Maui O Pi'ilani

My wife and I had some spare adult time again and couldn't help but return to Maui. We headed straight to Lahaina and ended up spending the whole day there. Aside from hunting for poke and hanging out at Maui Brewing. I found myself back on the shores of Lahaina soaking me feet where the fresh water of Kaua'ula meet the ocean.

I actually wanted to see the archaeological work currently being done at Moku'ula. They are digging pits to locate the supporting walls of Moku Hinia fishpond and the island that it surrounded, Moku'ula. Sadly I arrived when there was no work being done and that entire area that is preserved as Moku'ula is now surrounded by a gate. Most likely to keep the digs undisturbed and so that no one wonders in and falls into a hole.

The good thing is that I was able to see Mr Ke'eaumoku Kapu again! This time he was with his extended family and friends at Aikane O Maui next to Moku'ula.  I hung out for a few hours since he invited us to attend his weekly class on Thursday night. It was pretty awesome and reminded me of the class I try to attend weekly back on Oahu with Kumu Kaipo'i. 

My wife was with me and she was a little nervous since she's never been to a meeting like this before. Especially when we had to do our own introduction in this way:

O' (father's ful name) ko'u makua kane

O' (mother's full maiden name) ko'u makua hine

Ua noho pulawa

Hanau ia o' (your name full name) he (kane or wahine)

O' wah iho no o' (your full name)

On this night Mr Kapu was focusing on the importance of keeping the knowledge of Lahaina alive. Everyone there had a connection with Lahaina and he wanted everyone to be the next generation to share the truths about this important district. He shared a PowerPoint presentation with the ancient names of the areas within Lahaina.

Mr. Kapu  says Lele O Leina was the old name for "Lahaina" as a leaping place. Similar to those found on other islands where the souls of the dead drift off to their aumakua or wonder into eternity. On Oahu we have Kaena Point and Leinono or Leilono at Red Hill, Moanalua. Even Aotearoa has a Cape Reinga, being on the opposite side of Hawaii's leaping places. Instead on the northern most point of New Zealand. As if they traveled vise versa in the afterlife...

Mauna Kahalawai- waters meet

Mauna Kawahine- Triangle of pacific direct west

Mo'o bosom fell and formed Rapa Nui 

One moai on knees facing Hawaii.
This was another link that Mr. Kapu related to us with Polynesia.

Mo'o ahia- Scorched back lizard protector of Lahaina 

Moku'ula- alter antenna of lizard
I hear antenna being used a lot in Kaipo'i's class as well. It is as if prayer at heiau could turn them on like an antenna. An action only a the highest of ali'i could perform. Unless another was guided by the gods to do likewise.

Pa'upa'u- mentioned in, "He Mele" by Kamakea Fornander Hwn antiq.

Puu kahili-hill of the standard. 
I was excited to finally know exactly where Kahili was. This was the ancient fortress of Lahaina during war. 

Kaua'ula - red rain sacred duality

Moku hinia- fat fishpond

Mr. kapu mentioned that as compared to other island with rock wall fishponds that protrude into the ocean from the shore. Maui used inland fishponds.

Manawai,puuolilioe,piilani 3 auwai

Original street names:

Shaw St. - Alanui ka mamo

Front St- Alanui ka mo'i

Na hono a Piilani -Alanui o Piilani 

Alanui-Nahienaena way- luakini

Alanui Hoapili

Prison st- Alanui Papu

Hau'ola stone kiawahine baby made into an Akua kalaahiena was the last Piilani born there.

Lahainaluna-Alanui panahewa

Dickenson-alanui lahainaluna

Kalima a Piilani - barrier reef

Auau channel

Uo Surf spot-break wall Alii surf

Pu island- summons, was in front of harbor

The following day we headed to Kihei and had time to visit Kalani Heiau

This district has evidence of the last volcanic activity on Maui.

The next day we headed up to the Kula way to pick strawberries and taste goat cheese. After having lunch at Ulupalakua Ranch, we finally headed to Hana via "the back way". I have to admit that I had some anxiety leading up to this drive and was fearing for the worse. The normal Hana Hwy. route is already a challenge for most (most passengers that ride with me, my wife more than likely).

