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Moku'ula
Published: 07/02/2007
There is a Hawaiian chant that was created for a special place in Lahaina, one that has been revered since ancient times. It's located within the land division of Wainee, which follows a wedge shape from the misty slopes of Kauaula Valley down the West Maui mountainside to the Waiola Church and cemetery, and into the 14 acres of (now-filled) ancient wetlands, flowing out to the ocean at Lele (current site of 505 Front Street Shops & Restaurants).
This chant is called E Ho'i Ka Nani I Moku'ula (Let the Glory Return to Moku'ula) and was composed in 1862 to lament Lahaina's loss of the royal residence at Moku'ula Island in Mokuhinia Pond. As growing sugar cane plantations diverted water from the underground stream on the mountainside into their fields, Mokuhinia waters shrank and became stagnant around Moku'ula. In the early decades of the 20th century, Mokuhinia was filled with coral rubble dredged from Lahaina Harbor, and by 1918 the acreage was turned over to the County of Maui for use as Malu'uluolele Park.
For nearly 80 years, the beauty of Moku'ula was forgotten, lying dormant under a baseball field and asphalt parking lot. The Friends of Moku'ula, a nonprofit organization comprised of Hawaiian cultural specialists and West Maui community members, have breathed new life into Moku'ula by rediscovering the site (situated at the south end of Front and west end of Shaw Streets), having it mapped and researched by an archaeologist and anthropologist, and providing educational and community work programs. The organization has secured a lease from Maui County to occupy portions of the celebrated site, and has created partnerships with the government and community to begin restoration, reforestation, and alternative learning opportunities.
In a multi-phased project, Friends of Moku'ula will will continue its work of restoring the royal complex at Moku'ula and reinstating the pond of Mokuhinia. The outer perimeter of the pond has been landscaped with coconut trees, ti plants and native groundcover. Plans are underway to begin constructing a minimal impact parking lot bordering Shaw Street and a culturally authenticated Hawaiian Living Center built on traditional values within the site. This work can be viewed in 2007-08. When the current parking lot at Front Street is relocated, the second phase of archaeological excavation of Mokuula Island will begin.
One of the traditional Hawaiian values that Friends of Moku'ula has already put in place is the concept of kuleana (responsibilities) - contributing toward the health and wealth of all who live in a land division. Usually, an ohana (family) would hold certain responsibilities which were then passed from generation to generation. Lahaina's native families associated with Moku'ula and the division of Wainee have become stewards of their ancestral land and contribute to the wellness of its social center, Moku'ula. Na Koa Kau I Ka Meheu O Na Kupuna (The Warriors Who Walk in the Footsteps of their Ancestors) is one of these groups - they take care of their kuleana lands in Kauaula Valley and assist Friends of Moku'ula in maintaining the project area. Their ancestral tradition dictates a responsibility to protect, preserve and give life to the land.
The Moku'ula site is listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places. It is a window to Hawaii's past for future generations to treasure. For updates about the project, view the website: mokuula.com or call the Friends of Mokuula office, 808-661-3659.
Locations
Maui, West Maui
Photo Gallery - Moku'ula
Click here for Slideshow. You can also click on any of the photos to start slideshow.
