Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, 1 September 1982 — KA ʻANAE KU O WAIPIO THE MULLET FISH OF WAIPIO [ARTICLE]

KA ʻANAE KU O WAIPIO THE MULLET FISH OF WAIPIO

Kakau 'ia e George Pooloa E noho ana ma Waipi'o, Ewa, 'o Kaihuokapalai, ke kupunakane ame Malaekahana ke kaikuahine o Kaihuokapalai. He ali'i wahine 'ui *o Maalaekahana, ua ho'ohalike 'ia ka 'ui nohea o na papalina o keia kaikamahine. me na 'opu'u pua rose i mohala a'e. Nohon nui iho nei na mo'opuna me ko laua kupunakane, no kekahi manawa lo'ihi ko lakou 'aina, aka na'e i kekahi la, ho'ea mai la ka pilikia iloko o ko lakou noho 'ohana ana, 'o ia ka nele ka i'a, a 'i aku la i ke kupunakane: "'Ea, he keu maoli ko kakou pilikia i ka i'a, ua nele loa ka hale nei i ka i'a, pehea la e loa'a mai ai ka i'a ia kakou?" A lohe ke kupunakane i kela mau 'olelo a kana mo'opuna, kauoha aku la 'oia ia Kaihuoakapalai, e ki'i kekahi mau mea ana i kuhikuhi aku ai, e lawe mai no ka mohai ana aku i ke akua. Ua ho'oku aku la ka mo'opuna i ke kauoha a kona kupunakane, 'a'ole no hi'i i lo'ihi, ho'ea ana no 'o Kaihuoakapalai imua o kona kupunakane, a waihe aku la i na mea apau i kauoha 'ia mai ai ia ia e ki'i, a ka'a aku la na hana ma ka 'ao'ao o ke kupunakane, me kona 'ike 'ole aku na'e i na mea i hana 'ia. Moe nui iho la ma kela po, a hiki i ke ao ana a'e ma ko kakahiaka o kekahi la mai, kahea aku la ke kupunakane ia Kaihuokapalai, e hele mai imua ona, a ha'awi aku la he pohaku ku'ula i hana 'ia a kohu kino kane, a e kau ana ho'i papale mahiole maluna o kona po'o. "'Auhea 'oe e Kaihuokapalai," i kama'ilio mai ai ke kupunakane, "e malama loa 'oe i keia pohaku ku'ula, i na manawa auane'i apau au e makemake ai ika i'a e loa'a ana ia me ka hakalia 'ole." No keia kauoha a ke kupunakane, lawe mai la 'o Kaihuokapalai i ka pohaku ku'ula a malama; a he mea 'oia'i'o loa, ma ka la mua no o ka loa'a ana mai o kela pohaku ku'ula, ua ku ka 'anae ma Waipi'o, Ewa, O'ahu, a'e nei, 'o ka mahina ia 'o Maraki. U a hiki i na mea apau ke 'ike aku i ke ku mai o ka 'anae, nolaila ua holo aku la na kanaka maluna o na wa'a e ho'opuni me ka 'upena, a i ka puni ana, huki no ho'i i ka 'upena a hiki i ke kau ana iuka o ka 'aina; lawe a'e la 'o Continued on page 5

Mullei Fish, continued from page 3 continued to go out to bring the fish. Half of the mullet was given away to the paddlers and those who pulled the nets and the rest were put on boats to take to the Ulakoheo fish market to be sold. That's the Fish market on the makai side of Queen Street near Maunakea Street in Honolulu. Some time had passed and Malaekahana wished to leave, so she said to her brother and grandfather, "Would you let me take a trip around Oahu?" "What ean we say. It is allright with us, you ean go." Malaekahana was quite eager and left Waipio the next day. She hiked until she reached Honolulu and soon reached Maunalua where she turned to head towards the Koolau side. During this journey Malaekahana stopped at many places. The last plaee where she stayed was where Rev. Kekoa's house was at Punaluu. There Malaekahana met some of the residents of Punaluu and they became friends. One day the told Malaekahana some news that a chief, Kahauokapaka, who was supporting two hula groups, and that very night this chief was suppose to join in the dancing. Everyone was curious to see the fun that night, so Malaekahana and her new friends went there. When the dancing and chanting began, Kahauokapakajoined with those dancing, who were mostly women. Malaekahana was not one of them because she did not know how to dance, but she could chant. Since Malaekahana did not join in the dancing someone began to chant. Her personal family gods appeared to Malaekahana and they would not leave until she began to chant. Kahauokapaka noticed Malaekahana's chanting and soon the dancing was forgotten that night. The chief of the Koolau (Kahauokapaka) had fallen in love with the girl of Waipio, and they were married. They went to Kapala to live, whieh was an abundant area of Fish. Some time later they moved to Kawela, a peninsula at Kahuku. While over there, Malaekahana became sick for she had eaten some type of crab. Kahauokapaka told her that he would go out Fishingand when he returned he would take care of her. But Malaekahana implored her husband to let her rejoin her brother so that she could be some Fish for them. Kahauokapaka could not refuse his wife and agreed. The next day Malaekahana left Kawelaand headed for Waipio, where her brother and grandfather lived. Upon arriving, Malaekahana met up with her brother and their grandfather. Thēy were filled with joy for they all had not seen eaeh other for such a long time. "Has it been a tiring journey to eome over?" asked Kaihuokapalai. After their joyful reunion only the two grandchildren stayed up that evening. "The reason I have returned is to get some Fish for us. Life has been difFicult on the other side of the Koolau." "There is plenty of dried fish. Take whatever you want." "I can't take any of the Fish because it is too heavy for me to carry and the trail is long. What if the Fish were to be sent by sea while I hike back inland? What do you think, brother?" "That is all right, if you will not stop at every plaee to sleep." Malaekahana agreed. On the next day, she left Waipio and hiked to Honolulu, then she went to Kuliouou to stay over night. When the sun was up, she continued onward and stopped at Kailua in Koolaupoko to sleep. She stopped for the third time at Makua and arrived at Kawela sometime the next day. There she rejoined her husband, Kahauokapaka at Kawela.

On the very day that Malaekahana had reached Kawela, the mullet of Waipio appeared at Kawela. The fish also appeared at every plaee that Malaekahana had stopped. During the following days the pe'ople only Fished. This occurred for nearly nine years at Waipio, but there were only about as half as muchfish since Malaekahana's request to her brother. It was said that the power of the stone image belonging to Kaihuokapalai had attracted the mullet to the Koolau side. It was also said that the Fish were taken to Honolulu to be sold on Captain Mahiai's steam ferry and other small boats. Maybe these old legends seem so unbelievable, but this one was not made-up. It istrueand happened some time ago.