Makiki, A Valley of Winds

I remember the days of flooding Makiki. The waters of Kāne would overwhelm the ‘āina (land) with love and tears. Sometimes being overbearing, the wai (water) would act in a way someone would smother and shelter a child, keeping them safe from the suns heat. I remember boogie boarding with the neighborhood kids down the slopes of Kewalo street, riding the muddy tuberculosis waters with the back road traffic. Good times. Now that the times and waters have changed over the course of the 24 years of me living in Makiki, I can see that the once overbearing chaotic love one would show a small child is gone. The rains in Makiki are more controlled, like the kolohe (wild) local kid that went away to college and came back talking all proper. What happened to you bradda ?! Auwē (disgust) ! In this piece I will highlight the weather changes in our small valley, some brief history of Makiki Valley, the changes in which water comes and goes, and the local legends about Makiki told by an infamous Native Hawaiian Storyteller and a Musician.

Makiki Valley is a crevice in the mountain that sits in between Pauoa Valley and Mānoa Valley. On the south or Kona side of the island, Makiki Valley is central as well as accessible. The legend goes that Makiki got its name from the rock quarry in the back of Mauna Laha which was worked by Hawaiians to harvest weights used for octopus lures. The two streams that form the Makiki stream are called Moleka and Kanealole. One stream goes down Kālawāhine past Roosevelt, the other one comes from Mauna Laha/Tantalus, the back of the Nature Center. Previously busy streams teeming with algae and ‘O’opu (Hawaiian Freshwater Goby), Moleka and Kanealeole are shadows of their former selves. Their chasms are deep, but the wai that cuts into the rock is lacking in abundance. Streams of water that in another time serviced Kulaokahu’a (lower Makiki, Honolulu) residents and lo’i (taro patches) are now diverted and barren. The water is deemed cautionary and urban development has made revitalizing natural lo’i close to impossible. I've always said that the worst thing that the haole (foreigner) has done when he came to our shores was divert water. Not only are we under illegal occupation –Hawai’i is illegally occupied territory under the occupation of the United States of America, with no treaty of annexation the Kingdom of Hawai’i and its constituents are legally prisoners of war [naa.org]– , but we do not have our water sources to cultivate national sustainable agriculture, leaving Hawaiians to rely on outside entities for food. Yet, Hawaiians find other ways to perpetuate antiquated practices and food sustainability/sovereignty.

Adjacent to Pūowaina (Punchbowl), the ahupua’a (land division) of Makiki is a small residential area (31,939 residents) in the heart of Honolulu. Some notable landmarks in Makiki are Roosevelt High School and Punahou School, both of which are some of the oldest schools in the state. A once fierce battle over the supremacy of Makiki, the Paint Brush Rivalry between Roosevelt and Punahou was once the talk of the town. During homecoming, students from both schools would climb the opposing schools bell tower and paint it their own school colors – red and gold on the Punahou bell tower, blue and gold on Roosevelts. Roosevelt High School has seen much change since the areas original inception. Called the ‘Lunalilo Asylum’ -- “In 1879, the land for the first Lunalilo Home was granted to the Estate by the Hawaiian government and consisted of 21 acres in Kewalo/Makiki, makai of the present Roosevelt High School. The construction of the first Lunalilo Home at that site was paid for by the sale of estate lands. The Home was completed in 1883 to provide care for 53 residents.” [Lunalilo.org]. Since then that area has been a hospital for wounded American soldiers (WW1) and a watch tower for enemy planes after the schools inception in 1922. Punahou School, which sits on the corner of Makiki and Mānoa is “Founded on lands given to missionaries Hiram and Sybil Bingham by Ka’ahumanu in 1829, Punahou School's grounds encompass approximately seventy-six acres. The Binghams departed Hawai’i in 1840; however, the mission retained possession of these lands, and established a school here in 1842. Although the first students came from missionary families, by 1849 non-missionary children were admitted as well. Initially named Oahu College, the school's name was changed to Punahou School in 1934. One of the school's more famous alumni, U.S. president Barack Obama, graduated in 1979.” [Sah-archepedia.org].

Another prestigious landmark in Makiki is the Scottish Rite Cathedral which sits on the median of Kewalo and Wilder. The Scottish Rite Cathedral is one of the first Free Masonic Lodges in the pacific created by King David Kalakua in 1874. Some notable members include Duke Kahanamoku and Wallace Rider Farrington. I would see Freemasons walk in and out all day as I lived very close to the Cathedral. Sometimes adorned with the Moorish fez and apron, I see Freemasonic/Moorish practices are kept alive and well in the heart of Makiki.

