Introduction
Kuʻu ʻāina aloha. When I hear these words, an entire island comes to mind, Kauaʻi. Not only was it the place in which I was raised, but it was the place where my kupuna planted our family roots and began the journey of life they knew would last through generations to come. When given the task to choose one ahupuaʻa, I was faced with a very hard decision to make. With lots of thought and much time, I finally came around to selecting the moku of Nāpali. Each moku have many ahupuaʻa within them, but Nāpali holds a special place in the heart of many natives as a whole, making it hard to just pick one ahupuaʻa of that area. As a young Hawaiian from the island of Kauaʻi, I felt that there was no better place for me to learn more and share about this special place.
Strong in the Hawaiian culture was Moʻolelo, or stories that our kupuna told their children to keep the manaʻo and significance of a place or thing well known to the people of it's culture. Through one specific moʻolelo shared by our kupuna, the Hawaiian islands are believed to be born of Papa and Wākea. Papa was the mother, and Wākea was the father. In the first mating of Papa and Wākea, born was Hawaiʻi, Maui and their daughter Hoʻohōkūkalani. After Wākea went and slept with his daughter, he returned to Papa and born was Oʻahu and Kauaʻi. This is one of the creation stories that Hawaiians still look to today. Interesting is the relationship between Hawaiian moʻolelo and scientific research. Science says that Kauaʻi is one of the eldest islands, while Hawaiians believe that Kauaʻi is the youngest.
Located in the north west of the Hawaiian archipelago, Kauaʻi, also known as the Garden Isle, occupies 562 square miles of the pacific. With its lush mountainous regions and sandy beaches covering over half of its shoreline, Kauaʻi doesn't fail to be the most beautiful island to many. Kauaʻi stands tall at Kawaikini whose elevation is 5,243 feet. Following this beauty of our island is the strong 3,ooo foot elevation of the Waimea Canyon, and the 5,148 foot famous, Mount Waiʻaleʻale. Mount Waiʻaleʻale is also believed to be one of the wettest spots on earth with an average of 452 inches of rainfall each year. According to many stories, science in specific, Kauaʻi is believe to be geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian islands. With the amount of the pacific Kauaʻi occupies, it is known to be the fourth largest of the Hawaiian islands, and the 21st island in the united states.
The island of Kauaʻi is filled with many places of lush, vibrant, and extravagant features. Although the Waimea Canyon is beautiful and Waiʻaleʻale is breathtaking, there is nothing more exquisite than the Nāpali coast. Lying in the northwest of the island, the moku of Nāpali sits between Haleleʻa and Kona. The pali, or cliffs, provide a rugged grandeur of deep, narrow valleys ending abruptly at the sea. These valleys are still visible today with many waterfalls and swift flowing streams continuing to cut these narrow valleys while the sea carves cliffs at their base since after millions of years of erosion, created were the sea cliffs and the hanging valleys of Na Pali.
Winds and Rains
In ancient Hawaiʻi our kupuna found great significance in the wind and rains of the land. Each wind and rain was given a name that described the feeling it gave to the people or the way in which it blew. Nāpali is known to have a wind for every valley that makes up the coastline. In 2013, my hālau, Hālau Ka Lei Mokihana ʻO Leināʻala, went to Merrie Monarch for the first time. As the only hālau from Kauaʻi, it was only fitting that we did a mele about our island. This oli speaks about many of the winds that make up the marvelous feeling of Nāpali and also speaks about the people of the place.
Oli no Nāpali
E lawe ʻoe, e kuʻu aloha, i kuʻu hanu ‘a‘ala i ka laua‘e o Makana
I pūia i ka makani Lawakua o ke kaka‘ina pali o Nāpali
I ola ai nā kini o laila i ka uluwehi me ka la‘i luala‘i ē.
Ola i ka makani Ha‘ikō i ka wai o Kapona,
Ola i ka ‘o‘opu peke o Hanakapī‘ai.
Ola nā wāhine kia‘i pali o Kaiwiku‘i,
Ola Kilioe, ‘o Kakioe, ‘o Kamakapi‘i.
Ola Ho‘ohila i ka liko pua o ka hē‘ī.
Ola nō Kō a ka ‘A‘alahina i ka pali,
Ola i ka wai kū‘au hoe a ka lawai‘a,
Ola ke kai o Ko‘amanō i ka pali o Ho‘oilo.
Ola ke kupa hailona ahi o Kamaile,
Ola ke kupa o Hāʻena i ka nani,
Ua ola au, ua pa‘a ka houpo i kō aloha.
Ua ola nō kākou a pau loa i ka ho‘oulu aloha ē.
The translation of this oli is,
Take away, my love, my breath, fragrant with the scent of laua‘e from Makana
That is carried away in the Lawakua winds of the cliffs of Nāpali
Which gave life to all the inhabitants of that lush and peaceful place,
Living in the Ha‘ikō winds of the waters of Kapona,
Living on the ‘o‘opu of Hanakapīai,
Giving life to the guardian women of the cliffs of Kaiwiku‘i,
Kilioe, Kakioe, and Kamakapi‘i.
