Returning to Waimea

Indentured corrections are at hand for this entry. A nice relaxing day at Waimea Beach quaintly led me to a discovery of something I had thought I'd already discovered...

 

Months ago, I had a phone conversation with the artist John Prime. He mentioned that he was beginning research on the Waialua district. We encouraged each other on what we were undertaking at the present time in our lives, and I finally decided to commit to attending a mo'olelo class that he frequented on Thursday nights. Before we disconnected on the line. He asked me a very probing question that I was not yet ready to describe. John asked something like, "what pohaku are calling out to you?" I was startled at such a spiritual question and I began to ramble about things I had recently discovered in person for myself. Although in hind sight I may have simply been bragging about things.

Now from the experience I had yesterday at Waimea bay, I realize the potency of the question John asked...

 

During the end of my past visit to the Waialua area on my bike. Which concluded at Waimea Bay. I misinterpreted what I had read about and thought the stone akua fish god Kaneaukai and the platform used to house it, Kehu o' hapu'u were located inside of Waimea Bay. I posted pictures and shared what I thought was it...

Yesterday while playing in the ocean with friends. I noticed a stone resting on an outcropping far on the west side of the bay, just past the jumping rock. I recalled reading about a couple of famous pohaku in the area that were displaced during road construction...

One was Waikumailani, a son of a mo'o goddess from Mauna Kea. In dreams he met his future wife, Kahelekulani. The hanai daughter of Haumea, from Hilaniwai. They married and a prophesy was uttered by Kahelekulani about Waikumailani eventually making a tour of the island of Oahu. He also would meet another woman named Hawaiiloa on his tour and fall in love with her. Years later the prophecy was fulfilled when he went on his tour and won a commoner named Hawaiiloa in a game of kilu. His wife, Kahelekulani was full of wrath and made war on Hawaiiloa, and won. Killing Hawaiiloa but sparing Waikumailani. Her begged for her love back but she wanted nothing to do with him. At the boundary between Waimea and Koolau, at ahu o' hapu'u. She warned him not to follow her. He tried and was turned to stone where he stood,Waialua side of Waimea river. It could be pointed out until the railroad was created and the stone was blasted away...

 

Another stone, Kaahakii. was the ahupuaa marker for the old division of Waialua and Koolauloa. Prior to Waimea being added into the district of Waialua. It was the shape of a tongue and when the road was regarded in 1930. The stone was left undisturbed but was more exposed out of the earth on the makai side of the road. In the same area another stone mentioned as a kupua was blasted during railroad construction and resulted in the death of three workers. It could not be pulled over and had to be carried away. Possibly Waikumailani...

 

I climbed up to this point to observe the pohaku. Once up there, I noticed a trail that led west between the shore and the road. Toward the property of the last house coming from Haleiwa side. I followed it to see what I could find. Not expecting anything historic.

 

A little way down the trail I tried to notice any tongue looking stone near the road or what that may have resembled a man...

 

 

Around the corner a large outcropping came into view. Pali Kahakai(?)

 

 

I inspected it myself and then returned to the beach to get my iphone. I realized I had come across something significant and invited my friends to come with me. As they always mention they like to come with me to my "Hawaiian adventures,"and here we were. Changing cruise at the beach day into another discovery...

 

(The following photos were taken by my friends. Kawika Samson and Mike Armstrong)

The precipice of stone was very large, matching the description of  Kehu o' hapu'u

 

Before going back to my research last night. I imagined this smooth surface on an outer wall being used for some human reason and displayed to my friends how a large offering could have been placed there in the past.

Later I read that two kahuna of Waimea came across a form of Kaneaukai while fishing. Some stories say two fishmen kept pulling up the same stone in their net and decided to bring it to shore after it notified them that it was the akua Kaneaukai. Kaneaukai also reveals himself in human form in some stories and makes requests to have a shrine set up in his worship. Even asking for two people to travel further west to claim a wooden idol of him and place it next to his stone form. The sharer of that last story claimed to be the grandchild of one of the people that claimed the wooden idol...

 

A heiau structure was created to house the images of Kaneaukai. McAllister surveyed the area and up to present day I now believe they can still be seen here. Although the idols were destroyed during the close of the kapu system. Or at the very least hidden away by it's last caretakers. Mentioned as a kuula for fishermen. A hui, Naowi Ma of Waialua were the last to be connected with that place.... 

 

 

 

At this spot, which lines up with the burial caves and Heiau Kupopolo on the mauka side of the road. Fishermen of the district could watch for schools of fish and they migrated around the island and back to this area.

 

Thinking back at what John said about pohaku calling. Just from my little curious idea of taking a look at a stone near the beach, it open my search for significant areas and things from our past were revealed to me. I will always keep an open mind and try to tune into nature and what the human presence of millennia call out to me.... and then follow up to see if I got it right.

 

 

 The fishing shrine may have worked. Since I claimed this bounty from the shores of Waimea Bay!