Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 19, Number 7, 1 July 2002 — Moanalua valley is rich in history [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

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Moanalua valley is rich in history

By Claire Hu^he^.OnP.H., R.D. Department of Health In ancient times, the valleys on the kona side of O'ahu were fertile and highly productive farm lands dedicated mainly to kalo eultivation, Moanalua Valley was no exception, The Kalou and Moanalua streams readily supplied water to the lo'i in the upper valley, Mai'a and 'ulu also grew well in the valley, However, the ground near the present golf course was too high and rocky and difficult to irrigate for kalo, According to custom, a number of heiau were in the area, Some were dedicated to farming, some to other rituals, Different versions exist interpreting the name of Moanalua Valley, Sites of O'ahu states that the name eame from two kalo patches that grew close to the road that travelers used coming to and from the 'Ewa side, According to Plaee Names of Hawai'i, the name eame from two encampments or rest sites near the lo'i, where travelers between 'Ewa and Honolulu would stop, rest, and drink from the 'īemi spring, īt is recorded that the leaves of the kalo grown close to this path were unusually large, apparently, because they were watered by the 'īemi Spring, that also provided water for the lo'i in the lowlands, This special kalo with the large leaves was reserved for the chiefs

of the area, Before being given to Samuel Damon in 1883, the beautiful Moanalua Valley had always been in the hands of Hawaiian ali'i, After Maui's distinguished King Kahekili conquered O'ahu, this Maui ali'i took possession of the

Moanalua ahupua'a, Later it was passed to his son, Kalanikūpule, who was among those defeated by Kamehameha the Great in the Battle of Nu'uanu, Kalanikūpule managed to escape from Nu'uanu and wandered the Ko'olau Mountains for a long time before

being captured by Kamehameha's men, He was sacrificed, most likely, on Pu'ukapu heiau near the current Damon Estate, Kamehameha gave Moanalua to Kame'eiamoku, one of his most loyal chiefs who had aided Kamehameha in all of his battles.

Upon Kame'eiamoku's death, the lands were willed to his son, Hoapili, who also fought beside Kamehameha the Great, īn succession, the lands went to Hoapili's adopted son, Lot Kamehameha (Kamehameha V), then to his half sister Princess Ruth Ke'elikōlani,

and finally became part of Bernice Pauahi Bishop's land holdings,īn 1883, this granddaughter of Kamehameha ī willed the Moanalua ahupua'a, including the fishpond of Kaliawa, to S,M, Damon, "to have and to hold in the appurtenances to him, his heirs and assigns for ever," A mo'olelo tells of chief Kamahalolaniali'i of Moanalua, O'ahu, īt is said that he was jealous of the great admiration that women had for the handsome chief Keli'ikanaka'ole (the chief without followers), who also lived in the area, KamahalolanialPi challenged the other chief to a riddling match, The loser would be roasted in an imu, Riddling matches were often held among chiefs of the Pacific, and the stakes were usually quite high, Paeli, an upland Moanalua Valley resident, was the man who taught KamahalolanialPi theriddle, in whieh is described the life of a child from pregnancy through youth, Paeli took pity on the handsome Keli'ikanaka'ole and taught him the answer, As the riddle was recited, Keli'ikanaka'ole very cleverly and realistically acted out its interpretation, To escape certain death, the handsome chief disappeared immediately after the match and remained in hiding until the older chief, Kamahalolaniali'i died, ■

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Kamananui ridge iin Moanalua Valley.