Historical and archaelogical documentation shows that the Kaiaka/Haleiwa area was home to the ancient Kapukapuakea Heiau, which is closely associated with chief Lonoakaehu.  Lonoakaehu was accompanied by his "great dog" Ku'ilioloa on his ancient voyage from Tahiti to Oahu. Lonoakaehu was searching for his brother Nane, and found him at Kapukapuakea Heiau. Kapukapuakea Heiau is closely associated with Ku'ilioloa Heiau in Waianae, which was built by Lonoakaehu and is dedicated to Ku'ilioloa, the Dog God, protector of travelers and navigation.

 

Our research shows that Kapukapuakea Heiau is located on several acres, mauka of Puaena Point, Haleiwa Beach Park and the 'Uko'a and Lokoea fish ponds - an area the ancient Hawaiians referred to as Maeaea.  The heiau is not located within Kaiaka Bay Beach Park, as the community has been misled to believe.  The proposed dog park would not interfere with Kapukapuakea Heiau in any way.  North Shore Woof Pack participated in a site visit of Kapukapuakea Heiau in March 2010.

 

REFERENCES

Samuel Manaiakalani Kamakau - Hawaiian historian.

 

Lonoakaehu (Lonokaeho) - Chief of Kahiki (Tahiti) who traveled to Hawaii.

 

Ku'ilioloa - The "great dog" that accompanied his master Lonoakeahu from Kahiki to Oahu.  (Beckwith, Hawaiian Mythology)

 

Ku'ilioloa was a kupua, a demigod, who could assume the form of a man or dog. He was a protector of travelers. (Clark, Hawai'i Place Names)

 

Both the shape-shifting hog-man Kamapua'a and the dog-man Ku-ilio-loa, together with the spirit forms of Kaupe and Poki, are in some way connected with those signs in the sky called oila, which the Hawaiians worshiped, believing that the animal shapes in such clouds could be used to foretell the movements of chiefs descended from their kupua ancestors because denoting the presence of their aumakua protectors in the heavens.  (Westervelt, Gods and Ghosts, 128-132) (Beckwith, Hawaiian Mythology, 347)

 

Kapukapuakea Heiau - This vast amorphous site seems to cover several acres, and may actually consist of a number of smaller distinct sites.  A substantial rock-faced terrace extends for several hundred feet, with coral at several places on the upper terrace.  Above lie widely scattered shrines, some with upright stones still in place. The site gives the appearance of great age, its design not corresponding to that of more recently used religious sites on the island. The person leasing the land knows of the site as a heiau; he reports that Hawaiians earlier in the century avoided the area and that a large stone platform, three to four feet in height, stood on the upper terrace until its demolition about forty years ago. He also reports that an elderly Hawaiian man, regarded with much respect, lived nearby in the 1930s. One local tradition disagrees with McAllister's placement of Kapukapuakea Heiau near Pohaku Lanai.  Instead, it locates that important heiau near this unrecorded site.  (Becket/Singer, Pana Oahu: Sacred Stones, Sacred Lands)

Kapukapuakea Heiau - Kapukapuakea Heiau, Palaa-kai, east end of Kaiaka Bay, on the sea side of the railroad track. The site is still remembered and pointed out, but nothing remains of the heiau. (McAllister, Archaeology of Oahu)

‘O Kapawa, ‘o ke ali’i o Wai’alua,

 

Puaena Point – Site 234. At the death of Elani, who was greatly beloved by his people, his body was placed on a ledge of rocks near Puaena Point, where it was allowed to decompose. The place became known as Kahakakau Kanaka. As the odor came to the ends at Haleiwa they became known as Maeaea; the point on the other side became known as Kupava.  Hookala tells me that at this same place, if there was no one to care for the body of a commoner after his death, the corpse was placed on these rocks. The fluids from the decaying body would seep into the sea and attract sharks, which the people killed.  (McAllister, Archaeology of Oahu)

Palaa Temple (Kapukapuakea) - Lonoakaehu found his brother Nane at Waialua, where he had been cast into a pit belonging to the temple at Paalaa near Kuone, and took him back to Kahiki. (Kamakau, Kuokoa Newspaper 1/12/1867)

 

Kane'ilio - Point. Wai'anae, Oahu. A heiau on the point was dedicated to Ku'ilioloa, a demigod who could take the form of either a man or dog.  Also known as Black Rock. (Clark, Hawai'i Place Names)

 

