu on O`ahu with Hualalai on Hawaii Island. The line that connects Mauna Kapu with Hualalai also strikes the tip of Kaho`olawe at the Kealakahiki Channel. Building a hale such that the door is facing the setting sun at a certain time of the year. Or lining up the walls of a heiau with the setting sun at solstices or equinox. This is the story of ……….Waimanalo.

The similarities of the islands are convincing. On O`ahu, the Ko`olau Mountains separated from the Waianae Mountains by a “saddle”. Maui, Haleakala separated from the west Maui Mountains by a “saddle”. Hawaii Island, Maunakea separated by Mauna Loa and Hualalai by a “saddle”.

We are in the same kind of location. Pa Lehua on O`ahu is situated above Waimanalo and Ko Olina at the bottom. The oral traditions and stories associated with the region makes no distinction between Ko Olina and Waimanalo. They seem to be referring to the same place. This is important to grasp. Three place names along this coastline, Kaupea, Ko Olina and Waimanalo seem to be drawing our attention to points on the horizon.

The stories associated with Ka`u (South Point) on Hawaii Island make reference to it being a point of departure to the southern latitudes. It is also considered by the Maori of Aotearoa as their homeland.
Ukumehame on Maui, likewise is considered a place of landing and departure through the Kealakahiki Channel between Kaho`olawe and Lanai. Waimanalo on O`ahu is in the same kind of location. Ewa in the traditions is referred to as the “celebrated lands of the ancestors”. They are not referring to our ancestors here but to our ancestors to the south. At the time of the winter solstice, when the sun is in the south, the sun sets on the long walls of the Pa Lehua Heiau simultaneously on an upright Pohaku (shall we call this a navigational Pohaku?) on the high ground above Waimanalo Gulch as it sets in the very bottom of the apex of the valley much like the rear site and front site of a gun.

I was recently invited with other cultural practitioners from both Waianae and Ewa to view several upright stones identified by archaeologists which are within the area of the proposed expansion of Waimanalo Gulch Landfill. These uprights stones are being referred to as “Navigational Stones”. They are without question important from a cultural perspective. However there is still more to learn of their significance. What are they trying to draw our attention to? Is there a relationship between these Pohaku and the upright stones mauka of the valley?

The mauka Pohaku can be seen from the lower level of Waimanalo because of it’s substantial size however the makai Pohaku are difficult to see. However when you stand on the mauka Pohaku, the makai navigational stones are on that line. You just cannot see them, however you know that they are there. To remove these navigational stones and preserve them somewhere else would be a mistake. Unless they can be preserved in their original location they would lose their sense of importance. They would just be another bunch of stones.

I think most of us are aware of the stories surrounding the discovery of what some people refer to as the “pueo” stone of Waimanalo when the initial construction of the landfill was taking place. There were a lot of accidents occurring with the construction project. Equipment was breaking down and workers were getting hurt. Kupuna Emma DeFries was contacted and helped locate the source of all the accidents when she identified this Pohaku. She indicated that it was a sacred Pohaku and suggested that a protocol be established for its removal and placed in a safe place. To this date we do not know if accidents or equipment damage have stopped. We do know that the landfill operations have been plagued with problems since it first opened. We also know that beyond the proposed expansion area are more “pueo” stones. However…..this is not what this story is all about.

It is the same story that I have shared repeatedly. It is a story of our efforts to piece a history back together and preserve it for future generations. Stories alone are not enough. In our world of today we need scientific proof that our Kupuna were the greatest navigators this world has ever seen. A piece of that proof is in Waimanalo Gulch. Perhaps there is a reason why these navigational stones have made their presence known to us today. Things happen for a reason. There are no mistakes. The only mistakes…… are the choices made by people.

I doubt that anyone can say with certainty what this all means. I think that we can say with certainty though that there is something important to be learned here. The message is if we lose any more of this traditional cultural landscape we may never learn what it all means. It comes down to choices. But ……isn’t that the defining aspect of life………….choices. Are we capable of making ………………right choices?

Mahalo a me Aloha no……

This essay was first published on myadvertiser.com in October 2007.

