Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 2, 1 February 1988 — Landmark Designation Recommended [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Landmark Designation Recommended

By Earl (Buddy) Neller Cultural Specialist The Southeast Moloka'i archaeological district, including the Hokukano-Ualapu'e complex, is a significant nahonal historic site whieh should be designated a National Historic Landmark. It has exceptional value in illustrating and representing our ancient Hawaiian heritage (Hawaiian aboriginal culture), a theme already identified as significant in the history of the United States. The district is significant because of the exceptional state of preservation of archaeological remains. It has exceptional value because of the comprehensiveness and representativeness of its cultural resources whieh ean be applied to the study and interpretation of all aspects of Hawaiian culture from pioneer settlement to stratified state society. There are eight distinct sites listed in the nomination papers and the ruins in this landmark include six heiaus and two fishponds whieh are large, noteworthy structures. It also includes Iliiliopae Heiau, largest on the island of Molokai and Keawanui fishpond, largest of its kind on the island. They were nominated in 1962 when big was synonymous with best. Today we recognize these sites as an integral part of a more extensive pattern of well-preserved Hawaiian sites along the southeastern coastline of Molokai. Not all ruins are in excellent condition. As a group, however, these ruins compare favorably with other Nahonal Historic Landmarks in terms of their va!ue as cultural, historical and archaeological resources. They are a distinctive variant of the traditional Hawaiian settlement pattern, not represented by existing National Historic Landmarks such as Mo'okini Heiau. The appropriate boundary for a Nahonal Historic Landmark designation would include the entire southeastern district of the island, from the mountains to the oeean, including the off shore fishing areas. Such a boundary recognizes the extent and distribution of the current inventory of recorded sites on the island, whieh includes mostly coastal fishponds and heiaus. However, as the Kawela survey indicated, the district's archaeological resources are certain to also include numerous members of a wide range of classes of site types from heiaus to burial caves in a good state of preservation. Archaeologically, it is difficult to isolate the sites listed in the Hokukano-Ualapu'ecomplex from the wealth of archaeological resources along the

southeast coastline of the island. Any Nahonal Historic Landmark designation that separates the sites in the complex from the other sites in the district is an arbitrary distinction. Arbitrary because the sites in the complex constitute only a portion of the exceptional archaeological resources to be found in the district, and because the remains of prehistoric Hawaiian culture are

regular!y dispersed along the island's coastal areas and there are no empty areas without sites. Hawaiians who believe thatthe Southeast Molokai archaeological district should be designated a National Historic Landmark should write to the Nahonal Park Service, Interagency Archeological Services, Box 36063, San Francisco, Calif. 94102.

1WmmmmmmmmmmmmmjmmB**>wvmr ■«: ■-mn»*#».#' '< -w»*» Annie Griffin, archaeologist with the Department of Land and Natural Resources, standsat Kahokukano Heiau or Site 178 in the Southeast Moloka'i Archaeological District.