Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 38, Number 9, 1 September 2021 — Protecting Pololū [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Protecting Pololū

By Kekoaopololū Kealoha anel Kehaulani Heellunel Famously known as one of the most prominent childhood homes of Kamehameha Pai'ea, Pololū remains one of Hawai'i's most pristine and unchanged places inhabited by our kūpuna for generations. Pololū and the connecting valleys were the home of the high ranking chiefs of Kohala loko. However, remnants of our past are no longer tangible to us Kānaka: lōl no longer sprawl on the valley floor, and the last known generational valley families are grandparents now, guiding their mo'opuna within a kauhale structure. This kauhale is composed of 'ohana from Pololū, Makanikahio, Niuli'i, Makapala, and Hala'ula, all of whom still have a deep connection to this wahi pana. Eia ko mākou piko. Lineal descendants and loeal residents are still kahu to this area; it is an ancestral kuleana that calls us to duty. There is no other plaee for us to eall home. This is how we operate

This exchange, however, was not puhlie knowledge prior to the BLNR meeting and has no community support. When the BLNR meeting discussion went publie, there was a swift response from the community. The Protect Pololū Project intends to prevent development along the ridge of Pololū Valley, and 'ohana quickly distributed a petition, collecting over 847,000 signatures in opposition to the proposed residential development. 'Opio from Kohala High School created a video to voice their opposition to the proposed parking lot and subdivision, calling on elected puhlie officials to work with and for the community. They also sent letters to legislators to raise their concerns. There have been muhiple efforts from the hui to get Kānaka back on 'āina. A lineal descendant led 'ohana and community members in an event to string a single lei lā*ī that stretched 1,600 feet across the valley floor and separated the puhlie access trail from the sand dunes.

when we are spurred into action. We who cherish this wahi pana are the Protect Pololū 'Ohana. Eia mākou mai Kohala 'āina ha'aheo i ka ua mehameha 'oia nō o ka 'āina kaulana i ka na'i aupuni. We are the lineal descendants of Tūtū Annahelle Kumuhonua Pupuka AhLoo Moku. We trace our ancestry to Pololū through her father, Kaniela Pupuka. I am Kekoaopololū Kealoha with my hoa hānau, Kehaulani Hedlund of Niuli' i, Kohala, Hawai' i. On Dec. 11, 2020, at the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) meeting, the Division of Forestry and Wildlife requested approval to apply as a co-applicant with Surety Kohala Corporation and KP Holdings LLC to the County of Hawai'i Planning Department to submit a Parcel Consolidation and Re-Subdivision (PCRS) applieation. This application would give Surety a path to subdivide one of its larger agricultural lots into 13 smaller residential lots. Surety, one of the largest landowners in Kohala, offered to donate 5 acres of land in the same area to the State of Hawai' i for a parking lot and comfort station as well as acreage on the valley floor for conservation. This donation would be provided after the PCRS application was approved - an attractive offer to the county because of the parking problems that plague the Pololū Valley lookout.

To address the over-tourism issues, the Pololū Trail Steward Program was announced. This pilot project, funded by the Hawai' i Tourism Authority, is a eollahoration with KUPU, Nā Ala Hele Trails and Access Program, and the Protect Pololū 'ohana, and will harness the power of loeal stewardship to continue the tradition of kuleana. To prepare, Protect Pololū 'ohana worked with Nā Ala Hele and 40 volunteers to close the legal parking area for maintenance in a eommuni-ty-wide effort to elean the trailhead, trail, and heaeh. However, more work remains. We continue to fight proposed development along the ridge of the valley, as well as the negative impacts of overcrowding in eommunity action meetings. Illegal camping continues in conservation areas. People venture away from puhlie access areas. 'Ōpala is left behind by oblivious hikers. New makeshift structures appear throughout the valley regularly (more about the dos and don'ts ean be found at kohalakuleana.org). 'O Kohala kākou. 'O Pololū kākou. We are Kohala. We are all Pololū. It will take a collaborative effort from everyone to support our kauhale, to protect our piko. We mahalo the Office of Hawaiian Affairs for this opportunity to share our mo'olelo with ka Lāhui Hawai'i. Whether this 'āina is your kulāiwi, or you are kupa o Kohala, or malihini, we need your support. We need you to stand by our side and elevate this effort, e kūpa'a kākou. Please sign our petition and join us in future events. Mau nō ke aloha 'āina na māua ka mo'opuna a ka 'ohana Pupuka mai Pololū. E ola. ■ To sign the Protect Pololū petition go to: https://bit. ly/3Dyewar or to donate go to: https://bit.ly/2XYyc6N '0 Beldon Kahokulani Kealoha ke kane. '0 ]acquelyn Ann Tuttle ka wahine. Ua hānau 'ia '0 Kekoaopololū Ka'iama Kealoha he kane. Kekoaopololū ( Kamehameha Schools Kapālama e/o 2003) ofNiuli'i, Kohala, Hawai'i currently lives in Kohanaiki, Kona, Hawai'i. Kekoaopoloū is an HIV medical case manager at Kumukahi Heahh + Wellness, West Hawai'i Office, and serves in various HIV heahh services committee roles across thepae 'āina. '0 Brian Kaunaloa Boshard ke kāne. '0 LiAnne Kehaulani Moku ka wahine. Ua noho pū lāua a hānau 'ia '0 Brittney Kehaulani Boshard Hedlund he wahine. Kehaulani ( Kame - hameha Schools Kapālama e/o 2006), ofKaloko, Kona, is married to Helaku Hedlund of Makanikahio, Kohala, Hawai'i. She holds a master's in education teachingfrom the University ofHawai'i Mānoa and teaches social studies at Kohala High School. She currently resides in Niuli'i on the 'āina ofher Tūtū Māhoe Nu'a where they raise their two keiki, Welo and Manu.

^ if 1 jiffy/1'/ Where the stream meets the beach at pristine PololO Valley. - Photo: Kekoa Kealoha