How could they let is happen, a irreplaceable ancient site will be bulldozed again what are they thinking.
Link to new report
http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/hpd/pdfs/Preservation-Plan-for-Hale-Alii-Development.pdf
The Weller time machine.
Weller go's back in time 2009, 2007, 2006, 1930, 1921, 1851, way back
Ms. Melanie Chinen
Director
DLNR State Historic Preservation Department
Message from Chris Kramer re: threatened destruction of
site
Date: Mon, 09 Jul 2007 10:34:01 -1000
From: mia
Aloha if you could please pass this along to some of your colleagues that would be great. This is a fascinating site that is full of mana. Massive upright stones and terraces along with the petroglyphs are on the site and definitely worth a visit.
Sincerely,
Chris Cramer
------
Ms. Melanie Chinen
Director
DLNR State Historic Preservation Department
Re:
(Corner of Hawaii Kai Drive and
Aloha Ms. Chinen,
My name is Chris Cramer and I am an
I strongly urge you to have this site surveyed immediately and to please speak to our City Council before this site is bulldozed. From the outside it appears to be just thick trees but inside it is very different. I have enclosed photographs as well as an article by Van James, the author of Ancient Sites of Oahu.
Sincerely,
Chris Cramer
East Honolulu Resident
ANCIENT HAWAI'I KAI--ALIVE AND WELL
by Van James
Between the O'ahu Club and the Hawai'i Kai Post Office, where Mariners Ridge comes down to near sea level, is one of the few remaining areas in Hawai'i Kai where remnants of ancient Hawaiian history can still be observed. In amongst the brush of this undeveloped property is a small swampy area surrounded by a stand of mature coconut trees. Below the swaying palms is an ancient spring and an old lava rock well. The circular well is in good condition, having been restored with cement in the early twentieth century, and the water from the spring, though not drinkable keeps the adjacent wetland active year-round with visits by the endangered 'alae 'ula.
The entire Hawai'i Kai area is blessed with water as the present day marina makes evident. In ancient times the marina area was called Keahupua o Maunalua and included a large brackish fishpond. In 1851 the pond covered some 523 acres, but by 1921 the water area was mapped at only 301 acres with a wetland of 125 acres. Enclosing the fishpond was a five-thousand foot long rock wall said to be built by menehune, suggesting it is older than local chants about the region.
The Hawaiian word for a walled fishpond is kuapa and the area has alternatively been known as Kuapa Pond and Maunalua Pond. Maunalua means "two mountains," referring to Koko Head and Koko Crater.
As with most Hawaiian fishponds, a mo'o or guardian water spirit is said to have dwelt at the site. Traditionally part woman and part lizard, Laukupu, cared for the fish of the pond and punished the people of the area when she was not given appropriate offerings. It was important to make the right offerings to local deities for the fish could leave a pond overnight. It was said that an underground tunnel connected Kuapa Pond with Ka'elepulu Pond, in
About fifty feet east of the old well and twenty feet up the gently sloping lava rock of Mariners Ridge, Kaluanui in Hawaiian, lies the petroglyph of a fish. Carved in typical outline fashion, this single rock engraving seems most appropriate for an area so close to a major fishpond. It might indicate the kind of offerings that were made at the nearby heiau or temple, now destroyed. Hawea Heiau, originally located near the petroglyph, may have been named for the famous drum brought by La'amai Kahiki from the South Pacific home of early Hawaiians.
However, the only heiau still existent in Hawai'i Kai is Pahua Heiau, a fourteenth century agricultural platform, on
This site of local Hawaiian history, where
This parcel of land has recently been looked at as a site for housing development. How much more appropriate this historic area would be as a park for the present neighborhood residents as well as for everyone of the future!
Van James is author of Ancient Sites of O'ahu (Bishop Museum Press), Ancient Sites of Hawai'i, and Ancient Sites of Maui, Moloka'i and Lana'i (Mutual Publishing). He lives in Hawai'i Kai with his wife.
