Memoirs of Olohe Likeke - Kalanikaula

Olohe Lua, Richard Likeke Paglinawan of Waiahole, Koolaupoko, was always searching for cultural information that was unique to the native people of the area. While visiting his wife's ohana on the island of Moloka'i in June 1964, he recorded this moolelo from his ohana Georgina Kawa'a of One Ali'i, Moloka'i. This was taken from the many notes he kept throughout his years. 

Kii: Duncan Berry

- Picture of present day Puuohoku land area. This is the last remnants of Puuohoku kukui grove.

Kalanikaula was a wise old man and chief was a wise old man and chief, who ruled over this subjects in Halawa valley, Molokai. His people liked him as he was fair and just in his dealings with them. The ahupuaa of Halawa ran from uka to kai ( the mountains to the ocean ), and the ohana practice of exchanging food and goods with each other was based on this land division. Kalanikaula devised a plan by which the exchange of commodities would be equal between the families who lived by the sea and the families who lived inland. A coconut tree situated on the western cliff of Halawa was used as a means of determining whose turn it was to be ( the uka or kai families) to supply the other with food and goods from his area. If the coconut tree bent seaward, then the families living on the beach would take fish, limu, opihi, papa'i, etc. to those living in the uplands. If the coconut tree bent inland, then the families living inland would take their goods to the families on the sea shore. In this way, Kalanikaula avoided conflict amongst his people.

Since Moloka'i was noted for its ultimate in kahunaism, other islands would often challenge Moloka'i kahunas to gain this recognition. In one situation in which kahunas from various islands congregated to test their skills, the Moloka'i kahuna scoffed at the feeble attempts and "childish" arts displayed by the others. Kalanikaula boastfully said he could split a pohaku or stone boulder with prayers or pule and would take on anyone who dared to challenge him. Many Kahuna took on the challenge but their gods seem to not hear their prayers, as the pohaku remained intact and unharmed. When it was finally the Moloka'i kahunas turn, a hush fell over the audience and only his pule could be heard.

As his tone of voice increased higher and his words poured forth rapidly, the pohaku split in to many pieces as if a powerful force disintegrated the pohaku in front everyone present. To this very day, no other island duplicated this feat and hence the respect for the kahuna of Moloka'i. ( Moloka'i Pule 'O'o).

In another event, Kalanikaula and a kahuna from Lana'i (named Kawelo) were enemies. At this time, Kalanikaula had twelve keiki. So powerful and cunning in the kahuna arts were these two that they were unable to gain an advantage over the other.

One day Kalanikaula made a grave mistake. The kahuna from the island of Lana'i sent a spy to Moloka'i to watch Kalanikaula's movements. Kalanikaula had used Halawa stream as a toilet. His kukae floated downstream into the sea. Kawelo of Lana'i, saw what had happened and took advantage of this opportunity. He collected the excrement and stuffed it into a hollow of a sweet potato. He sailed back to Lana'i island with the "bait'. He built a huge fire and threw the kukae into the fire while he prayed. The fire from Lana'i (ke ahi o Kawelo), was spied by Kalanikaula and he knew he had committed a grave error and that death would come to him in the most painful way. He immediately called his twelve children together and asked them to devise a plan to bury his bones after his death, so that no one would be able to find them. He did not want his bones to be made into fish hooks by his enemies. The youngest son's plan was accepted because his plan called for alternating layers of rock and dirt spread over a large area as a means of confusing his father's enemies. Kalanikaula chose the sacred kukui grove on Puu-o-Hoku as his resting place, which can still be seen to this very day. To date, no one has found his iwi. RKP 6/1964.