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An innovative way to retain our heritage
By Leningrad Elarionoff
O
n Moku o Hawai‘i, the Waimea Trails and Greenways group is working to establish a nonmotorized paved path through our town that would allow for alternative modes of transportation. In today’s health-conscious environment, walking, running, biking and, in general, plain exercise are encouraged pastimes. The proposed path would follow the Waikoloa Stream through the center of town and connect
to most major destinations while calling attention to our heritage. The name given this trail is Ke Ala Kahawai O Waimea, or in English, The Stream Trail of Waimea. It was chosen to reflect the true heritage on which the town of Waimea was established and continues to exist. The history of Waimea begins with the Pacific westbound winds as they gently skip over the ocean gathering moisture. Reaching the island, the winds make their way up the Waipio and Waimanu valley floors to the cliffs at the top. They are pushed, shoved and forced with their weight of moisture over the hills that quietly sit küpa‘a (immovable) like monuments. At higher elevations, cooler temperatures cause the moistureladen air to condense, squeezing
out the rain drops that fall to the ground giving life to the dense vegetation below. For centuries the process continued with endless repetition. The excess rainwater (runoff) picks its way through the hills creating a downhill path that begins at an elevation of approximately 3,000 feet and ends at the ocean, 12 miles later. On the flatlands below the hills, the stream would occasionally change its path in search of a more convenient route. Hidden beneath the forest canopy, the stream remained cool and supported a variety of aquatic life. The rushing water tumbled the loose rocks downstream, creating a sound that later contributed to it being named Ke Kaha Wai Koloa, or The Water-eroded Path with the
Sound of Tumbling Rocks. Man arrived on the scene and found that the flatlands below the hills were fertile, friendly and wellirrigated. His curiosity led him to investigate the hills to learn the origin of the stream. He perched himself at the top of the valley and observed with amazement the mythical transformation that took place below. He was transfixed by the fog that came off the ocean and rapidly condensed into a thick white soup that shielded everything from sight as the winds carried it gently up the valley. He watched as this mass made its way up the cliffs, shrouding the hills in darkness and finally releasing its weight in rain. In reverence, he called the hills Pu‘ukapu, or Sacred Hills. He learned that the rain that fell in Pu‘ukapu was crystal clear but by the time it reached the flatlands, it contained a reddish-brown stain. He named this flatland area Waimea, calling attention to the “mea,” or the discoloring substance, in the water. For centuries, the Waikoloa Stream carried the reddish-brown water to the ocean providing those along its path with a dependable supply. Deforestation on the flatlands allowed the stream to roam with its endless supply of stained water. With the formation of the town, it was decided that the Waikoloa Stream should be restricted to a given location. Foreign invasive trees were introduced and planted along the stream to stabilize its embankment and prohibit it from wandering. The increased need for portable water required that Waikoloa Stream be redirected to reservoirs and piped to truck farms, cattle water troughs, commercial developments, hotels and residential subdivisions. The reddish-stained water that gave the
area its name was soon declared unsightly for consumption and a filtration plant was built to eliminate the “mea” from the Waimea water. Today, the rain continues to fall in the hills of Pu‘ukapu and is collected in huge reservoirs, filtered, then distributed. The invasive trees planted to stabilize the stream embankment have done their job and are now old and referred to by some as Heritage Trees. They have created unintended problems with stream blockages from falling branches and tree trunks that need to be manually removed. We need to reclaim the true heritage of Waimea that is depicted in its name. We need to remind people that our heritage is in the stained water that originated in the hills of Pu‘ukapu and flowed down the Waikoloa Stream. We need to call attention to the fact that our heritage is not in the trees imported to restrict the movement of the Waikoloa Stream but that these trees are in fact an effort to correct man’s folly of deforestation for financial gain. Ke Ala Kahawai O Waimea is a trail that will provide access to the Waikoloa streambed that brought life to this town. It is fitting that the sound of walking and running pedestrians replace the sound of legendary night marchers whose movement blended with the Koloa (sound of tumbling rocks) now absent. The Waikoloa Stream itself is a vital part of the true heritage our community shares. Establishing the Ke Ala Kahawai O Waimea may be the last opportunity available to preserve the once vibrant history of Waimea. Leningrad Elarionoff, a retired police Captain, is a member of Waimea Trails and Greenways.