Makiki Valley consists of a few other preeminent entities such as the Makiki Cemetery on Pūowaina, Yobos corner store, Hālau Kū Māna (a Hawaiian immersion charter school), Tantalus lookout, The Nature Center, Makiki Market Place — which encompasses Sure Shot Cafe, Subway, Makiki Mart, Peppas, Makiki Wine Cellar, Pizza Hut, Sushi Man, Makiki Inn, Fantastic Sams, and The Makiki Laundromat. All great places with great sites and even greater people. I remember my friends and I would bum dollar bills off of people so we could all go to Makiki Inn and split a mini chicken katsu curry after school. It was normally the Mānoa kids who would sponsor our trips to Makiki Inn because they always had money. You Mānoa kids are loved, cherished, and appreciated for feeding hungry local boys. We would laugh, say what's up to the homies passing by, and bullshit all afternoon on how 'this is the year our football team makes it to the playoffs'. We didn't make it to the playoffs in the four years of me playing football for the Rough Riders.

In the wake of high school, a now going six year memory, I would look out the windows of A building at Roosevelt HIgh School and observe the transformation of life and death on the slopes of Pūowaina. The mountain would be barren from May until November, when Makahiki (the Hawaiian New Year) would start. The Ua (rain) would sometimes flood the halls, canceling school and allowing teenagers to frolic in the Makiki rain instead of sitting through hour-long lectures. Some people (others and I) would opt to show up barefoot so we didn't get our kicks wet – real Native Kine Tingz. I was eventually told to find slippers or I was to be suspended, so a quick trip to the locker room saved me from 6 hours of raking leaves. It felt good to go to a school that encouraged originality and also encouraged good behavior, even at the moments where students were not their best.

Not much is said about antiquated Makiki, mostly local legends passed around school yards and lunch breaks. Words of Hawaiian Oli (chants) about Makiki have not reached the mainstream, however, a common theme across many circles is the fresh air and the cool Hawaiian breeze that graces Makiki with the blessings of a strong kamakani (spirit, wind). I can count on the Makiki breeze almost every time to cool me off on a tropical Hawaiian day. The life of Makiki Valley has a flair for the dramatic, its resilience against extreme weather conditions or crises are dainty and dependant. The heavy congestion of one of the most populated areas in the state makes Makiki dependent on our winds and rain to be comfortable, which are present and precedent in our little valley.

The weather needs to be perfect in Makiki. Too much rain and the drains flood into the tightly knit apartment units. If there's too little rain, the plant life becomes flammable, handicapping the beauty of our lush mountains and crater, and endangering the populace. If there is too much wind, the telephone poles come crashing down on cars, houses, and into oncoming traffic. If there's not enough wind, the surrounding buildings can feel like they're suffocating you, and there's no relief unless it is in way up mauka (highlands) or way down makai (ocean). This has happened many times. According to [statesummaries.ncics.org] rainfall is down 5% annually every year for Makiki, while Hawai’i Island is up 5% and is continuing to do so every year. Seeing the rainfall decrease in my valley is very disheartening, but it is a sign of growing maturity as if God said “you must do it without my heavy rains, for now“. Sometimes I look at desert areas and I wonder “what did they do to deserve that fate, could we be next“ ? Kelly Kealoha, a resident of Papakōlea Homestead likes to tell the story about how “on the opposite side of the world from our lush tropical island is the Sahara Desert, that we lay on the same equatorial line. Why we were spared of that fate I don't know“. Scientists believe that the Sahara Desert was once a tropical oasis [www.smithsonianmag.com], but through high circumstantial powers its rivers and vegetation has turned into sand dunes that deplorable critters find solace in.

Me: This piece has two very special guest that will be featured. First, we have an Infamous Hawaiian storyteller, one who is tenured in Kahuna (priestly) practices, a master at recitals of ancient Hawaiian legends, a legend, owner and founder of Mysteries Of Hawai’i, an inquisitive by nature Kanaka (Hawaiian), a writer, director, a father, friend, lover of oldies music and my old Kumu, Lopaka Kapanui.

Me: What are your experiences with the weather in Makiki?