Ku'ilioloa - Heiau. Wai'anae, Oahu. Shrine with three terraces on the south point of Poka'i Bay. One of the few heiau remaining on the shore of Oahu. Lit., long dog Ku. Ku?ilioloa was a kupua, a demigod, who could assume the form of a man or dog. He was a protector of travelers. (Clark, Hawai'i Place Names)

 

Taputapuatea Marae

A large marae complex at Opoa on the south eastern coast of Raiatea. The site features a number of marae and other stone structures and was once considered the religious center of Eastern Polynesia. (Wikipedia)

The information unearthed over the years from these sights help corroborate the locally held belief that Raiatea was a staging area for ancient Polynesian mariners. To the ancient Polynesians, the island of Raiatea was known as sacred Havai'i, and was the center of royalty, religion, and culture. It's thought that the Polynesians who discovered and settled Hawaii embarked from Raiatea and named the new land after their home in French Polynesia. (www.raiatea.com)

 

ADDITIONAL TALES OF LONOAKAEHU, KUILIOLOA AND KAPUKAPUAKEA

Hawaiian Mythology p.347

Martha Beckwith

 

Kamakau says of of the dog-man Ku-ilio-loa (Ku long dog) that Lono-ka-ehu came to Oahu from Kahiki with his "great dog" Ku-ilio-loa to seek his brother [Nane]. He pierced the hill Kane-hoa-lani at Kualoa, cleft Kahuku and Kahipa apart, and broke Ka-pali-ho-oku-I at Kailua. He found his brother in the heiau at Palaa near Kuone at Waialua and took him back to Kahiki.  The heiau named is the ancient heiau Kapukapu-akea, said to have been built by Menehune out of kauila wood.  The heiau of Lono-a-ke-ahu at Keehu is said to have "worked with" that of Kapukapu-akea and at Kane-ilio at the lighthouse point stood the heiau of Ku-ilio-loa.

 

Ku-long-dog is described as a dog with a human body and supernatural power, "a great soldier and famous warrior"...

 

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Hawaiian Almanac and Annual for 1907 p.48

The Reference Book of Information and Statistics Relating to the Territory of Hawaii, of Value to Merchants, Tourists and Others

Thos. G. Thrum, Compiler and Publisher

 

Kapukapuakea - Palaa-kai - A medium sized heiau of traditional Menehune construction of kauila wood, long since destroyed, said to have worked in connection with Lonoakeahu.  Luuau its kahuna.

 

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Kamehameha Schools Kapalama Campus website http://kapalama.ksbe.edu/

http://kapalama.ksbe.edu/faculty/dokroess/ecosystem/ecosystem2008/A2/02kapala/place.html

 

Ku'ililoa Heiau in Poka'i Bay

The heiau represents the Dog God, Kuilioloa, who is the God of navigation and protection.

 

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Hawaii Department of Education website http://www.k12.hi.us

http://www.k12.hi.us/~waianaeh/waianhi/kuiliolo.html

 

The Ku'ilioloa Heiau at Kaneilio Point

Ku'ilioloa means "The long dog form of Ku". Ku'ilioloa is said to have been constructed by Lonokaeho who came to Hawai'i from Ra'iatea in the Society Islands. Lonokaeho left for Hawai'i from Taputapuatea, he arrived on 0'ahu in the 11th or 12th century. He settled in the area of Haleiwa and named this area after Ra'iatea and called it Laniakea. Lonokaeho built a navigational heiau incorporating some stones he brought with him from Taputapuatea in the foundations, he named this heiau "Kapukapuakea". Lonokaeho traveled to the leeward side of 0'ahu past Ka'ena, Kahanaha'iki, Makua, 'Ohikilolo, Kea'au, Makaha and Mauna Lahilahi. As he rounded Mauna Lahilahi he took notice of Kane'ilio (Kane's dog) Point near Neneu (the ancient name of Poka'i), He realized that this was a excellent area for a heiau, he traveled back to Laniakea and Kapukapuakea and took some of the original stones which he brought with him from Ra'iatea and transported them to Kane'ilio.

Upon the completion of this heiau it was given the name "Ku'ilioloa". Ku'ilioloa incorporates the god Ku, the heiau incorporates the major Polynesian gods, Ku, the name of the point Kane'ilio incorporates the god Kane, one of the major functions of this heiau is for navigation which incorporates the realm of Lono through the clouds and the heavens, Ku'ilioloa is also the only heiau in Hawai'i that is bordered on three sides by the ocean which is the domain of Kanaloa. After 1819 when the kapu system was overthrown, Ku'ilioloa was one of the few heiau which was still used by the community.