Place Names of Honouliuli in the Māhele

The records of the Mahele are the earliest and most detailed records of Honouliuli, in their documentation of native residents—those people who were the survivors of their ancestors, and those whose iwi (remains) were buried upon the plains (kulaıwi). Following a detailed review of all the Mahele records from Honouliuli Ahupuaa, at least 208 resident names were found. These names, often modernized surnames, are the people who lived upon, cared for, and were sustained by the aina and kai lawaia of Honouliuli. Some of the names are still in use and are familiar in the island community in the present day. These families may in fact search their histories to see if their name descends from one of the original residents of Honouliuli. The voices of these families might speak for the land; under Historic Preservation regulations they hold a privileged position in planning for treatment of cultural properties and familial resources.

It is noted here that Kupuna Arline Wainaha Puulei Brede Eaton, founding president of the Hoakalei Cultural Foundation, was raised at Keahi in the ili of Pu‘uloa, Honouliuli Ahupua‘a, by her own kupuna, Kaniela and Malia Kealoha. The Kealoha line from which Kaniela Kealoha descended was at one time a konohiki of Honouliuli Ahupuaa, and a teacher in the ahupuaa schools under the chiefs Kekauonohi and Kealiiahonui.

Below is a list of all the hoaaina names that could be clearly documented as residents of Honouliuli. In addition to the hoaaina, chiefs who were granted residency rights, or who were associated with Honouliuli in this period were Kinau (k), Kinauwahine (w), Mikahela Kekauonohi (w), Aarona Kealiiahonui (k), Mataio Kekuanaoa (k), Kekumanoha (k), Kuihelani (k), Kalaimoku (k), and John Adams Kuakini (k).

The Hoakalei Cultural Foundation (HCF) seeks to provide the public with access to the rich history of Honouliuli Ahupuaa—bringing traditional and historical documentation that has time depth, and that is factual, to the attention of all who care for this land. The research is being conducted in a wide range of archival collections, and incorporates primary—first account—documentation from both Hawaiian- and English-language resources.

As a part of that research, Kepa Maly and Onaona Pomroy Maly completed a review of all the original land title records of the Hawaiian Kingdom recorded during the Mahele Aina (Land Division) between the years 1847 and 1855. For the first time, all of the Mahele records have been compiled in one collection, and the original Hawaiian-language documents of the Native Register and Testimony collections were translated by Kepa Maly for this program. This work was conducted over a five-week period between July and August 2012. The results provide readers with significant documentation coming from those who lived on and knew the land in a traditional manner. The Mahele documents describe land use, residency, and the practices of the families of Honouliuli and its smaller land subdivisions. With this information, we are able better to understand the history and cultural landscape of Honouliuli. While much has changed in the last 170 years, the spirit of place, the named places, and lives of those who came before us are still present on the land. Their history adds value to our own lives and community.

All told, 436 Mahele documents were found for Honouliuli; no additional Mahele claims for Honouliuli are known to exist. This total can be broken down, as follows:

105 Native Register (NR) Claim records registered by 99 native tenants;
80 Native Testimony (NT) Claim records;
99 Foreign Testimony (FT) records;
77  Mahele Award Book records; and
75  Palapala Sila Nui (Royal Patent) records.

Of the 106 native tenant claims and one chiefly claim identified from Honouliuli, 74 were awarded to the claimants or their heirs and 33 were denied.

In compiling this collection of historical land and family records from Honouliuli, we have attempted to ensure the accuracy of all citations. The original records though, are challenging. Being all handwritten, the writing is at times illegible. At other times spelling of personal and land area names vary from one record to another. We have done our best to compare the various records and maintain the highest accuracy possible. The records are organized by Helu—the original numerical sequence assigned at the time of recording the information. Also, certain important classes of information such as place names, personal names, subsistence practices, types of features, and cultural and natural resources are called out in tables and summary form for easy access to the historical information.