Lopaka Kapanui: The weather is Interesting and comfortable and cool. You know the original name of tantalus is called Pu’ualaka’a, made for the rolling potatoes coming down from round top drive. The park had a famous movie filmed there, an Elvis Presley movie that was famous in the 1950 or so. Well the strange thing about Makiki, and it’s more prevalent when you go to like Nutridge Estate right before the park, I have experienced heavy pelting rain drops no rain clouds no clouds at all and no wind carrying the rain, It's not a bird taking a piss. 20 years already and I still haven't figured that out. So i've been rummaging through poetry in Hawaiian. There's one gentleman whose name is Kumu Ghon, he really knows about environmental stuff. I asked him about it and he says “oh I've never heard of that before”. I’m sure there’s something behind it that’s been lost. I brought some paranormal investigators to Nutridge estate, they’re on this show called Haunted Towns, and they're basically talking about their experiences and they were doing what they call an eco box, so number one they were tripped out because all the voices coming through was was all Hawaiian words, me and the guy Scott steps out of the tent, I stepped outside first and we look up and he asked “what are you looking at?” I said “wait” and he gets pelted with rain, he says “oh its raining“ and I said “yeah where are the clouds”? So he was like “in the ten years of having this reality show show that's never happened”, he said “no EVP has ever responded in anything other than english” especially when he went to First Nations Reservations, all english. This is the first time they responded in Hawaiian. What's even creepier is that all the voices coming in were all wāhine.

Me: Are there any mo’olelo about the elements in Makiki, are there any mo'olelo about Makiki?

Lopaka Kapanui: Kamehameha made Hawaiians roll potatoes down the hill. Getting upper Makikis name Pu’ualaka’a. Night marchers come down the winding roads, it’s interesting because you know how there’s those roads that wind up to the top of Tantalus? You can see the procession of the night marches coming down as you drive up. There might be a famous battle on the left side of Mānoa valley between Menehune and Kuali’i by the Cook house on East Mānoa Road, a few hundred years before Kamehameha. Another story is that my friend had come home from a long day of work and laid down on his couch. He heard small footsteps in his house but didn’t think anything of it. He closes his eyes and continues to hear the noise. He wakes up to little footprints on his wall, climbing up to the ceiling. He told me that there were the tips of the foot present right above him on his ceiling, but no heel print. He wondered as to why is that. Then he realized whatever entity was in his house on his ceiling was tippy toeing trying to reach him! Yeah trippy stuff. There’s specific places that Mehehune go around, that’s why they’re there where they are.

Me: Spiritually, why is Makiki so congested? Why was Kona chosen to be a port when we were not directly facing any body of land for hundreds of miles?

Lopaka Kapanui: Its always been that way historically its always been that way. Real estate agents only sold to white and Asian in Makiki. foreign businessmen would try to treat Hawaiian royalty as slaves, Hawaiians refused to do slave work. Most of the haole that married into royalty weren't rich or esteemed, they were unsuccessful businessmen and sailors. You would have these haole sailors, businessmen, who were not doing so well and a lot of them end up marrying a woman of Hawaiian royalty and ended up becoming land rich. So a perfect example would be Charles Reed Bishop marrying Princess Pauahi and she dies but after she dies he inherits everything. If you do the research on who he was, he wasn't some filthy rich guy. I think that was the thing to marry into Hawaiian royalty and have kids. Archildbald Cleghorn, I don't think he was really like that but he marries Likelike and has Princes Ka’iulani. As is the case in the last century a non Hawaiian comes here and tries to justify what he’s doing to the Hawaiian people by saying "the Hawaiian Kumu that took me in, said it's okay and gave me a Hawaiian name and told me I'm Hawaiian" haha.

Me: What type of spirits or entities do you know reside in Makiki?

Lopaka Kapanui: There are ancient spirits , 'Amaukua (ancestral animal), Akua (Gods), spirits, night marchers. there's residual energy or psychic imprints in Makiki, cognitive spirits. In Makiki, you have to adjust to the land, adjust to the spirits. Everybody has some sort of spirits with them, there's that, along with the population that comprises Makiki. What's funny is that a lot of times on the tours, every now and again somebody on my tours would tell me “I notice you're not really looking at us you're looking to the side of us why is that” and I tell them I'm not looking at you im looking at the people you with you “oh it's just me and my daughter”, no not those people. Even driving down Kinau or Wilder people walking by on the sidewalk there's a deceased aunt, a deceased pet. So there's so much. What I find funny is that the concentration of spirits are more pronounced the further up you go on Tantalus. Years ago I was seeing this person and we came down from the look out, Tantalus, and she pulled over on the side and she got out of the car and she picked a flower. I think it was a Tiraé and she put it behind her ear and came back in the car. I said “did you ask permission before you took that?” “What do you mean?” “You gotta ask permission before you take anything,” “I’m Filipino it doesn't matter,” “It doesn't matter? Go back there and ask permission,” '' that's dumb”. She drives away down Tantalus and blacks out driving, the car swerves and I had to grab the wheel and drove her back there to apologize.

