Posted by Pono Kealoha on February 29, 2008 at 2:43am
Preserving Makena historyBy CHRIS HAMILTON, Maui News, February 29, 2008WAILUKU — A group of cultural and environmental researchers has written a 401-page tome about Makena’s significance to Native Hawaiians, which they hope will someday convince future developers to preserve what remains unblemished in the growing resort community.With grants from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Maui Tomorrow, “Project Kaeo: The Challenge to Preserve Cultural Landscapes in Modern Makena” was released Thursday at the Wailuku Public Library. Archaeologist Theresa Donham and historical researcher Lucienne de Naie spent two years on the project.The book — which is part scientific study and part people’s history — is free and can be found in local libraries, on CD-ROM or online at http://projectkaeo.blogspot.com/.De Naie said that while it is presented in a technical format, it is still a story, and unfortunately, the story is a sad one.The researchers, which included Kukahiko Foundation President Maile Luuwai, investigated 1,000 acres of South Maui from Makena Landing to Puu Olai and up the mountainside to Ulupalakua Ranch. The Kukahiko family has ancient ties to the region.In that area, the authors documented nearly 550 archaeological sites containing thousands of features, de Naie said. Brought here by Polynesian seafarers, Hawaiians have lived there for more than 1,000 years, predating European explorers. Researchers believe it was an agricultural area and once the a chief’s kingdom.“We hope landowners will see the benefit to having a chunk of living history at least set aside within any development,” de Naie said.Development over the past 30 years between Makena Road and the shore has already destroyed most of the significant archaeological sites, according to the book. However, undeveloped lands still exist in the area.“And these deserve careful archaeological review and scholarly research, especially for subsurface remains,” according to the book.Kehau Luuwai of the Kukahiko family said she knows development cannot be stopped entirely.“But we need to preserve what we can,” she said.The researchers contend that while there have been numerous archaeological, historical and biological resource studies conducted in Makena over the past four decades, most of them were done to benefit golf course, resort and home development.Still, many of those studies concluded that Kaeo was likely South Maui’s most populated and farmed region. De Naie said as many as 10,000 people lived there in precontact times.Makena’s coastal area was once made up of at least four traditional land divisions, or ahupuaa. Those were Papaanui, Kaeo, Mooloa and Onau, according to the research. And Project Kaeo takes its name from the traditional ahupuaa at the center of modern-day Makena.The sandalwood trade and other modern developments converted much of the region from coastal springs, marshes and fishponds to dryland forest. The introduction of new plants and animals also changed the natural landscape.Diseases brought by Europeans who used the harbor took a heavy toll on the Native Hawaiian population. The name Makena is said to commemorate gatherings at Makena Landing to mourn family members lost to foreign disease, according to the book.Thanks to researchers’ work, the community is now equipped to better preserve the region, said Stan Franco, a deacon from St. Theresa Church in Kihei who presided over the blessing of the book.The researchers said a new approach is needed to preserve Makena, one that demands developers ask who came before them.“The remaining sites of Kaeo are worthwhile and numerous,” according to the authors. “They hold stories that are yet to be told. Kaeo, like Kahoolawe, and many other places of great significance, have important pieces of information about their past remaining to be revealed.”Luuwai said that the loss of history impoverishes the future.posted by Nin'iane
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