Ho‘ohila lives on the young buds of the papaya trees.
Kō of the ‘a‘alahina lives in the cliffs, 10 In the waters of the paddles of fishermen.
The sea of Ko‘amanō in the cliffs of Ho‘oilo is alive.
The natives of Kamaile who hurl firebrands thrive.
The natives of Hā‘ena thrive in beauty.
I too live with your love residing in my heart.
We all live as we nurture love.
Knowing the names of the wind and rains of the place you came from, showed your connection to not only the place itself, but the people who lived there before you, better known as kupuna.
Hanakapīʻai
The first ahupuaʻa in Nāpali is Hanakapīʻai. This ahupuaʻa is very well known the the natives, and tourist of the land. Through Hawaiian tradition of sharing stories or lessons through mouth, it is believed that this valley was specifically named after a menehune, chiefess who died after giving birth. The translation of Hanakapiʻai is bay sprinkling food. To me, I believe this place received its name because of how it is said that the natives of the land used to grow crops there such as taro, banana, sweet potato, sugarcane, arrowroot and coffee. A century after the foreigners arrived in 1778, no one lived in the valley, but it is believed that the people who lived in Hāʻena would commute back and forth for taro. Today, Hanalapiʻai is known for it's majestic waterfalls and the beautiful lengthy hike to get there. Hanakapiʻai has had many incidents of accidents that people were unable of getting immediate help. There is soon to be a bridge that goes over the stream. For my positive impact on Hanakapiʻai, I would give some of my time to help build the bridge to ensure safety for my fellow islanders. With this bridge, the county and state personnel have high hopes that it will reduce the risk and the need for emergency missions to rescue stranded hikers.
Hanakoa
The next ahupuaʻa or district within Napali is Hanakoa. Hanakoa is an ahupuaʻa between Hanakāpiʻai, Kalalau and Pōhakuʻau. This ahupuaʻa shares a short border with Waimea on the southern mountain region. In Hanakoa, there were homesites and wet taro terraces extending more than half a mile inland on either side of the stream, as well as extensive agricultural areas in the Waiahuakua drainage basin.
Just like many other places on the island, Hanakoa has a very special story that it comes with. When the Menehune were leaving Kauaʻi, they met at Kanaloahuluhulu (open meadow in the mountains) and moved along the top of the cliffs toward Hāʻena where they embarked in canoes. Hanakeao, a Menehune chiefess, stepped on a stone on the edge of the cliff above this valley. The stone rolled and she fell to her death. The valley was named in her memory. The name has come to be shorted to Hanakoa and is translated to be either the Bay of warriors or of koa trees. In old chants warriors are often compared to a koa, thus the name as written now makes sense even though it is wrong.
Today, Hanakoa is not as easily accessible to the people. Being that Hanakoa is a valley in the coastline, a hiking permit is needed to hike beyond Hanakapiʻai Beach, in order to get all the way to Hanakoa Falls. Future plans in Hanakoa are to restore the beauty and bring more attention to this place that once held many days of our kupuna. Hanakoa is not an ahupuaʻa within the coastline that is widely known amongst the people, so I believe that one way I can make a positive impact on this place is by bringing more awareness to the kamaʻaina of the land. Teach the people of what they have in their backyard, and the significance and impact it had on their kupuna, hoping to show them the difference that it could have on them.
Pōhakuʻau
Continuing through the few ahupuaʻa of Nāpali, Pōhakuʻau is where you will begin to find light rainfall, dying winds, and a nice winter sea spray. Pōhakuʻau is the smallest ahupuaʻa in the moku of Nāpali situated between the cliff-lined shores and the highest peak in the entire coastline, Āʻalealealau, standing tall at 3,875 feet. Known for it's many goats, Pohakuʻau seems to be place of very little vegetation. Due to the amount of goats there are very few plants since the goats eat all greens in the area. In the old days, the natives of this land cultivated taro, while also growing hemp like olonā to make fishnets and cordage. Literally Pohakuʻau means the swimming rock, but i'm sure there is a moʻolelo that gives a deeper meaning to this name. Pōhakuʻau is not used or visited a lot today because it is past the end of the trail to Hanakapīʻai which makes it basically inaccessible. Similar to Hanakoa, my way or making a positive impact on this ahupuaʻa would be to bring awareness to the people of Kauaʻi. Being that this ahupuaʻa is the smallest within the entire coastline, it can be very easy to forget, and it is only up to us, the people, to remember it's significance and keep the mana or power of the place alive.
Kalalau
The most common valley known to anyone who has visited or even heard of the island of Kauaʻi is Kalalau. Hearing the name of this place already brings so many images to my head of the beautiful lookout from Kokeʻe and even the scenery from the ocean while making my way along the coast. Kalalau would have to be my favorite ahupuaʻa within the moku of Nāpali. Kalalau is split into two sections, Kalalau Valley and Kalalau Beach. In Kalalau Valley, there is an extensive complex of archeological sites. This is in addition to the beautiful waterfalls, pools and wild fruits. The scenery and the spacious atmosphere of this valley makes it a good place for camping.
