Palapala Sila Nui Helu 3088, Kuleana Helu 5654, to Kuhiana

Claimant: Kuhiena
Location: Ili of Maui, Poohilo, Paeokiha, and Waianu
Recorded at: Honouliuli
Date: Dec. 6, 1847
Status: Awarded; Royal Patent 3088

Native Register To the Honorable Commissioners who quiet land claims of the Hawaiian Islands. Aloha to you. I hereby tell you the source of my land and house claim. This land is thereat Maui, in Honouliuli, Ewa, Island of Oahu. Here are its boundaries: tow the North the land of Pue and the land of Koi; towards the East, the land of Kaneaola; toward the South, the land of Leleiaupa and the land of Koi; Towards the West, the land of Koi.

Here is my second land claim at Poohilo, Honouliuli, in the moo land of Kapule. Here are its boundaries: towards the North, the land of Kelemana; towards the East, the land of Kapule; towards the South, the land of Kekua; towards the West, the land of Kekua.

Here is my house claim: towards the North, the house of Puehu. Toward the East, a Mahiki (grassy area) until the house of Nika; towards the South, the land of Puehu, towards the West, the house of Koi.

My residency is an old one, from Kamehameha first to this time, not having gone about here and there. Gotten from Koi at this time.

I am with appreciation your obedient servant. By me, Kuhiena¹

Native Testimony Kuhiena’s case.

Kua Sworn. I know his land, 1 moo kalo at Paeokiha, In the ili of Maui at Honouliuli, Ewa, Oahu. 2 loi called Kalokoloa in the ili of Poohilo adjoining the mooaina of Waianu, Honouliuli, Ewa Oahu. Parcel 3, a house lot in the ili of Maui, Honouliuli, Ewa, Oahu.

Parcel 1. Mooaina 1. Here are the boundaries:

M. mooaina of Kahawai
H. mooaina of Kapahupu, Konohiki’s koele
Mk. mooaina of Ohikiili for Koi
W. mooaina of Kumupali for Pue.

Parcel 2. 2 loi called Kalokoloa:

M. 1 loi of Puehuehu with another small loi
H. 1 loi of Palaau for Kekiaha [Kiaha]
Mk. loi of Haleokane
W. an alanui kuauna (road embankment) of Puehuehu, adjoining Oni.

Parcel 3. House lot.

M. house lots of Puehu and Kahawai
H. mooaina of Kumupali for Pue
Mk. house lot of Pue
W. the pali.

His land was from Naiwi in the time of Kamehameha I. No one has opposed him.

Hilinae Sworn. His knowledge is the same as mine. His knowledge and mine are the truth.²

Foreign Testimony Kua, sworn says, the land of Clt. is 1st a mooaina called Paeokiha in the ili of Maui, Honouliuli, Ewa, Oahu.

2d a loi called Kalokoloa in the mooaina Waianu, ili Poohilo, Honouliuli, Ewa, Oahu.

3d a kahuahale in the [ili] of Maui, Honouliuli, Ewa, Oahu.

Apana 1 is bounded:

M. by the mooaina of Kahawai
H. by koele Kapahupu
Mk. by mooaina Ohikiili of Koi
W. by mooaina Kumupali of Pue. 

Apana 2, Kalokoloa in Poohilo. Bounded:

M. by the loi Puehuehu of Kelemana
H. by loi Palaau of Kekiaha
Mk. by loi Haleokane of Kekua
W. by a kuauna alanui (road bank) & land of Ooni [Oni].

Apana 3, kahuahale, ili of Maui, & is bounded:

M. by the kahuahale of Puehu & Kahawai
H. by the moo Kumupali & land of Pue
Mk. by kahuahale of Koi
W. by the pali.

Clt. received the land from Naiwi in the time of Kamehameha I & he has held quiet possession of the same until now.

Hilinae, sworn says, he knows the land of Clt. The testimony of Kua is true & is also his own.³

¹Book 5, p. 104, Dec. 6, 1847.

²Book 9, p. 280–281.

³Book 9, p. 134–135.

The native tenant land claims from the Native Register for lands in Honouliuli can be found here. The claim number or helu is given, followed by the name of the claimant, and the name of the land area. The Native Register contains the claims submitted by the person who occupies the land. This includes a description of the location of the land, as well as what has been developed on the land—houses, taro patches, gardens, etc. The native testimony and foreign testimony contain statements from residents in the area which verify the statements of the claimant made in the Native Register. A few of the claims were not awarded. Click the Category link for Land Commission Award below to see the claims for Honouliuli.

The accompanying images are of two kinds. The first kind is the notes of survey which formed the records of the Mahele Award Books. They include metes and bounds and plot plans of the parcels surveyed for native tenants. The specific land names and parcels, plot plan maps, and, if provided, additional notes (e.g. names of people and places, or descriptions of features) which supplement the register and testimony volumes are cited.

The second kind of images included are the Royal Patents issued on Mahele Aina Awards. Upon agreement of the land areas to be awarded, surveys were conducted and recorded. The king issued Royal Patents in confirmation of the land areas to awardees. The original documents are presented. The figure captions include the royal patent number (Palapala Sila Nui Helu), the LCA number (Kuleana Helu), the awardee, land area and description, date, signatory parties, and source. The documents are not transcribed, but may be read from the original patents. In some instances, additional place names which were not identified in the earlier records were also cited in the claims; those place names are cited in the land description from each patent. Click the Category link for Royal Patent to see those issued for Honouliuli.

The notes of survey and Royal Patent associated with a Land Commission Award can be navigated to through links under Related Images on each Land Commission Award page.

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.