Me: Why is water and the connection to it important to you?

Lopaka Kapanui: You've heard it so many times but water is life. Wars were fought over water in Hawai’i. If you wanted to pull terroristic shit on your enemy you dammed their water to their village, their lo’i. There's a Ka’au (story) that I heard growing up that way in the back of Kahana valley that there's supposed to be a place that leads to Ka Wai A Kāne, the waters of Kāne, this was in elementary school, supposedly one of the guardians of the waters of life, Kānes water was Peles brother Kamuali’i which is why his hands were tattooed black because he was to only person to handle Kānes water. I found it fascinating. Literally as you know this entire archipelago is dependent on water. There's some stories on my blog that talk about the supernatural properties of water, The healing properties of water. There's poetic references that a mans face should be like flowing water not like fire because fire is inconsistent but water is consistent. Like what Bruce Lee said "be like water". Like I've said before the water from the niu (coconut) is used for blessings, the same as the first water in the kalo.

Me: Do you have anything coming up whats next for you?

Lopaka Kapanui: We have more ghost storytelling concerts coming up in 2023, Maui, Big Island. We’ll be back in Hawai’i Theater in October, new tours, there's one called haunted Wakiki. Couple of more films, it should be up by the next Hawai’i film festival.

Me: Mahalo you for your wisdom Unko Lopaka, until next time, aloha.

Me: Our second esteemed feature for this piece is a Native Hawaiian musician who specializes in contemporary, traditional, classical, and modern Hawaiian music, a Hawaiian practitioner with some serious pipes, a woman who has made herself known and respected in the local music scene, an old classmate, and friend La’amea Paleka! Aloha La’a its good to see you this morning,

La’amea Paleka: Aloha Shemaur yes I get my style from my mom , I've lived in Makiki for seven years now.

Me: How was your experience with Hālau Kū Māna?

La’amea Paleka: I got into Hālau kū Māna in 2010. I was there from 2010-2014 and my first two years was awesome. I was in the kai nui class which focused on sailing and voyaging. I learned from Papa Mau and Nainoa Thompson who are experienced in Pacific navigation and wayfinding. Our wa’a was called Kānehunamōku and we learned the ancient ways of navigation. What I appreciated about Hālau Kū Māna was our protocol and chanting you know everything was done with protocol, as how Hawaiians would do it in the ancient days. We would have piko (center/belly button/connection to source) sessions, piko po’o (head), piko opu (belly),and would start off with piko to prepare for the day. We would do old chants like E Ō Mai in our piko sessions as a symbol of protection. We are an organized and resilient people. I spent a lot of time in the lo’i and it wasn't my favorite. I had to go anyway though.. You know Hawaiians were a moon based culture, they would plan their day around the moon, plan to plant their plants based on the moon, and know when to fish.

Me: How did the weather make you feel spending so much of your time in Makiki mauka?

La’amea Paleka: Well you know we weren't a school of prim and proper, we werent there to be fancy. It was a place to be one with the ‘āina. It was always cool and cold. Project days we had to malama (take care/till) kuleana (responsibility) discarding the weeds in the stream the more we get to clean our ‘āina the more we rise as a culture. Aunty Mary Kawena Kupuki, a composer and author of ‘ōlelo nō'eau (poetic sayings), used to say “ua kaua ma hea oe” - “when it's raining, where are you“. She's a wealth of knowledge that's why, there's what, 5,000 proverbs, plenty, probably more. That's all from observation, some of it lyrics in a song and everyday life and how she saw it. Based on my life now I've been making meaningful connections, with friends and family, God too. The wind name in Makiki is “Kū kala hāle'' (house of the moving sun) and the rain name for Makiki “ka’ele loli” (changing colors). It's nice to not be in a concrete jungle or a concrete building, to be able to walk openly passing all the trees. We weren't dirty people, the dirts not dirty, it’s recyclable. We need the dirt in order to ground ourselves in order to connect, the land gives us what we need. You know one of the names for Makiki means sprouting water. Ma-ki-ki spring water.

