AISP Kamehameha Highway Guideway - Honolulu Rail Transit Project

Cultural Surveys Hawai‘i Job Code: MANANA 1
Background Research
Mehameha wale no o Pu‘uloa, Pu‘uloa became lonely when
i ka hele a Ka‘ahupāhau. Ka‘ahupāhau went away.
The home is lonely when a loved one has gone. Ka‘ahupāhau, guardian shark
of Pu‘uloa (Pearl Harbor), was dearly loved by the people. [Pukui 1983:234]
Make o Mikololou a ola
Mikololou died and came to life again
i ke ale lo
through his tongue.
Said of one who talks himself out of a predicament. [Pukui 1983:229]
Ka‘ahupāhau’s brother, Kahi‘ukā, was said to warn people in Pu‘uloa when unfriendly sharks
were in the area:
Kahi‘uka was the brother of Ka‘ahupahau. The name means “smiting tail.” This
shark was called by this name because it was his duty to warn the people of Ewa
of the presence of strange and unfriendly sharks in these waters and he did so by
nudging them or striking at them with his tail. When ever anyone was fishing and
felt a nudge they would know it was Kahi‘uka warning them and they would
leave the water immediately. [E.S. as told by Simeon Nawaa, Mar. 22, 1954, cited
in Sterling and Summers 1978:56]
Kāne and Kanaloa and the Fishponds of Pu‘uloa
Traditional accounts indicate several of the fishponds in the Pu‘uloa area were believed to
have been constructed by the brother gods, Kāne and Kanaloa:
Here, let me relate the story of a man named Hanakahi who lived in Puuloa. He
was a fisherman and did as Maihea did, in straining awa, broiling fish and
preparing poi with prayers to the unknown gods whose names he did not know.
This was how he prayed, “O unknown gods of mine, here is awa, fish and poi.
Grant me success and blessings in fishing.” Thus he prayed constantly until he
met the gods to whom he prayed.
After the gods had left Maihea to go to Puuloa they reached Hanakahi’s house in
the afternoon. When they arrived, Hanakahi had returned from his fishing. The
fish was cooked, the awa was chewed and he was in the act of straining it when
they got to the door. As soon as Hanakahi saw them he invited them in, which
they did. Hanakahi knew that he had company to share his awa with so he set
down two more cups, making three in all. He finished his straining and poured the
awa into the three cups. When the cups were filled, Hanakahi said, “Wait before
drinking your awa until I have called upon my unknown gods.” “Where are you?”
Answered Kane, “the gods whom you have never seen are the two of us and in the
future call us by our names, Kane and Kanaloa. This was the first time that
Hanakahi beheld his unknown gods.
After Kane had finished speaking, they drank their awa and then he said again,
“Because you have asked to prosper in your fishing, for you are weary in going
out to the ocean, therefore we will bless you and there will not be any more
Archaeological Inventory Survey Plan, HHCTCP Construction Phase II, Waiawa, Mānana, Waimano, Waiau,
Waimalu, Kalauao, ‘Aiea, and Hālawa Ahupua‘a, ‘Ewa District, Island of O‘ahu
TMK[1] 9-7, 9-8, and 9-9 - Various Plats and Parcels
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