Pōkaʻi Bay.

This is the location of Waiʻanae on a map of Oʻahu.

The unique mountain ranges of the ahupuaʻa of Waiʻanae.

This website shows a historical map of the Waiʻanae Ahupuaʻa. This map provides information on the layout of the Ahupuaʻa of Waiʻanae and also provides insight into different places within Waiʻanae.

Waiʻanae is a small county on the leeward coast of Oʻahu. Waiʻanae has a lot of rural beauty to take in. This website provides information like the total population of males and females, the climate, and also the economic averages. This website brings a lot of information to others about Waiʻanae. 

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This source explains the meaning behind the name of Waiʻanae. Waiʻanae is a compound word made up of two smaller words. “Wai” means water, and “ʻAnae” is the Hawaiian word for mullet fish. The waters of Waiʻanae are rich fishing grounds for mullet fish.

This website provides a topographic map of the ahupuaʻa of Waiʻanae. Through this map you can see the water features and contour of a lot of different data. This is an important resource to look at to better understand the geography of this ahupuaʻa. 

This resource is extremely useful in learning more about the different aspects of the Waiʻanae Ahupuaʻa. In this interactive map, you can see the historical sites, ʻili, and crownlands within the ahupuaʻa of Waiʻanae. From this resource, you can gain a better understanding of the land and the uses of it.

Kaiāulu is the name of the wind of Waiʻanae. This name stands for the pleasant, gentle trade-wind breeze of Waiʻanae.

This resource describes the name of the rain in the ahupuaʻa of Waiʻanae. These descriptions of rain pay tribute to the unique climate and weather patterns in Waiʻanae.

 Kiʻowao: Cool mountain rain accompanied by wind and fog.

ʻUlalena (at Kaʻala): A reddish-hued rain.

Heiaus was a sacred place for our ancestors and provided refuge. Heiaius are often built out of natural resources like lava rock and are hard to spot unless you know what to look for. Ku'ilioloa Heiau is located on the northern point of Pōkaʻi Bay, it is an elevated piece of land that is surrounded by lava rocks. It is said that Lonokaeho, an ancient Hawaiian traveler built this Heiau with rocks from his home, Tahiti. This Heiau is surrounded by ocean on three sides, it serves as a major point in navigation and also a blessing site for travelers.

Picture of mullet fish, which Waiʻanae is named after.

Mount Kaʻala is the highest peak on the island of Oʻahu at 4,025 feet. From ancient Hawaiian traditions, Mount Kaʻala was an important place for its fishing waters and was used as a place of importance for Hawaiian astronomy. In 1981, the 1,100-acre Mount Kaʻala Natural Area Reserve was established to protect the diversity of native ecosystems, including native shrublands, forests, and a bog

Pōkaʻi Bay gets its name after the Hawaiian chief Pōka’ī, who is said to have brought the first coconut palm tree to Hawaii. “Ka Uluniu o Pokai” is the famous coconut grove that once lined the shores. The bay had an original name of “Malaea” which means calm or serene. At Pōkaʻi Bay there is also a heaiu called Kū'īlioloa Heiau. Near the northern end of the bay is where many mullet spawn and many people would fish. The village of Pōkaʻi Bay was once famous for its lush streams and coconut groves.

This map provides insight into the natural water streams that flow through the ahupuaʻa of Waiʻanae. The main stream that flows sometimes into the ocean from Wai`anae Valley is Kaupuni Stream.

This video highlights the largest modern issue the people of Waiʻanae are seeing, which is homelessness. In this video, you can see the issues of unaffordable housing and lack of resources these people of the Waiaʻanae Ahupuaʻa face in our current world.

This article goes into detail about the history of Waiʻanae. In 1879, Hermann A Wideman, GN Wilcox, and AS Wilcox started the Waiʻanae Company to grow sugar in Waiʻanae Valley and some surrounding areas. This sugar cane land had business booming and the growth of this small ahupuaʻa began to grow. Also as sugar cane lands increased, quarrels between sugar cane and loʻi workers arose over the very limited water resources. Eventually, a railroad was made for train

Beautiful photo of Waiākeaʻs natural ponds.

This is a map of Waiākea from 1891-1894. This map provides a lot of information on where different resources could be found in this ahupuaʻa.

