Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 27, Number 8, 1 August 2010 — Reclaiming our history [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Reclaiming our history

By Claire Ku'uleilani Hughes, Dr. PH„ R.D.

Many Hawaiians have lost an important part of their identity. Over the last 200 years, Hawaiians have left their birthplaces in search of jobs, education and housing. Then, as time passes, memories and traditional stories fade and family histories are forgotten. For our kūpuna, "plaee" had an enormous personal meaning. To paraphrase Dr. George H. Kanahele on this subject, traditionally, almost every significant activity of a kanaka's life was fixed to a plaee. Genealogical chants always mentioned personal and family geography; all mo'olelo referenced a plaee; family reputations or standings were linked to a community and plaee; places of significance, even the smallest, was named; and history was made and preserved with references, directly or indirectly, to a plaee. What do you know about the area where you live? Did you know that Mt. Ka'ala was the site of a decisive victory for Kahekili's Maui warriors? This win made Kahekili ruler of O'ahu. Led by Kahāhāwai, about 40 Maui warriors retreated to this mountainside after the battle of Niuhelewai. The Maui warriors tricked the O'ahu forces into thinking they were asleep. When the O'ahu warriors descended upon the encampment, they were surrounded and beaten by alert Maui warriors. Klpapa is a section of land on Maui, a mountain ridge and fishpond on Moloka'i and a gulch on O'ahu. The meaning of Kīpapa is "placed prone." On O'ahu, Kīpapa was the site of a fierce battle between O'ahu and Hawai'i warriors. The O'ahu forces were victorious. After the

battle, the area was littered with slain warriors. Near Nohili point on Kaua'i are sand dunes that ean make barking sounds. As kids, we heard those sounds when we jumped on the sand. Adults demonstrated how sands tossed between their hands would make a "whoof ' sound. It was a thing of great wonder. According to the Hi'iakaikapoliopele mo'olelo, there are similar sand dunes on 0'ahu's west coast. Hi'iaka arrived at Mākua on her way back to Hawai'i and was welcomed by a friendly group on the shore. Soon Hi'iaka's eompanions arrived by eanoe. A huge feast was prepared by the Mākua people. Before the feast ended, three beautiful women, who were Hi'iaka's cousins,arrivedfromKea'au. Hi'iaka was forewamed of their arrival by the mmbling sounds made as the women crossed the sands of 'Ōhikilolo. Oddly, all the Mākua people were unaware their sands made sounds like those at Nohili. A stone image of Chief Kahikilani of Kaua'i is on the hillside at Paumalū. Kahikilani won all the surfing contests on Kaua'i before coming to try 0'ahu's surf. Waiklkl's surf didn't suit him, but Kahikilani found great surfing on the Ko'olau side. One day while surfing, he noticed birds circling above him. One bird seemed to be trying to get the chief to

follow him. The bird flew a distance away, then circled back repeatedly. So Kahikilani followed, and the bird led him to a cave of a beautiful woman. The woman had fallen in love with the handsome chief while watching him surf. They married and lived happily. Eaeh morning, the beautiful wife made her chief lehua lei to wear while surfing one for his head another for his neek. One day, as Kahikilani eame ashore another girl greeted him and threw several strands of 'ilima around his neek. The old seabird flew to his mistress to report what happened. When the wife saw both 'ilima and lehua lei around her husband's neek, she angrily asked her 'aumākua to punish him. As he ascended the hill, Kahikilani felt his body growing heavy, he tumed to look at his favorite surfing beach as he turned to stone. Today, many think the stone resembles George Washington's profile, but this happened long before Washington lived. 01d songs tell of the fame and beauty of island places, naming their winds, rains and important features, so we ean learn about them. Kūpuna have written books to help us appreciate cultural practices, traditions and plaee histories. Learning mo'olelo and songs of the places we live will give our lives greater meaning. ■

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Mt. Ka'ala, seen in background wiīh īhe flat top, provides a backdrop for Ka'ala Cultural Learning Center. Centuries ago, Mt. Ka'ala was the site of a decisive battle that made Kahekili the ruler of O'ahu. - Photo: Courtesy of īhe īrustfor Puhlie Land/Uza Riddle