SEPT
07
Reef Restoration Dive at Ka ho’iho’i (outside Turtles)
* Feb 09 – West Beach day with Kuleana Coral – Recap. (Video Above)
* May 04 – Ho’ola Hani’o Community Day. (Video Above)
MISSION
To restore the fishery of Hani’o and its surrounding environment, protecting and preserving all of the ‘ike (knowledge), mo’olelo (history), loina (traditional customs), and hana no’eau (skills and arts) connected to it.
VISION
To ensure that Hani’o helps to sustain our community, and in the process, encourage our community members to know, celebrate, and malama their relationship with Hani’o.
“Da HONOKAI WATERFALL – One of the unique things that West Beach gave to us kids was our own waterfall. Let me explain… Starting from the top of the beach (right off the trail), you would have to walk down to the sand, then to da big salt-water ponds where we all loved to swim. In between the ponds and the ocean was a large coastal reef where we used to stand on to go fishing.
So had da ocean, then about 25 feet of coastal reef running parallel to da ocean, then the salt-water ponds below, then da sand. When da waves got big, da waves would go over the coastal reef and pour into the ponds. Being that the ponds were about 5 feet lower than the coastal reef, da waves would create a huge waterfall as it rushed into the ponds.
All us guys would take turns sitting down, leaning our backs against the “wall” of the coastal reef, and let da waves go over us… da bigger da waves, da bigger da waterfall!
NOTE: Da location of da salt-water ponds and waterfall is currently where Ko Olina’s 4th lagoon is at.”
"Whenever anybody from Honokai went down there [to West Beach] and went fishing, we would all be together. 'Who like fight this fish?' You know, 'cause they were really good fishermen. And so I'm the one that had the $10 pole, that when the fish get on em and you pull the fish, the pole break in half. But everybody else had the real expensive fishing pole, so when they would catch something, 'Eh, you like fight em?" And I'd be reeling em in, and I never even care what kind of fish had on. I caught one fish. But a lot of them [the other kids] have their preferences of what fish they like to eat. I just like to eat, so bring in the fish, and I'll eat em... ... ...
Sometimes I don't catch anything. I just mainly there for drink the beer and they would catch, we would eat em. And again, because of my singing, it took me away from all of that stuff. So a part of it is why I stopped singing. because I was, I felt like I was missing out on a lot of things. But yeah, those were happy times being at the ocean."
"I love to swim in the ocean. I mean, I used to play with the boogie board along the shore, you know, run, jump on the boogie board and whatnot, but not really surfing. My brothers were actually into surfing. My second brother, Dietrix's older brother used to take him under his wing and teach him how to surf. And he became really good at surfing before he moved away from the islands... ... ...
So growing up, looking out our porch, you could see [West Beach].... I know that my brother and Dietrix actually entered Brown Bags to Stardom, and they wrote a song about that, that beach area... So there was nothing developed back there. It was just all country, all open. And I remember growing up in the summer as we got older. We were like, 'Hey, let's go to the beach,' but everybody's like, 'Well, we can't go on the road because we're going to get in trouble if we get caught up on that on Farrington Highway, going down to the beach, we're going to get in trouble. So, okay, well let's go through the cane fields and we'll walk all the way down.'... So it was our own private beach before anybody ever seen it."
“Small kid time we use to camp
over there. I remember eating lobster and turtle we cooked over the kiawe wood
charcoal fire. The place was all kiawe trees and canefields and never have
nobody around but us. Nighttime was very very dark and spooky.”
“The shoreline was like all coral rock kine, I feel like, as far as like Campbell side and stuff. Tracks was our jam, Tracks was our beach, right? So you go to all the beaches closest to your home, West Beach, and then Tracks, like our next stop. And das where we went camping, das where we spent summers. You know, I hated the beach back then. I love it now, though. Funny how that works out. [Asked if she had specific chores at the beach] You know you gotta take the dishes down to the beach and wash em. Especially if you the oldest girl. [laughing] They no give you just one, two pots. “Hea. Take dis,” one bucket full of dishes.”