Me: Being in such close proximity, how does Pauoa, Papakōlea, Makiki, and Mānoa compliment each other?

La’amea Paleka: Well they're kind of like a crater or a bowl, kinda like an older sibling the mountains they share land they're all connected. It's a good question to talk about, really that's a good question! I want to spend time with the ohana at Papakōlea to learn more about it. There are three Papakōleas in the world, one in upper Honolulu, one in Ka’u, the green sand beach on the Big Island, and there's one more in Guam. We are all connected. Of course they share ridges, they share the same streams share the same features but they stand alone. That's why our kupuna (elders) wrote because they would look at the mountain tops and say “oh there's my mo’opuna (grandchild)” or "that's my daughter", the mountain reminds them of their loved ones. How tall and strong they are, how firm they are. I just learned what poi stands for, People Of Integrity, the people of I’ō.

Me: Do you know any mele or oli about Makiki Valley?

La’amea Paleka: Of course I know three, there's my song Ku’u Aina O Papakōlea, there is a song written about Makiki by Sam Kaina. Pua Melie, a song about the plumerias in the area written by Edith Kanakaōle.You know get plenty plumerias it is a great signature of these areas.

Me: What is Hālau Kū Mānas history? Why choose Makiki?

La’amea Paleka: They were a mobile school from inception. It was at Paradise Park in Mānoa valley. Then they went to the Hawaiian studies area in Mānoa at the Kānewai Lo’i. Noelani Goodyear, Kawaika Mersberg, Keola Nakanishi played an important role in the founding of the school. They really went through trials to get a spot there. I got there two or five years after they got to Makiki. Kamehameha Schools donated trailers to Hālau Kū Māna, the ones you see there in the valley today. It was a very hands on school always outside alway in the land. The Lopez ohana shares the land with Hālau Kū Māna they own the land there. The area there is called Mauna Laha.

Me: Favorite memory in Makiki?

La’amea Paleka: Spending time at Makiki park and walking to school. I miss the cool mornings when I did wake up on time. I don't miss being a student but miss the setting. He mōku he wa’a he wa’a he mōku, the canoe is an island, the island is a canoe, we only work if it's together. We had to work together as a unit.

Me: How can we find you? Do you have any upcoming events we should know about?

La’amea Paleka: I did just come out with a song in honor of Papakōlea. It was in honor of Prince Jonah Kuhio Kanianaole. He fought for Hawaiian homesteads and he fought for homestead land, the song is called Ku’u ‘Āina o Papakōlea which Papakōlea is cherished and loved by the people and the wind and elements. I've been doing alot of side gigs and private gigs, ceremonial gigs also. I get to go to turtle bay and do private gigs, come join us and be under the stars! You can follow me on instagram @laameamusic. Find me on Apple Music and Spotify at La’amea Paleka.

A Native Hawaiian practitioner and astrophysicist said something along the lines of “Hawaiians don't have gold, or agricultural land anymore like the Native Americans and Africans, but what keeps Hawai’i sustainable is our aloha spirit and our hospitality, and once we lose that it's over”. Our resiliency plus our love for our land and people is the only thing keeping the demons at bay. As we dive futuristically into ancient Hawaiian practices and mo’ōlelo (stories), it is the philosophy of aloha that will pull us from the depths of white supremacy and colonization. A Hawaiian visionary named Aunty Pilahi Paki said “the world will turn to Hawai’i as they search for world peace, and Hawai’i has the key and the key is aloha”. Aloha our wai, aloha our people. Our precious aquifers are being poisoned by jet fuel courtesy of the U.S. Navy causing many residents of Kapūkaki (Red Hill) to fall ill. It is time we appreciate our wai and learn the stories of our wai and where they come from. As our rains become less frequent, we must learn to appreciate our relationship with water, before our island turns into a haven for black sands and the deplorable. Although the lo’i patches and the Hawaiian Tree Snails of Makiki are no more, I like to believe the passionate breeze coming down from Papakōlea and Tantalus spreads the spirit of aloha through Makiki and upper Honolulu, keeping the spirit of aloha alive and well. I have the aloha that my family speaks so highly of in my little place on the mountain side, it is in my blood. Eō Makiki!