Ka Ulu Hoi

I ka makahiki 1885, aia ka hapanui o ko ka pae ʻāina mau loko iʻa ma Oʻahu nei. Eia hoʻi, ua piha nā pākēneka he 78 o ko nā loko iʻa ʻeka i ia mau loko iʻa keu a ka nui. Kamaʻāina ka hapanui o ko Hawaiʻi i nā loko iʻa ʻo Paepae o Heʻeia lāua ʻo Loko Ea. Akā, pehea nā loko iʻa he nui ʻino ma Oʻahu nei i ka wā ma mua? Ma hea lā i noho ai ia mau loko iʻa?

ʻO kekahi o kēia mau loko iʻa kahiko, ʻo ia nō ʻo Kalauhaehae. Aia ua loko iʻa nei ma ka palena ma waena o ke ahupuaʻa ʻo Niu lāua ʻo Kuliʻouʻou. I ke kalaiwa ʻana aku ma ke alanui ʻo Kalanianaʻole, e hala ana ke Kikowaena Kūʻai ʻo Niu Valley, ʻo ka ʻike koke akula nō ia i kekahi hale kaʻa mākuʻe ma ka kai o ke alanui. Kū ʻoe ma ia hale kaʻa a nānā iā uka, ʻo ka ʻike akula nō ia i ka lihi o ke kualapa ʻo Kuliʻouʻou. A laila iho ʻoe i nā alapiʻi ma loko o ua hale kaʻa nei ʻo ka ʻike maka akula nō ia ou i ka loko i kapa ʻia ʻo Kalauhaehae. He ʻelua ona moʻolelo i pili i kona inoa. Pili ka inoa ʻo Kalauhaehae i nā hiʻohiʻona o kēlā ʻanemoku ma ia ʻāina a pili nō hoʻi kona inoa ʻē aʻe ʻo Kalauhaʻihaʻi i ka moʻolelo o ka haʻihaʻi ʻana o ka ʻaikapu ma ia ʻāina. Wahi a Chris Cramer, kekahi kiaʻi o ua ʻāina nei, ma laila nō i kani ai ʻo Kaʻahumanu i ka pū i mea e hōʻike aku i ka poʻe kamaʻāina i ka pau ʻana o ka ʻaikapu.

He loko iʻa ʻo Kalauhaehae i mālama ʻia e ʻanakē Laura Kalaukapu Low Lucas Thompson, ko Nainoa Thompson māmā. ʻO ko ʻanakē Laura kupunahine, ʻo ia nō ʻo Mary Lucas, he mamo ʻo ia na Alexander Adams. Ma muli o kona kūlana a me kona pilina me Kamehameha, ma ke ʻano he punahele nāna, i hāʻawi ʻia ai ia ʻāina i ua Alexander Adams nei. Mai ia manawa mai i lilo ke kuleana o ka ʻāina iā Mika Hara, ʻo ia kai mālama i ua ʻāina nei ma hope o Mary Lucas. A laila i ka makahiki 1990 i kāʻili ʻia ai ua ʻāina nei e ka Department of Transportation (DOT) i mea e hoʻonui ai i ke alanui ʻo Kalanianaʻole. Iā lākou e hoʻonui ana i ia alanui, ua hoʻololi hewa ʻia ke kahe ʻana o ka wai mai ke ana kahe pele i hoʻolako i ua loko iʻa nei mai uka mai. ʻO kēia ke kumu e kahe ʻole nei ka wai i kēia wā. Eia naʻe, mau nō ko ka loko iʻa ʻauwai a me kona mākāhā. ʻO ka ʻole o ka wai ka mea wale nō e ʻākeʻakeʻa nei i ka holo pono ʻana o ua loko iʻa nei.

Ua hoʻokipa ʻia wau e kuʻu hoa ʻo Kai Hoshijo e kōkua a mālama pū i ia wahi me ia. He kupa ʻo ia a Niu a he limahana ʻo ia ma lalo o Chris Cramer, kekahi mea hoʻokumu o ka Maunalua Fishpond Heritage Center. ʻAno paʻakikī ka ʻākoakoa nui ʻana o kākou i kēia wā o ka maʻi Korona akā nō naʻe, ʻo ka pono a me ka ikaika o ko nā mea kōkua naʻau ka mea e holo maikaʻi ai ka hoʻōla hou ʻana o ua loko iʻa nei, ʻaʻole ka nui o nā mea kōkua.

E ka mea heluhelu, eia hoʻi koʻu wahi leo paipai iā ʻoe e ʻimi hoʻi i mau ʻāina, i mau papa loʻi, i mau loko iʻa hoʻi ma kou ʻāina ponoʻī e pono ai ke aloha a me ke ola hou ʻana o ko lākou mau inoa. He ʻono ko ka ʻāina i ka lohe hou ʻana i ko lākou mau inoa mai nā waha mai o ka poʻe kamaʻāina.

© Kamalei Marrotte 2021

na Kamalei Marrotte