I gained an attraction to this route because of a speech I heard on Bishop Museum's YouTube account from Pat Kirch. That in turn got me to read his book, "Kuaaina Kahiko: Life and Land in Ancient Kahikinui, Maui." All of this came about while delving back into Mo'ikeha and La'amaikahiki research from my last few blog entries. 
You see La'a did come to Hawaii and when he left. He is said to have came by the way of Maui and Kaho'olawe. Possibly establishing signs of navigation back to Kahiki. Such as a Pānānā, sighting wall facing the ocean with a notch in it. This notch lines up with a pokahu near the shore and that in turn lines up with the southern cross in the night sky. As a guide to follow south by sea to the homeland of La'a. 

Another phrase that Pat Kirch mentions is an old proverb by Pukui,"when the wili wili blooms the sharks bite." Kirch relates this to the collecting of the ho'okupu offering being ready to give to the chiefs during the makahiki. Otherwise there would be severe punishment to the people of the entire ahupua'a . In Kahikinui the taxed offering to the chiefs would have been uala, sweet potato. Which was very wisely farmed in such a dry arid land during ancient times.

The Wiliwili has a connection to Pacific travel because it is one of the only deciduous plants in Hawaii. As it will drop their leaves just before winter. A strange connection with La'a is that at Hawea Heiau in east Oahu. There actually was an old wiliwili tree similar to the size of these. La'a is said to have brought the drum Hawea from Kahiki which eventually was kept at Hawea Heiau...

Sadly I could not find the opportunity to stop and search around in Kahikinui because of the narrow roads. By the time I pulled over to look at the scenery we were already nearing Kaupo. I stopped at a little lunch truck selling coffee and snacks. I asked the two local women if they knew any mo'olelo of Kahikinui and they suggested that I contact Hawaiian Homelands for permission to visit some of the wahi pana there. One of them knew of Kirch's book and the pānānā wall.

Finally we got to Hana in the afternoon with time to visit the Hasagawa Store for drinks and food to cook for dinner, during our one night stay at a cabin right next to the bay!

I woke up early with the first rays of light and told my wife I has going to hike to the top of Ka'uiki Hill, and left her in bed since I wasn't sure what to expect out of the hike. The lovely lady we were staying with grew up in Hana, and told me exactly how to get to the top, and how in the old days one of the fishermen would hold out a flag to let the town know the fish where in the bay, like a school akule. She also mentioned that during the war there was a lookout stationed on top of the hill and he had a very large dog that could be seen from her house.

When I eventually got up to the top of the hill I was a little let down because there were absolutely no signs that pointed out to me that reflected its ancient and glorious past. Some pohaku were used in creating the marker for the military and I was left to wonder what they could have originated as....

There was a little pit in the ground next to the marker. It would have been the absolute center of the the hill up top and again I wondered what it was for. 

There was an opening in the trees that overlooked the town. So I called my wife on the phone and asked if she could see me waving on the hill. She must have been half awake still and it didn't work out like the old lady's story of seeing a dog up here. 

Take a look at my other post for stories of this beloved hill.

"Aia I Ka'uiki ka eke leta a ka makani

At Ka'uiki is the mailbag of the wind

Kahi paialewa ia mai la e ka lau awa

Being tossed about by the heavy black rain

Huli ka nalu o ke anini I ka makani

Facing is the surf of Anini to the windward

I ho'ohuli no a huli I ka wai O' Punahoa

Facing so as to head for the water of Punahoa"

-Fornander Collection of Hawaiian Folk-lore Volume V Part III "A Story of Ka'uiki"

Imagine occupying this hill back in the old days and seeing the ocean full of an apposing fleet of canoe coming to take everything from you...

Before I made my way down Ka'uiki. I took the time to do the protocols of visiting a sacred place. I entered and left with only positive intentions in my mind, sat down on an outcrop overlooking  Kaihalulu Bay, and uttered oli that I had learned from Kaipo'i.

I also spoke a new oli that I learned during Mr. Kapu's class. 

After our long drive from Hana back toward Kahalu'u. We took a stop over at Native Intelligence and then I decided to end our Maui trip with a dip in Iao stream like always..

Naoneala'a

Story One:

Some time during the 13th century...

