Puʻu Hōkūʻula Effect on Weather
Keomailani Case share about Hōkūʻula being a buffer stating, "....my family always told us that the puʻu are kind of our wind protection zone. So not only are we in the funnel between Kohala and Mauna Kea, but the pu'u would kind of buffer some of the wind and backdraft that's coming off of the hillside. So because we're so close to the base of Kohala, the pu'us, especially Hōkūʻula is like a buffer. So wind on Kohala mountain circulates like at certain times of the year, it'll go clockwise. And the other parts of the year, like during Lono time, it'll go counterclockwise. So Hōkūʻula , in the stormy season of Lono will kind of counter that and it'll help divert some of the wind and storm. So we always grew up with knowing Hōkūʻula as like the bigger protector of the area where we live."
Hōkūʻula slowing down wind
Wind represented by the clouds
Artist: Ho'oipo Bertelmann &
Makalii Bertelmann
Puʻu Hōkūʻula as a Landmark
During their time spent in Kohala forest uncle Kanaina and aunty Keomailani used puʻu like Hōkūʻula to find their way home. Aunty Keomailani states "If we were ever in the forest, we'd just look for Hōkūʻula and knew that we were on the South Eastern side of Hōkūʻula and just knew where our home was." Uncle Kanainas also showed how attuned to place he was through the many stories he shared during his interview.
Hana Mahiʻai
During my research, I took a huakaʻi with Kamuela Plunket, on this huakaʻi he told me a little bit about the land use of the area pre-contact and how the Kohala field system still continued into Waimea. Its also stated in He Mo'olelo 'Āina: A Cultural Study of the Pu'u o Umi area reserve and Kohala- Hamakua Mountain Lands, District of Kohala and Hamakua written by Kepā Maly that, "the mahina ʻai of the Waimea region also extended up the slopes of the Kohala Mountains in the vicinity of Pu'u Hōkūʻula, and extended across the uplands towards the Kahua section of North Kohala. In these upper fields, as well as in areas crossed by streams like Waikōloa, Waiaka, and Keanu'i'omano, it is likely that irrigated fields were developed as well." From this brief paragraph, we can see that kanaka kahiko took advantage of the resources that our geography can give us. On this huakaʻi with ʻAnkala Sam, he showed me the remnants of a couple of ʻauwai."
Lawaiʻa Manu
Besides farming another tradition that continued until the time of my great-grandfather, was the tradition of lawaiʻa manu. Keanali’i said, "I noticed firsthand from my papa Kimo. Our papa Kimo and his older brother, uncle Charlie. Yeah, he told me that that was something that they did when they were young, was lawaiʻa manu. And basically you had a pole and you had aho or an aholoa. You had a pohaku kapilimanu that was like your sinker or a weight and then you had a hook and maunu. And you would cast the line and wait for the Kolea to come and swallow the line. Then that's how you caught your manu.
Kolea represeting Lawai'a Manu
Artist: Makali'i Bertelmann
Ranching on Hōkūʻula
All those who I have interview told me that they always remember Parker Ranch leasing the land that Hoku'ula sits on. Aunty Ku'ulei tells her stories of her younger days and states, " My experiences there on Hoku'ula, Owaowaka was riding horse. Right? Cause Parker Ranch had pipi there. Driving pipi to what is the Hoku'ula pen right around the turn down there." She was also one of the teenagers at that time that would go swimming at Kohakohau.
Another person who spent time up on the slopes of pu'u Hōkūʻula and all above, Pu'u Pelu, is Pomai Bertelmann she states that "I was one of a few people who are able to spend time, go up through our Halekea gate and ride up Hōkūʻula" her job at Halekea allowed her to interact and connect that area through riding horses.
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