Kalalau is widely known for the terracing that was done by the native people that cover every acre of the Valley. This indicates that our kupuna did once live in the valley and succeeded. Inhabitants of this land were very skilled in the farming of kalo, the making of the liquor Ōkolehao from the tti leaf root.
Kalalau valley has many many moʻolelo that shows the significance of the place and the time in which people spent there before. One story that goes with this is the story of the leper Koʻolau. Ko‘olau, a cowboy, trainer of horses, and expert marksman, was born in Kekaha, Kaua‘i in 1862. Ko‘olau and Pi‘ilani, who were childhood sweethearts, married. Together they had a son, Kaleimanu. Then Ko‘olau contracted leprosy — the dread disease for which there was no cure.In 1893, a Provisional Government army of thirty-five men traveled to Kaua‘i to capture lepers who resisted being sent to the hated Moloka‘i settlement — Hawaiians called it "the grave of living death." They captured twenty-seven but Ko‘olau escaped. The authorities, who earlier had told Ko‘olau that his wife could accompany him into exile on Moloka‘i as a kokua, a helper, then told him she couldn’t. Ko‘olau refused to be parted from Pi‘ilani and vowed he would never be taken alive.The little family took refuge in the remote and rugged Kalalau Valley. Resisting the men sent to capture him, Ko‘olau shot and killed Deputy Sheriff Louis Stolz and two soldiers. The "P.G" army gave up the search. The family hid out for four years, living off the land and assistance from the few Hawaiian families in the region. Kaleimanu contracted leprosy and died, and Ko‘olau and Pi‘ilani buried him. Then Ko‘olau died. This is the story of Koʻolau.
One mele that talks about Kalalau is O Kalalau. In this mele, it refers to Kalalau as something that a woman desires due to the sweet and fresh fragrance that comes from the lauaʻe fern at Honopū. The mele and it's meaning is as follows:
O Kalalau
O Kalalau pali 'a'ala ho'i e
Ke ake 'ia a'e lae ka wahine,
'A'ala ka pali i ka laua'e,
O Honopu i Waialoha,
Aloha 'oe la!
O Kalalau of the fragrant cliffs,
Greatly desired by the woman,
Cliffs made fragrant by the laua'e fern,
Which grows at Honopu, at Waialoha.
Greetings to you!
Honopū
As mentioned in this mele, Honopū is the next ahupuaʻa in the beautiful mountain range of Nāpali. Honopu Beach has been called the Valley of the Lost Tribe. According to one legend, 300 Hawaiians lived in this remote site, shielded by its 3000-plus foot sheer cliffs. It is said that those who now go and visit this valley explain of this “chicken skin” feeling, ghostly intangibles heard, and the feeling of being watched or followed. Another legend says that it is because of spirits, or ghosts, roaming the place that caused the attack that wiped out the inhabitants.
Honopū was a place of landslides and flash floods. Honopū is a very special place because one great thing about the area is that it could be easily defended. Surrounded by stupendous cliffs, it allowed for access on only one side of the ahupuaʻa, similar to a castle. Today, both beaches are divided by a stunning sea arch that brings awe to many visitors enjoying their time on the water.
With a beautiful beach guarding the mountains, as my way to give back to this land, I would love to do a Honopū beach clean up. There are many boat tours everyday that goes out to the Napali coast. I can only imagine the amount of rubbish that float to shore everyday. I believe that if we do this beach clean up, it will not only affect the valley itself and the ocean, but the entire ahupuaʻa.
ʻAwaʻawapuhi
The last ahupuaʻa within the moku of Nāpali is ʻAwaʻawapuhi. Extending from the sea on the south end of Kahuamaʻa, Awa‘awapuhi is a valley with narrow steep sides. The mauka border point is Pōhakuwaʻawaʻa on the Kaunuohua ridge. This valley was known for it's taro terraces bordering both sides of the stream. There are remains of those taro terraces until this day ranging from two to four feet high. There are also many house sites along with burial caves on the western cliffs.
Just like many other Hawaiian words, ʻAwaʻawapuhi could be spelt many different ways. One way that is common to the people is Awaʻawapuhi, meaning “eel valley.” According to legend, this is because it is believed that the valley was gouged out by a large eel. The story says that he had come from the south with his two sisters but when they reached Ni’ihau, the sisters were so tired they crawled ashore to rest. The brother however was too curious to rest and swam along the Nāpali coast. He gazed up into the mountains and was curious as to what was up there. So he climbed the cliff, gouging out this valley. It was cold in the uplands and the eel became sluggish and fell asleep.
In conclusion, these ahupuaʻs has had a big impact on my life. Since I was a young girl, I always had the opportunity of being able to explore the beautiful Nāpali coast. My dad was a boat captain so I was blessed with the opportunity of being able to go out and explore the beautiful coast. This place will always have a special place in my heart and will always be my home no matter where life takes me.