We today see so much taking place in this new city of Kapolei, These are good things as we grow older. But there are things that we cannot forget or leave behind. Things that we must take with us. We all should have beautiful homes where we can raise our Ohana. We should have meaningful employment, jobs we enjoy doing. Most of us are no longer hunters, fishermen, farmers or gatherers. We do our hunting and fishing in stores, markets and businesses. This is our story today.

Let us however take a step back in time and see how life once was. When we were once hunters, fishermen, growers of kalo and uala and gatherers of bird feathers. A time when we were once warriors. The oral traditions to most cultural thinkers today are more than just stories. It is a history of people and places few of us know today. It was told and passed on in a manner that would help us remember. Such are the stories of Käne and Känaloa. They are not just gods but our Kupuna who traveled the seas and land. Käne of fresh water, “wai” and Känaloa of the seas “kai”. It is a voyaging story. A story of their travels from the islands of the southern latitudes to these jewels of the northern seas. It is a story of how Käne brought forth life to this land. It is a story of places and names. A story of water and people and the places where they lived and thrived. Such is the story of Känehili……….

H. David Tuggle and his wife Myra Tomonari-Tuggle of International Archaeological Institute, Inc. at the request of Belt Collins Hawaii in 1994 conducted an inventory of all cultural resources through mid-1994 of the entire Ewa Plain. It was an inventory of all previous archaeological surveys. It was done to satisfy the requirements of an Environmental Impact Statement part of the closure of the Barbers Point Naval Air Station and the cleanup and reuse of the former naval air station. This “Synthesis of Cultural Resource Studies was ultimately intended to serve as a cultural resource management plan.

Jan Becket photographing paved trail in Kanehili

No one knows the exact geographical area of Känehili however Dave Tuggle identifies the area once occupied by the Barbers Point Naval Air Station as Känehili. Its location and size was determined by the oral traditions. When one walks from Pu`uokapolei to Küalaka`i he would pass through Kaupe`a and Känehili before he reaches Küalaka`i. The oral traditions identify Känehili as the place where Käne brought forth water from the sinkholes with the strike of his ko`oko`o. It is also identified as the place where bird-catchers caught the O`o as they fed on the None fruit.

The oral traditions is an important source of information in an effort to understand our ancient past of Hawaii nei. They tell us a lot. The simple poetic references to places by name is an indication that our Kupuna lived there. If there were people there would be water a short distance away. One would find all the necessities of life; food, shelter and resources for clothing. There would also be places of leisure, for gathering and enjoying each others company.

In a song by Hi`iaka, Pele`s younger sister, to Lohiau and her companion Wahineoma`o, Hi`iaka says this:

Ku`u aikane I ke awa lau of Pu`uloa
Mai ke kula o Pe`e Kaua ke noho `oe
E noho kaua e kui, e lei I ka pua o ke kauno`a
I ka pua o ke akulikuli, o ka wiliwili
O ka ihona o Kaupe`e (Kaupe`a) I Kanehili,
Ua hili au, akahi no ka hili o ka la pomaika`i
Aohe moewa`a o ka po, e moe la nei
E lohiauipo, e Wahineoma`o
Ho`e `a mai ka wa`a I a`e aku au

This poetic reference, “O ka ihona o Kaupe`e (Kaupe`a) I Känehili” (The descent of Kaupe`a to Känehili) is an indication that Känehili is directly makai of Kaupe`a and Pu`uokapolei. This is consistent with Dave Tuggle`s reference that the entire geographical area of the former naval air station is the cultural landscape or Ili of Känehili

The following reference to Känehili appears in a Kanikau by Kekuapo`i to her deceased husband Kahahana, the last ruling Mo`i of the Mokupuni of O`ahu.