"When the kids were younger, we use to go to the now Ko Olina where they had cottages, and families would spend the weekend there to fish, chase crabs at night and catch pipipi and boil them (not sure if they ate them raw) and pick them out with toothpicks.
Remember Uncle Gabby [Kaaiohelo] use to catch a fish and put it on the BBQ, and it was soooo pilau smelling. But they said it taste good.“
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY OF WEST BEACH?
UPCOMING EVENTS
Kapu / Kānāwai
As explained in the paper, Urban ‘Āina, the word kapu is used “to express the things we hold sacred, the resources or elements we literally cannot live without” (‘Āina of Kaʻōnohi et al., 2023) and the word kānāwai translates to “actions to maintain resources” (Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, 2023). The kapu emphasized at Hāniʻo are our wai, koʻa, limu, holoholona, iʻa, and kai. The kānāwai here are encapsulated in traditional wise sayings, which may be found in Mary Kawena Pukui’s book of ‘ōlelo noʻeau (Pukui 1983) or in her collaboration for Native Planters (Handy et al. 1972).
1.Wai
Kānāwai: “Inā e lepo ke kumu wai, e hō’ea ana ka lepo i kai.”
“When the source of water is dirty, the dirt is carried to sea.”
Ensure that pollution & contamination stays out of the waterways that feed into our coast. Likewise, we should keep our minds pono, for thoughts manifest as words and actions.
2. Koʻa
Kānāwai: “He pūko’a kani ‘āina.”
“A coral reef that grows into an island.”
The journey of success is made up of many little steps, one step at a time. May we be persistent and consistent with our work at Hāni’o.
3. Limu
Kānāwai: “Ke kala o ke kai, ka papa, ka ‘āina, ka lani, he mau waiwai apau.”
“The kala of the sea, the reef, the land, and the sky, all are important.”
Each one has their place, see value in all. May we cultivate our biodiversity, purposefully attentive to all.
4. Holoholona
Kānāwai: “Pua ke kō, kū mai ka he’e.”
“When the sugarcane flowers appear, the he’e are present.”
Be observant to understand how the natural world in our backyard enlightens us. Let traditional knowledge inform our efforts, thanking God for the fulfillment of all that is good.
5. Iʻa
Kānāwai: “He i’a kokoke kā ka lawai’a“
“A fisherman always finds fish nearby.”
Learn and pass on our cultural practices so that our families and community can thrive. Always acknowledge those who have taught us, be an intergenerational link mentoring tomorrow’s teachers.
6. Kai
Kānāwai: “‘Ike i ke au nui, me ke au iki.”
“Know the big currents and the little currents.”
Strive to understand all aspects to keep our home healthy and protected. Know all issues, concerns, recommendations, and possible solutions.
Don’t Hesitate
By Damon J. Duhaylonsod
Dawn patrol first light, jump in, just go
Don’t think, just stroke, let your mind just flow
Paddle past the wall, don’t say a word
’Cause out at Rocks, the soul gets stirred
⸻
[Chorus]
It’s just another drop
Over shallow stone
Just another swell
Where we all feel home
We don’t need much
Just friends dropping late
Out here at Rocks
Where you don’t hesitate
⸻
[Verse 2]
No crowd, no scene, just boards and style
Reef rash, choke dings, and a crybaby smile
The north swell’s rising, the sets feel tight
But the Bois paddle hard into da right
We laugh at da wipeouts, going over da falls
But deep inside you know it took balls
And yeah, she bites if you hesitate
But we paddle back out, hearts feelin’ great
⸻
[Chorus]
It’s just another drop
Over shallow stone
Just another swell
Where we all feel home
We don’t need much
Just friends dropping late
Out here at Rocks
Where you don’t hesitate
⸻
[Bridge]
No fear, no rush, just having fun
Just the joy of the takeoff, it just begun
⸻
[Final Chorus – updated]
It’s just another drop
But it feels like gold
With the Honokai Bois
Where the west swell’s hold
We don’t need much
Just friends dropping late
Out here at Rocks
Where you don’t hesitate
⸻
[Outro]
Out here at Rocks, where da only noise
Are da surf and laughter of da Honokai Bois