Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 4, Number 2, 1 Pepeluali 1987 — Community lnvolved in Recording Historical, Cultural Resources [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Community lnvolved in Recording Historical, Cultural Resources

By Ruby McDonald West Hawaii Community Resource Specialist

Members of the Kona Hawaiian Civic Club and other interested individuals in the community recently participated in a workshop to train eommunity organizations interested in the basic recordation of historical and cultural resources in eaeh county. I It was co-sponsored by

Historic Hawai'i Founda tion, the Heritage network and the State Department of Land and Natura! Resources' Historic Preservation Office. This was but one of a series of workshops being hel3 throughout the eounties. These workshops will provide the basis for developing a certification program to assist the preservation office in its survey and inventory of historic and cultural sites in eaeh county. Dr. Ross Cordy of the DLNR preservation office and Ramona Mullahey of Historic Hawai'i, who is coordinator for the Heritage network, head up the workshop. Dr. Cordy presented the state's initial inventory form for historic sites with descriptions of the formal and functional types of sites to look for along with other pertinent information in recording them. This was followed by an on-site experience as the group went to Ho'ona whieh is located in the ahupa'a of Kalaoa. The group eame upon a pile of rocks whieh to the inexperienced eye is just that — a pile of rocks. But Dr. Cordy pointed it out as a possible pre-historic house site, dated in the late 1700s. Alongside was a papamuor konane board, pecked out on pahoehoe. Some of the formal types of archaeological sites pointed out in the area were platform, enclosures of stone walls and cairns whieh were used as markers. Some functional types of subsistence archaeological sites were animal pen, shelter and habitation of unknown type, halau wa'a (eanoe house) whieh was sometimes used as men's house and a pond whieh could be called "modified" because of the built-up rock wall lining the pond. All of these were either possible or established sites. Kama'aina of the area recall that in the 1930s, goats were raised for shipment to Honolulu by Jacob Palakiko Kamaka, attesting to the numerous enclosures. His

house was located near the "modified" pond but is no ionger there because of military oeeupahon during the war years. One kama'aina recalls the house being burned by the military and the family moving mauka. Between one-tenth and one-fifth of all sites have been thus far inventoried. Community participation in the basic survey will greatly assist DLNR in accomplishing a major task. The Heritage network is a statewide group of organizations and individuals working to improve community awareness on the value of maintaining and conserving Hawai'i's historic and cultural resources. Historic Hawai'i is the umbrella organization for the network. Groups interested in the network, workshops and the pilot program may contact Mullahey at the Historic Hawai'i Foundation, 537-9564, or 119Merchant St., No. 402, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813.

Dr. Ross Cordy stands next to a pre-historic site and points out how it may have existed. The site is dated as being in the late 1700s.