I walea wale i ke a Contented among the stones
I ka ulu kanu a Kahai Among the breadfruit planted by Kahai
Haina oe e ka O`o Thou vast spoken of by the O`o
E ka manu o Känehili By the bird of Känehili.
I kea ae la hoi kuu lani My chief also was seen
Iluna ka ohu Kanalio a ka manu e Above the dense Kanalio fog by the bird
Kela manu haule wale I kauwahi That bird dazed by smoke
I hapapa I loaa I ke kanaka Falling to the ground is caught by men
Honi I ka manu hunakai o kai The bird scents the sea spray
Aia ka I kai kuu lani There indeed by the sea is my chief,

It is easy to understand from this reference that Känehili is where bird catchers caught the O`o as the bird fed on the None tree of Känehili. It is also interesting in that the None can still be found today growing among the kiawe trees and weeds. It was the yellow feather of the O`o that the bird catchers sought to adorn the ahuula (feather capes) of the O`ahu chiefs.

Much of the place we know of as Kalaeloa today has been disturbed by military construction. However in every place where there were no disturbance, no military construction, no ground disturbing activities one would find signs of ancient Hawaiian culture. It is an indication that all of the former naval air station was a community of people. Along the shoreline were temporary habitation structures for fishermen. Just inland could be found many permanent habitation sites with trails and sinkholes that served as a water source and agriculture. Today in Kalaeloa one can easily find sinkholes with Ti leaves and None growing in them. So…..where is Känehili today. Signs of Känehili can be found in and amongst the kiawe and weeds along Coral Sea Road, It can be found in the area of the Barbers Point Stables. It can be found amongst coral rubble mauka of White Plains Beach. It can be found mauka of Tripoli. For although the “waters of Käne” have long since left the sinkholes of Känehili……….for although the O`o no longer feeds on the None fruit of Känehili………..for although much have changed in the last 500 years……….there still exist many signs of an ancient past amongst the weeds and kiawe of Känehili……..….

Structure built in Tahitian fashion at Kanehili

Why don`t we go back in time to the period of around 1500 A.D. The place is……. Känehili. The celebration ……….is the Makahiki. It is a time of peace and joyous celebration for Lono has come to Känehili on his annual trip around the island of O`ahu. We are all at the Päone at Känehili. It is a place today still hidden amongst the kiawe and weeds close to White Plains Beach. It is a large enclosure approximately 1 ½ acres entirely filled in with sand. The Nakoa from Palehua have come down from the waolani with gifts and makana of pua`a for Lono. The farmers of Kalo`i have brought kalo and mai`a (banana). The birdcatchers of Pukaua have brought feathers as Makana to show their loyalty to the Mo`i and Lono. The fishermen of Küalaka`i have brought i`a (fish), limu lipoa and lobster. Today there will games played to test the käne`s skills at Makaihe (spear throwing) and hakamoa (wrestling). Some käne and wähine will perform some hula while the games are being played. Food will be plentiful for everyone. There will be much awa drinking. When the games are over and the sun begins to set over Pu`uokapolei some of us will walk home along the paved trail back to Küalaka`i. Those from the uplands of Hanalei, Palehua, Puu Kuua and Keahumoa will stop for a while at Keoneai and Puainako and refresh ourselves before going further mauka. It has been a good day…..a day of thanksgiving and celebration for a bountiful harvest………

The sad reality of all the previous archaeological work done in Känehili (Barbers Point Naval Air Station) and all the Ewa Plain is they were merely done to satisfy requirements environmental impact statements and cultural assessments. The work was budgeted. Dave Tuggle’s “Synthesis of Cultural Resource Studies of the `Ewa Plain” which is the source of much of what I have shared with you was intended to ultimately serve as a “Cultural Resource Management Plan” with the closure of the former Naval Air Station at Barbers Point. It was intended to serve as a source of cultural resource information toward its preservation and future study. Perhaps Dave Tuggle`s last few pages of his “synthesis” best explains what is our responsibility today, what is our kuleana. What must we do as contemporary people of this new city of Kapolei. In short he says the work is not done. Much more needs to be done in terms of gathering data. More research needs to be done. Very little has been done in the excavation of sinkholes toward the study of extinct bird bones. These sinkholes are time capsules. If we do not have the resources or interest to further study and research the cultural landscape of Känehili……. Perhaps our job is to take care of these places. To protect them for future study and understanding……..If we do this ……perhaps future generation will thank us for our foresight……..mahalo ……ä me aloha no………….

Palehua Nakoa cleanup at the Paone at Kanehili