WAILAU (p. 157).

An excellent historical description of Wailau Valley and Hakaaano Flats can be gleaned from excerpts from"Molokai: A Site Survey,"by Catherine C. Summers, Number 14, Pacific Anthropological Records, Department of Anthropology, Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii 1971. This complete document is available at the State Library.



Wailau means, "Many waters." The Wailau stream, which runs the entire length of the valley, is said to have received its name "because it began in many brooks that flowed from the palis on every side" (Beringer. 1921). In the stream are numerous 'o'opu, wi, and hihiwai shell fishes. The 'Ekepue is the wind of this land.

The most inhabited part of this ahupua'a was its large valley. In later years, a large portion of the choice land of the valley consisted of lele belonging to ahupua'a located on the Kona side of the island (See Fig. 85).

The soil of Wailau Valley was described by Hitchcock as being, "...good, growing all kinds of food and the wauke" (1836). Handy wrote of the valley:

...Wailau, with its two streams, has extensive terraces in the seaward lowlands and back in the lower valleys of Kahawaiiki and Wailau Streams. [Approximately 80 acres were planted in taro.]

...at Wailau there is said to be high terracing of valley sides comparable to that on the Napali coast of Kauai" (1940:102).

The banks of the numerous taro patches in the lowlands can still be seen from the air.

According to Kanepuu, "in the olden days, Wailau and Pelekunu were the places where the pa'ikukui and mahunali'i kapas were made" (1867c). {Lolo's Note: Pelekunu means "Smelly, for lack of sunshine." See Summers, p. 178.} Two descriptions have been given for the pa'ikukuikapa: "A pale yellow kapa made on Molokai" (Brigham, 1911:219), and, "A kind of dark tapa cloth dyed with juice from the kukuibark" (Pukui and Elbert, 1957:278). The mahunali'i is, "...small spotted, used for covering idols; kapa like paipaikukui; a thin kapa much used in sorcery, often oiled" (Brigham, 1911:218). It is also fine-scented, dyed with noni (Morinda citrifolia)bark; it was made under strict kapu and reserved for chiefs (Pukui and Elbert, 1957:203).

George Kane gave the following points of interest in Wailau Valley:


Facing the north, it is embraced by tall mountains and if you look westward, you can see Kalawao and Mokapu standing there. This is an island outside of Waikolu... Waiehu point seems to disgorge the hill of Ku'ele. When you are through looking, peering and viewing this scene, turn to look at the row of mountains, Kokio- wailau-alapi'i-a-ka-'opae and that has a beauty of its own, like carnations strung on a long needle (manai).

When you have seen that beautiful view, turn to look toward Ke- ala-ka-'ilo, where Puapualenalena (a dog) sought his master, casting its shadow from the right. It is also beautiful, like a sentinel on watch and as you gaze at the sea you will see a yellowish object, a rocky islet, Ku'iku'ipalaoa, directly outside of Wailau. Just inside of the pali of Malelewa'a is a sea port. Another rocky islet, Kuwawa, is also there and was a place for the natives to dive from. I also dived from it and bathed in the sea of this land which lies before the face of the hills (Kane, 1912b).

Koki-o-wailau-alapi'i-a-ka-'opae are the cliffs at the head of the valley. Following is an account of how they got their name:

When Aiai landed at Wailau he saw that both sides of the valley were covered with men, women and children engaged in closing up the stream and diverting its water to another course, whereby they would be enabled to catch 'o'opu and 'opae. The water being low, the gourds of some of the people were full from their catch.

Aiai noticed their wanton method of fishing, whereby all 'o'opu were caught without thought of any reservation for their propagation, therefore he called on his parents to take them all away. The prayer was granted, for suddenly they all disappeared, those in the water went up the stream to a place called Koki, while those in the gourds were turned to lizards which scampered out and ran all over the rocks. The people were much surprised at this change and felt sorely disappointed at the loss of their own food supply.

On account of his regard for a certain lad of that place, named Kahiwa, he showed him the place of the 'opae to be up the precipitous cliff, Koki. The youth was attentive to the directions of Aiai and going there he found the 'o'opu and 'opaeas stated, as they are to this day. That is what established the noted saying of the old people of the land: "Kokio of Wailau is the ladder of the 'opae." It is also known as the "Pali of Kahiwa" (Thrum, 1907:239).

There is a saying which refers to Koki-o-wailau: "'O ka pi'i no ia a koki o Wailau...climbed to the very top of Wai-lau"; this means, "...has reached the peak of a career, has made a great achievement" (Pukui and Elbert, 1957;148).

Aiai is also credited with the establishment of a fish station off Wailau: "When Aiai left Wailau he showed this lad [Kahiwa] the ku'ula and the fish station in the sea he had located there, at the same distance as that rocky island known as "Mokapu" (Thrum, 1907:240).

On the cliffs W of Wailau Bay is the waterfall, Waiehu:

This water is one of the most famous on the island of Moloka'i from olden times to this day. It is visited by strangers and the strange thing seen about this waterfall is this, when it is windy, the water never falls to the earth but remains up on the cliff. You will then see the mist like drops creeping along the edge of the cliff like a cloud...hence it was named Waiehu (Misty waters), because of the mist blown by the wind (Liokakele, 1911).

Directly below Waiehu are said to be the waters of Kane and Kanaloa and their 'awa container (kanoa), which "...is buried under the rocks" (Kane, 1912b).

The fishing rights off Waiehu Point belonged to the ahupua'a of Kahanui (Monsarrat, n.d.a:154).


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REF: http://www.aloha.net/~inazoo/summers.html