La'amaikahiki son of Mo'ikeha during the voyaging era. His father Mo'ikeha was the second of three grandsons of the first ruler of Oahu, Maweke. The eldest, Kumuhonua inherited what is now the Honolulu district of the island. The other two, Moikeha and Olopana had rebelled during an ocean battle with their older brother but lost and were banished from their birth island. Then settled in Waipio, Big Island Hawaii. 

Maweke or Olopana (depending on the storyteller) married Lu'ukia, a daughter of a chief  that let the two brothers live in Waipio, because they were distant relatives from an earlier voyager. Bad weather, flooding, and landslides caused them to leave Waipio and return to their homeland in Tahiti with Lu'ukia. She was shared as a wife of both Olopana and Mo'ikeha. 

A Tahiti chief, Mua lusted for Lu'ukia and created a rumor that Mo'ikeha was talking bad about her. She believed Mua and was shamed. So she had her private parts covered in tight cordage by her attendants. Like a chastity belt. So that Mo'ikeha could not have sex with her. Instead of fighting with her, he chose to leave Tahiti and return to Hawaii again. Leaving his brother and his wife. He also left his son from another Tahitian woman, La'a. When he could no longer see his house pole from the ocean, he is said to have chose to forget everything he left behind.

After stopping off at every island in Hawaii and leaving members of his crew on each. To symbolically attach them to place names on each island. Mo'ikeha settled in Kauai and married two daughters of the chief of Wailua, Puna. Mo'ikeha became ali'i of Kauai after the death of Puna. He had more sons, the youngest being Kila. When Mo'ikeha was very old, he missed his son La'a and requested for Kila to go and bring him back before Mo'ikeha died. Kila sailed to Tahiti and had the lying chief Mua that caused his father to leave, killed. Then brought La'a back from Tahiti (Kahiki as pronounced in Hawaii), which explains his name La'amaikahiki La'a-From-Tahiti.La'a heard stories of Oahu being the most fertile island with many fishponds.

La'amaikahiki arrived to Oahu first. Offshore of Hanauma Bay, a man living there named Ha'ikamalama heard chants from the sea and drumming coming from La'a's voyaging canoe. While raised in Tahihi La'a learned about the hula and the musical instruments used for it during different heiau traditions than that of Hawaii. Ha'ikamalama followed the canoe by land. First to Makapuu and then to Kaneohe Bay. All the while listening and learning the melodies from the sounds on the canoe.

Once La'a came to land inside of Kaneohe Bay. Ha'ikamalama ran to his canoe offshore and beat the same songs with his finger tips on his own chest. He also knew La'a and his crew by name because of the chants they sung at sea. La'a was so amazed that he left sands that brought from Tahiti at the exact spot he landed. Thus giving the place name as The Sands of La'a, Na One A La'a!

Story two

"It was in January, 1737, that the two hosts (Alapai and Peleiohoalani) met, splendidly dressed in cloaks of bird feathers and in helmet-shaped head coverings beautifully decorated with feathers of birds. Red feather cloaks were seen from all sides, both chiefs were attired in a way to aspire admiration and awe, and the day was one of rejoicing as that of the ending of a dreadful conflict. So it was that Peleioholani and Alapai met at Naonealaa in Kaneohe. The canoes were lined up from Ki'i at Mokapu to Naonealaa and there on the shore line they remained, Alapai alone going on shore. The chiefs of Oahu and Kauai and the fighting men and the country people remained inland, the chief Peleioholani alone advancing. Between the two chiefs stood the counselor. Naili first addressed Peleioholani and said, "When you and Alapai meet, if he embraces and kisses you let Alapai put his arms below yours, lest he gain the victory over you. " This is therefore to this day the practice of the bone-breaking wrestlers at Kapua and Naonealaa. Alapai declared an end of war with all things as they were before, the chiefs of Maui and Molokai to be at peace with those of Oahu and Kauai; so also those of Hawaii. Thus ended the meeting of Peleioholani with Alapai. - Historian S.M. Kamakau

The meeting of Peleioholani and Alapainui, which ended a war that would have engulfed the all kingdoms of the Hawaiian islands. Was quelled because the young chiefs Kalaniopuu and Keoua were on Alapainui's side but also legitimate sons of Peleioholani.

The two rulers met again during a failed uprising against Kamehameha Nui on Maui. As they both supported different sides, and again they both made peace and withdrew from battle.