Jeannine Johnson June 3, 2007 Via email Council Chair Barbara Marshall Hrg: Regular Meeting on Wednesday, June 6, 2007, at 10 am Bill 47 (Zoning) Hawaii Kai zone change. (From A‑2 Medium Density Apartment District with a 40‑ and 60‑foot height limit to A‑2 Medium Density Apartment District with a 90‑foot height limit, Zoning Map No. 1, Ordinance No. 86‑104.) (Applicant: 21st Century Homes, Inc.) Dear Council Chair Marshall, Vice Chair Apo and Honorable Councilmembers, I strongly oppose Bill 47 for a zone change to allow the 21st Century Homes to more than double the height limit for its Hale Ali‘i condominium project in Hawai‘i Kai, for the following reasons: 1. I find it simply hard to believe that the applicant was forced to change its plans to create senior homes because all it could afford to build was a 300-unit luxury condominium complex with starting prices at $1 million. Pacific Business News (Honolulu) - February 24, 2006 (http://www.bizjournals.com/ 2. I am greatly concerned about the petroglyphs found in the area and have not seen any plans by the Applicant to preserve them. The proposed project is at the base of Kaluanui Ridge at the entrance to Kamilo Nui Valley and is part of the ahupua‘a of Maunalua. For centuries, Native Hawaiians cultivated sweet potato in this special place in a culture that bonded closely with the ‘āina, or life-giving land. An agricultural heiau called Pāhua, originally constructed in the 15th century, remains at the base of Kamilo Nui Valley. There isn't much history left in East O‘ahu that hasn't been destroyed or bulldozed. Waikīkī’s fishponds were filled in when the Ala Wai Canal was dredged in the 20s; the Wailupe and Niu Fishponds were filled in the 50s and 60s. In Hawai‘i Kai, Kaiser dredged and filled in most of the 523 acre Kuapā Pond in order to build thousands of homes. Therefore, what’s left of East Honolulu’s unique culture and artifacts, especially petroglyphs, must be preserved for generations to come. 3. I am also deeply troubled that this development will destroy the marsh that borders the project and kill endemic waterbirds nesting there. A pair of adult 'Alae 'Ula or Hawaiian moorhens with five chicks reside in the wetland and therefore their habitat should be considered a nesting site for endemic birds pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (Code of Federal Regulations Title 50). There is no habitat conservation plan by the Applicant although it is required when significant habitat modification or degradation kills or injures wildlife by significantly impairing essential behavioral patterns, including breeding, feeding or sheltering. With every new development in Hawai‘i Kai the Department of Planning and Permitting has allowed more crowding, even taller condominiums and home construction within five feet of the sidewalk. D.R. Horton (Schuler Homes) dynamited 50 feet into the natural mountainside in order to pack a dozen more homes into its Le‘olani subdivision. When I saw this desecration of the ‘āina for the first time, from miles away near Kamilo Iki School, I cried. Le‘olani should never have been allowed to be developed because it was on land zoned agricultural. But Schuler Homes was able to get the Urban Growth Boundary moved and allowed to mutilate the mountain in favor of building as many houses as possible. Giving developers carte blanche to build deleterious projects in our communities must stop. Therefore, you must deny Bill 47 for a zone change. Jeannine Johnson cc: Sen. Sam Slom (via email) Rep. Lyla Berg (via email) Rep. Gene Ward (via email) Livable Hawai‘i Kai Hui (via email) Hawai‘i Audubon Society (via email) Hawai‘i Thousand Friends (via email)
Council Vice Chair Todd K. Apo
Councilmember Donovan M. Dela Cruz
Councilmember Charles K. Djou
Councilmember Ann H. Kobayashi
Councilmember Rod Tam
Councilmember Romy M. Cachola
Councilmember Gary H. Okino
Councilmember Nestor R. Garcia
Aloha Gang,
Here is the original McAllister report from the 1930’s I scanned exerpts from his book and I hope it comes out. It is out of print and pieces have been referenced in other books. He received much of his information from the old kupunas in the area. His book explains ancient wells, types and purposes of heiaus, fishponds, springs and petroglyphs. It also interesting to note the similarity of the ancient well Lui o wai Kanaloa (near keawanui area and now lost) to the Kaluanui well.
To follow up on what Lance mentioned earlier : Here are some of the early accounts of the Hawea and Kaluanui area:
14. Pits. On Hawea and Haleauau (Sites 42, 215) are small and shallow rectangular depressions artificially faced.
Site 42. Hawea heiau, Hawea, Maunalua.
Only the western portion of the heiau remains, for stones were used in reconstructing the walls of the Maunalua fishpond. Present remains indicate two or more terraces with low walls. A small stone-paved terrace on the southwest corner was 22 by 29 feet with a wall on the west side 3.5 feet high inside and 8 feet high outside and 4 feet wide. In the paving is a rectangular pit 31 by 24 inches by 3 inches deep. On the sea side of this terrace is a triangular steplike area which has a paving of small stones superimposed upon larger stones. It is 2 feet above the ground and 2.5 feet lower than the terrace paving. Adjoining the land side of the terrace is a larger sloping dirt- paved terrace approximately 50 by 47 feet with a 2-foot stone facing to the lower terrace. On either side there are low stone walls s to 2 feet high. On the land side is a sharp ascent to the cliff. Throughout the walls and paving there is much old and weathered coral. Southeast of these two terraces are evidences of three narrow dirt terraces faced with stones to a height of 3 and 4 feet. Thrum (7ç, 14) says the heiau was “about 75 feet square.”
Wells
Wells were not unknown, though they were probably rare, for springs were abundant on Oahu (6o, p. 162). A well at Mokapu Point (Site 366) in use today (p1. 9, B). There is another at the corner of Ulupo (Site 371) and one at the foot of Kaluanui Ridge (Site 43). None of the wells are deep; they amount to shallow holes in the ground, with sides faced with stones. Water is obtained through seepage, and the level il is consequently affected by the rapidity with which the water is removed.
Site 43. Dwelling at the mouth of Hahaione Valley, foot of Kaluanui.
The portion of the house foundatIon which remains is 22 feet long, evenly edged 01155 1 to 2 feet long to a height of i. feet. The width could not be determined, s two pits were dug into the garden which covers most of the platform. Ash, charcoal broken glass, fish scales, decayed kukui shells, sea shells and a well-made top of a poi pounder were unearthed. According to Manuel Silva the grass hut was occupied by a 23 years ago, though the site is Hawaiian. Below the house foundation and on the edge of the former pond wall is an inclosure, possibly a pigpen, 17 by 39 feet with walls approximating 3.5 feet high. About 50 feet north of the pen is a brackish 3 feet in diameter with 3 feet of water. The sides have been faced with stones. As this is a low marshy region almost any such depression would be filled with water.
No comments:
Post a Comment