Honouliuli Stream

Hidden under the shadows of lush,

I once grace the loi kalo patches

before entering the dark bay of Pu‘uloa to meet the fish...

Today I am invisible and forgotten by most

with a hope of returning to the past...

Honouliuli Watershed

Honouliuli Ahupua‘a

From mauka of Palehua Ridge to makai of West Loch of Pu‘uloa, as the water of Honouliuli Stream, I have been on this 32.5-mile-long journey since the eons. Across the plain of Ewa, between Kapolei and Waipahu, most of my journey occurs under the thick cover of Giant Reed and many other invasive species. My underground aquifer reaches 23.2 square miles of Honouliuli Ahupua‘a, the largest Moku on the island of O‘ahu.

I have so many memories of this place; some happy, some sad, but the most distinct are always sugary-bitter. I have met so many friends throughout time; most friendly ones never come back. I have heard many stories from ancient times and witnessed the births of royals and commoners. I have reveled in the harmony of the untouched natural world, rolling along with singing snails and flightless birds. I have faced the cacophony of construction, coated in paint and oil. Occasionally, I will recall the nightmares of destruction and war. At night, my most lovely dreams are of my sleepy lowland forest snuggled with the ocean, listening to the lullaby of gentle waves lapping at the shore.

alae ke'oke'o (Hawaiian Coot). Photo courtesy: John J. Mosesso, NBII

Mo‘olelo

Hi'iakaikapoliopele (Hi'iaka)

Favorite sister of Pele, she traveled across the plain of Honouliuli, naming things she saw as she went, including pāpa'i (crabs), limu, mahamoe and 'ōkupe (both bivalves), pipi (pearl oyster), ma'o (yellow hibiscus). At Keahumoa, she tested the aloha (kindness and compassion) of lei-makers through a chant which included the phrase “he kauwā ke kanaka i ke aloha” (man is a slave to love or compassion). The lei-makers understood her meaning, agreeing with her, and offered her one of the leis they had made. In return, Hi'iaka blessed the lei-makers and their loved ones. Later, she made lei herself out of lehua blossoms at Kūalaka'i.

Down the Memory Lane

< Pu‘u o Kapolei-e, Uliuli ka poi e piha nei – o Honouliuli >

Hill of Kapolei, It is the dark poi which satisfies those of Honouliuli (1)

Countless Generations of Hawaiian Friends

For centuries, Polynesians provided good company. In 1795, King Kamehameha united all Hawaiian Islands under one kingdom. Honouliuli was given to Maui Ali‘i, Kalanimōkū. In 1848, the Great Māhele (land division) began, and Honouliuli Ahupua‘a was awarded to Ali‘i Wahine. However, through the Kuleana Act of 1850, common Hawaiians were allowed to petition for the land they cultivated. Kalo (taro) and ‘uala (sweet potato) were the most commonly grown. People protected me with strict kapu; in return, I nourished the land and gave them the most ono (delicious) poi they ever had.

Wahi Pana of Pu‘uloa

Pu‘uloa was a treasured place for the Native Hawaiians along with many others. It attracted all kinds of fish and delicious oysters. Native Hawaiians built many fish ponds near the water’s edge where my freshwater reaches the sea. The taro patches helped filter the water of impurities and also provided nutrients to the fish. The fish ponds were so rich, there were more fish than people could eat. For centuries, I listened to children’s laughter as they chased after alae ke'oke'o (Hawaiian Coot) by the wetland where soft makaloa plants were best for nests. Then the laughter mixed with not so distanced moo...

Then Came the Cow

The land holdings of Māhele created the framework for large commercial and governmental operations for the next five decades. The thunder of hooves and long, deep lowing could be heard across the Ewa plain. Cattle ranches proliferated. Like a game of chess, the Native Hawaiians and new settlers engaged in fierce competition for dominance. After a decade, most Native Hawaiians were out-maneuvered by foreign businessmen. Savvy capitalists such as Isaac and Daniel Montgomery, John Meek, James Dowsett, and James Campbell came to control the majority of the land in Honouliuli.

The Sugarcane Migration

Cows weren't the only thing multiplying across the plain. When Mr. Campbell discovered the underground aquifer, lines of sugarcane quickly began to zig-zag across endless fields. Imported laborers brought varied languages, foods, and customs with them. Houses sprouted up and developed into communities. My purpose as a drinking water source was expanded to meet the area's growing agricultural need. Sugarcane was an innocent but thirsty crop. Their growers were greedy Moger, using poisonous fertilizers spread across the soil, they quickly polluted my once pristine waters. The mangroves they planted to prevent water runoff became an invading army, settling in and conquering the native species before them.

Battleships are not Fish

After the annexation of Hawai‘i in 1898, the United States began its military occupation. When the U.S. Navy first set up base at Po‘uloa in 1908, I mistook the large gleaming battleships for oversized fish. They expanded their territory clumsily, leaking oils and chemicals into the water. I was already choking on toxins before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. The formidable ships quickly neutralized in a fiery inferno before being consumed by the waters below. As they began making enemies of each other, the humans also began to fight against nature. The destruction they left in their wake made the water uninhabitable for many creatures. Fish filled up with noxious substances. Those that survived ceased to be healthy enough for human dinner.

The Internment Camp

The roar of propellers and crashing of bombs heralded swift change, like a bugle calling for all who hear to awaken with haste. Like a bleary-eyed soldier emerging from a dream, I could barely register the events around me before crowds descended on the plain. Forcibly shifted from homes to tents, from neighborhoods to quarters, and from citizens to prisoners. Three years of seven compounds of guard towers and buildings for thousands to languish among. My home was reduced to hell valley.

Rapid Urban Development Continues Today

Since the first residential developments proposed by Benjamin F. Dillingham, James Campbell, and other businessmen as part of the Great Land Colonization Scheme, the development in Honouliuli has been one after another.

Volunteers help clean up Ka Papapuhi Point where Honouliuli Stream flows into. Photo by Jui-Lien Sanderson

Flow Forward to the Past

The ghosts of bygone species and kingdoms, plantations, and atrocity have been cast aside to the margins. In their place are palatial houses, sprawling golf courses, and bustling businesses. I watch with quiet, tired curiosity as people walk their dogs along wide sidewalks and picnic in parks. Whole communities have seemingly grown out of the earth the way sugarcane once did. Although time has not aged me, the environment I live in has been damaged, and polluted by human activities. Paths I once roamed freely are now blocked by invasive species and structures. I have been choking and hurt for many decades. My dear friends that relied on me for food and shelter have disappeared. I long for fond memories and good company. More than anything, I wish time could flow backward. But that only exists in dreams. Fortunately, some friendly humans at organizations such as "Hui o Ho‘ohonua" , Mālama Pu`uloa” and their volunteers spend their weekends trying to remove mangroves that blocked my path to the sea. I am once again, an artery under repair and getting ready to support life around me.

Excerpt from “He mele no Kualii, Kalanipipili, Kulanioaka, Kunuiakea &c. i haku ia e Kumahukia a me Kaiwiokaekaha, na kahu ponoi o Kualii, ma ke kaua i Kunia, ma Keahumoa i Lihue” Nupepa Kuokoa, Mei 23, 1868 [original spelling of “puu” changed to modern spelling of “pu‘u” here]

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