Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 2, Number 2, 1 February 1985 — Maintaining Historic Sites Needs Cooperation [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Maintaining Historic Sites Needs Cooperation

By Maleolm Naea Chun Cultural Specialist Community groups and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs are working closely with City and County parks officials to ensure that proper recognition and historic content of Kualoa and other like parks with similar significances are maintained. OHA has been assured by parks officials that every effort is being made to present the historical usage of Kualoa with deep respect for the people who onee lived there. In fact, it is hoped by those involved that through careful planning and development, the park will offer all visitors the same type of educational experience found at the National Parks of Pu'uhonua o Honaunau and Kohola.

OHA has been taking an active role in helping to locate volunteer groups to assist park officials in their efforts to save archaeological sites from further beach erosion. Most people today recognize Kualoa Regional Park by the offshore island of Chinaman's Hat or Mokol'i Island. In earlier days, Kualoa had quite a different recognition. It was then considered "one of the most sacred places on the island" of O'ahu. Kualoa was said to have been a pu'uhonua (plaee of refuge) and a training ground for children of chiefs where they were taught the traditions of Hawaiian chiefs and the art of warfare.

The area was also known for palaoa pae (beached whale ivory/bone) whieh was considered a "national emblem of sovereignty and independence" for the chiefs of O'ahu. As the principal kahuna of O'ahu had told his chief, "... without the ivory that drifts ashore you could not offer to the gods the first victim slain in battle." Only in the past nine years has this history been brought back to life through the archaeological work being done at Kualoa. (See "Interesting Historic Conclusions Revealed," Ka Wa\ Ola O OHA, November 1984, for more details). Even the old fishponds in the park are now becoming the home for rare native birds. But what ean be done to restore this past and important recognition to the area? The answer may be found in this working together of

community groups, OHA and park officials. An example of this has taken plaee in Hawaii Kai where various community groups have been helping archaeologists clear and restore a small heiau site between Kamiloiki and Kamilonui ridges.

Very little in known about this heiau called Pahua. However, through written and oral accounts, historians are pieeing together the history of this area back to the early days of sweet potato trading between Hawaiians and foreign ships stopping at Maunalua Bay. When the iniiial stages of work are completed, it is hoped

that the site will be made into a historical park for urban dwellers of Honolulu to visit. There are, however, some problems whieh must first be resolved. They include ownership (now part of the Bishop Estate);

traffic; general and continued maintenance; and protection from vandalism (mueh of the heiau walls are gone probably due mainly to moss rock gatherers). The addition of Pahua heiau as an urban historical site to Honolulu will no doubt bring about a better awareness of our culture to others here.

Archaeology students at the University of Hawaii are shown here conducting a survey of the Pahua heiau in Hawaii Kai. Heiau structure ean be seen in foreground, mueh of it vandalized.