Week 2 of Kailua Intermediate Schoolʻs "know your own ‘aina" project found 120 students at an unexpected but still valuable change of venue. The plan was for 6 Fridays of visits to Kawainui Stream (aka Hamakua), but Wai‘auia (aka The Old ITT Site) was chosen as a last minute location for this week's field trip. Wai‘auia, as almost no one remembers anymore, was the site of the makaha of Kawainui pond, the home of the Makalei tree, the final hiding place of the Makalei branch, the site of the royal bathing pool of Olomana, Kakuhihewa, and Lokoikamakahiki, the site of several royal compounds (including those of Olopana, Keakaoku, and perhaps Kakuhihewa, Kuali‘i, and Peleioholani), the possible location of the hala grove of the mo‘o Kahalakea, and the birthplace of people of such high pedigree that they could travel anywhere in Kailua without restriction or reservation. Kaleo Wong was armed with this information and was able to plant some of its seeds, we hope, in the na‘au of Kailuaʻs children. As Kaleo reports, Kailua Intermediate has the potential of becoming one of the best access points for malama ‘aina education in our ahupua‘a. The students of Kailuaʻs six public elementary schools end up at KIS before moving on to Kailua's two public high schools. What an opportunity this provides for more than 800 kids to better love and understand their own homeland!
--Posted by Kihei de Silva
--Posted by Kihei de Silva
