Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 5, 1 Mei 1989 — Kukuiokane--In The Path of H-3 [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kukuiokane--In The Path of H-3

By Moanikeala Akaka Trustee, Hawai'i

If you recall last summer there was a great deal of attention drawn to the rediscovery of Kukuiokane Heiau by Earl "Buddy" Neller, OHA cultural specialist who has previously worked as an archaeologist for SHPO, the State Historical Preservation Office under

the Department of Land and Natural Resources. (They are supposed to be protecting our historical areas, but not true, it's known statewide SHPO neglects our sites by rubber stamping developers). Those who know and have worked with Buddy for years are aware of his conscientious sensitivity and caring attitude for our 'aina and the historical legacy left us by kupuna kahiko. These sites are the living spiritual embodiment of the Hawaiian people — past, present, and future. Neller left SHPO because he went public with the document the state was trying to hide, pointing out significant historical sites at the Luluku Banana Patch area whieh was also along the route of H-3. Kukuiokane heiau was built by Hawaiians in a prominent !ocation below the 2,200-foot high cliffs of Keahi Kahoe and above the extensive terraced pond fields of Luluku. It looked out over the ahupua'a of Kane'ohe, a land of low hills and valleys, watered by spring-fed streams, and crowded with farms of taro, sweet potatoes, sugar eane, pandanus, wauke, bananas and coconut palms. The stone faced terraces built to hold the temple grounds are difficult to see today, looking more like abandoned, overgrown pineapple fields, but they cover an area of at least 100 meters by 40 meters in size. There are traces of seven terraces, and the largest terrace is 18 meters wide and 40 meters long, with a stone retaining wall about two meters high. Kukuiokane heiau is one of the largest on O'ahu. Kukuiok »ne heiau is a temple ruin of unknown antiquity. Probably, it was originally built at some time during the period A.D. 1400-1500, when the political control of the island of O'ahu was unified under famous chiefs such as Kakuhihewa, Olopana, Kamapua'a and Kalamakua. (This was a period in Hawaiian history where a number of large temples were built). Kukuiokane means "the light of Kane." Kane was the leading god among the many gods of our ancestors, and Kane was worshipped as the god of procreation and as the ancestor of both chiefs and commoners.

Pigs, coconuts, breadfruit, 'awa, and the wauke plant were sacred to Kane. The plants used for temple decorations were included among the names of Kane: maile, 'ie 'ie, and the sacred 'ohi'a lehua and hala pepe trees out of whieh images were carved. Kane was also credited with bringing food plants to Hawai'i. Chiefs who traced their genealogy directly from Kane, whether on the ulu or nana ulu line, ranked among the hoali'i or high kapu chiefs as distinguished from the lower grades of chief with a less distinguished family genealogy. Descendance was therefore of vital importance, and the privileges enjoyed by Kane worshippers were on the basis of such rank, whieh gave them command of kapu comparable to those of the gods. Kane was said to have eome to Hawai'i from the east. A Hawaiian made the front door face the east as a sign of Kane worship, and turned toward the sun when they offered their morning prayer. (Kukuiokane heiau was built facing towards the east). The east was spoken of as "the high road traveled by Kane," or "the red road of Kane," the west as "the resting plaee of Kane." Kukuiokane heiau is directly in the path of H-3 and will be lost unless we do something about it. At a meeting last summer while I was chairperson of OHA's program committee we were honored by the presence of over 30 Hawaiian kupuna bearing beautiful leis for trustees and staff. Their spokesperson, Vera Rose, is a great grandmother, member of the Kaneohe neighborhood board and a participant in our Hawai'i schools kupuna program. These elders were present for the very important purpose of saving what they believe is Kukuiokane heiau. Kupuna Rose said that, "Concem about the sacred Kane heiau was shared by kupuna all over O'ahu, from Hawai'i to Kaua'i, who attended a meeting held on the Leeward side of O'ahu". Vera related she had great faith that OHA's archaeologist Buddy Neller had put "pieces of the puzzle together" and had found the location of Kukuiokane. All Buddy had done was to follow the map drawn in 1930 by archaeologist J. Gilbert McAllister, who was taken there by our po'e Hawai'i who resided in the area. McAllister's Archaeology of O'ahu was published by Bishop Museum in 1933. However, one of the Museum's current archaeologists, Jane Allen, states within her report under Fiue Uplanā 'Ili of Kane'ohe that this particular area is a dryland agricultural system. It is eommon knowledge by those who know that Bishop Museum archaeologists have erred at times in the past. She could have mistaken it for the failed attempt of a pineapple growing project by Libby MeNeil Co. over part of Kukuiokane. A petition signed by hundreds of citizens, mostly

kupuna, was presented by Vera Rose to the OHA board. The kupuna called for an independent archaeological study on the newly rediscovered heiau to Kane, our god of creation, giver of life, god of fertility and of water. This document also insisted that Buddy Neller help select whoever was to do the study. (To our knowledge to this date this has not been done). Historian Lilikala Kame'eleihiwa had also been to the sacred area and in testifying on behalf of the Hawaiian Studies program at Manoa stated, "First of all the walls were mueh higher than dryland agricultural terrace walls . . . Being practical people, Hawaiians did not expend more effort than was necessary for any project, considering the area has such a gentle slope, walls of five feet in height are really unnecessary for agricultural purposes. The only other alternative would be to retain large builtup platforms such as are found in many heiau." Kame'eleihiwa also related that the terraces are extensively covered with small pohaku (rocks) as one would find on a heiau platform, and whieh are unusual in an agricultural field. If these were formerly agricultural terraces, why are they not used as such today, as are the Luluku terraces but a short distance away? Anthropologist Marion Kelly who also visited this particular area suspects that this is the plaee McAllister was taken to by knowledgeable Hawaiians, where he marked his map as Kukuiokane. Even though there was damage to the heiau before McAllister's study, he noted, "The plowed up remains indicate heavy walls and several terraces." According to Kelly there seemed to be considerable evidence remaining at the site that gave substance to the information given to McAllister by the natives. In another case near Kukuiokane he was told there was a Kanaloa heiau. McAllister wrote, "There is nothing to indicate the ancient temple site now except an old stone wall whieh may have been built subsequently from the rocks of the heiau." McAllister is still living, and there has been eommunication with him. Some are working to get him here to help us prove Neller's rediscovery. That the only known sacred temple to Kane is to be destroyed for H-3 is as outrageous as the removal of a thousand of our ancestors from Kapalua, Maui for a Ritz-Carlton Hotel. We the people were able to halt that gross venture and together we ean also stop H-3 from going through the important historieal connection to our Hawaiian experience, Kukuiokane heiau at Kane'ohe. Work on the Halawa side of H-3 has recently begun. I hear that extensive important historical findings are happening and that archaeologists have been swarming around the area. To begin with, OHA's archaeologist Neller should have access to these sites. I've also been told that what is being found is being locked up and hidden from public scrutiny so that nothing more will obstruct the way of H-3 whose purpose is to connect Pearl Harbor with Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station for the military. Is it also true that an archaeologist has been shocked while doing work near the Omega station on the proposed H-3 path? Mueh eoneem has been raised, including a Coast Guard study citing the dangers of a highway past the Omega station. It looks like it wasn't the construction workers, but the archaeologist who received the first zap of shock. No one should be subjected to this danger. This freeway for 20 years has been dragged on in court; it should not be allowed to endanger our lives, destroy our Hawaiian heritage, precious 'aina and unique Kukuiokane Heiau. E aumakua, ke oluolu 'oe malama, kokua Kukuiokane heiau . . . Ua mau ke ea o ka 'aina i ka pono.