Landscape view of Waiākea, Hilo, Hawaiʻi

This is where Waiākea is located on a map of Hawaiʻi island. 

This online resource is very useful because it offers unique information like age demographics, climate/weather, and the local economy. This website is vital to research because it brings a better understanding of the diverse ahupuaʻa.

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Kākulu, Roy. “Na Makani o ka Mokupuni Compiled by Roy Kākulu Alameida Hawaiian Studies Ins.” KS Blogs, May 1997, https://blogs.ksbe.edu/kekuiapoiwa/files/2013/09/Na-Makani-o-ka-Mokupuni.pdf. Accessed 26 April 2024.

This resource provides information on the wind names used in this ahupuaʻa of Waiākea. When looking at this information from an indigenous perspective it is vital to know the names of the things that happen within nature. Hawaiians named all of the happenings of nature, this showed their significant relationship to their ʻāina. From this resource, Waiākea has three names for its wind.

This ahupuaʻa of Waiākea receives a lot of rain yearly. Rain names are very important when looking at this ahupuaʻa. 

Heʻenehu - Name of a misty rain observed off the coast of Hilo when nehu fish are running.

Kanilehua - misty rain 

Nāulu - sudden shower

This educational resource provides very important information about the place name of Waiākea. Waiākea gets its name because of the abundant torrential rains and the fullness of the wide rivers.

Pictured is Hoakimau Loko ʻiʻa, one of the many loko iʻa (fishponds) found throughout the ahupuaʻa of Waiākea, Hilo. Waiākea was well known for its fatty and sweet mullet which were raised in these abundant loko iʻa. These mullets were highly favored by King Kamehameha I and many other Hawaiian aliʻi.

This online resource is incredibly useful when looking at the importance and backstory of loko iʻa. Loko iʻa is a traditional fishpond that ancient Hawaiians used for the cultivation and management of fish. Loko iʻa were typically built near/on the shore line. A wall made up of stone is built to enclose part of the ocean. The fish were kept in the enclosure and taken care of by people. Loko iʻa is a key element of Hawaiian culture and plays a crucial role in the survival and sustainability of Hawaiians.

This Youtube video holds a lot of information about the community of Waiākea gathering together to support the preservation of the Waiākea loko iʻa. Activities like stand-up paddle boarding have proven to disrupt the fishing community.

This educational video is a great resource to view when trying to immerse yourself into what a loko iʻa is, what you can find within it, and how it is cared for. The loko iʻa highlighted in this video is the loko iʻa of Waiāhole and Kapalaho which is found in the ahupuaʻa of Waiākea. Many fish call this loko iʻa home like ʻamaʻama, ʻōpae, and āhole just to name a few. There are also a lot of different types of water found here like cold water, muddy water, and brackish water. Lastly, there are many types of plants like limu, kalo, and hau.

Loko iʻa o Waiākea.

The fact sheet from the Hawaii Department of Health outlines the findings from a study conducted at Waiakea Pond, located on the island of Hawaii. The Hawaii Department of Health conducted a study at Waiakea Pond on the island of Hawaii. The study checked the water quality in the pond to see if there were any harmful substances like pesticides, heavy metals, or bacteria. While some pollutants were found, the levels were mostly safe. The report suggests continuing to monitor the pond's water to make sure it remains safe for people to use

An ʻili is a subdivision or smaller area of land within an ahupuaʻa. Today we often refer to ʻili as towns, communities, or neighborhoods. In Waiākea there are three ʻili. Those ʻili are Piʻopiʻo, Makaokū, and Honohononui.

A dangerous tsunami hit Waiākea town in 1960. Many buildings and businesses were completely wiped out. 61 people sadly lost their lives. Before the tsunami, this town was busy and vibrant. After this tsunami, it was never the same and never got rebuilt. The Waiākea Kai Clock stands as a memorial to the people who lost their lives in the 1960 tsunami. The time on the clock is stopped at 1:04 am when the clock itself was destroyed by the 3^rd and largest wave.

Theophilus Harris Davies and Alexander Young started the Waiākea Mill Company in 1879. This mill was located at the back most mauka side of Waiākea Pond, this is what most refer to now as Wailoa Pond and River. This sugar cane field was unique because there was no need for irrigation because of the frequent rainfall to this area

The infamous Waiākea Kai Clock pays tribute to the lives lost and the community.