Hoʻōla Hou iā Kalauao was created in late 2013 from the desire to give back to the community through traditional and contemporary Hawaiian education. One of our goals is to restore knowledge of our wahi (place) by breathing life into the inoa ʻāina (place names) and moʻolelo (history, stories) of Kalauao, often referred to as “Pearlridge”.
In addition, we work to create a venue for community to (re)connect with ʻāina and one another and to perpetuate cultural knowledge. We have been doing this by hosting 3rd Saturday community workdays where we focus on clearing invasive species and planting native trees, plants, and crops. We also teach how to work in the loʻi from a mahiʻai perspective.
Our Name & Story
Hoʻōla Hou iā Kalauao means to revive and to bring life again to Kalauao, an ahupuaʻa in the moku (district) of ʻEwa on the island of Oʻahu. Our organization was born out of the dedication of mahiʻai Anthony Deluze and his ʻohana to restore and bring life to a small organic farm and loʻi kalo in Kaʻōnohi in the ahupuaʻa of Kalauao. Recognizing the negative impacts of urban development on both our ʻāina and kānaka (people) of ʻEwa, we work to create and maintain kīpuka (places of calm and safety) where culture can thrive, food can be cultivated, and ʻāina and kānaka can heal and be restored.
ʻEwa
ʻEwa is a moku (district) on the island of Oʻahu that borders the Koʻolau toward the north, Kona in the east, and Waiʻanae in the west. It is comprised of twelve ahupuaʻa (land divisions), including: Hālawa, ʻAiea, Kalauao, Waimalu, Waiau, Waimanō, Manana, Waiawa, Waipiʻo, Waikele, Hōʻaeʻae, and Honouliuli.
Kalauao
Kalauao, which can be translated as “the multitude of clouds” is an ahupuaʻa (land division) in the moku of ʻEwa. Its boundaries extend from the Koʻolau in the north into Puʻuloa (“Pearl Harbor”) to the south and from ʻAiea in the east to Waimalu in the west.
I ka wā kahiko (in ancient times), Kalauao was known to be the residence of aliʻi (chief) Kalaimanuia, eldest daughter of Kūkaniloko and Luaia. Kalaimanuia was known for maintaining a time of peace and for building numerous loʻi kalo (irrigated taro fields) and loko iʻa (fishponds), including Opu and Pāʻaiau in Kalauao and Paʻakea in Waimalu.
Kaʻōnohi
Kaʻōnohi, which can be translated as “the fragment of a rainbow,” is an ʻili ʻāina (smaller land section) in the ahupuaʻa of Kalauao in the moku of ʻEwa. Known commonly today as “Pearlridge,” Kaʻōnohi is situated a mile north of Puʻuloa (“Pearl Harbor”) and was once connected to a network of loʻi kalo (irrigated field systems) that made up one of the most agriculturally productive areas on the island of Oʻahu.
Today, Kaʻōnohi is a piko for our organization as a result of mahiʻai Anthony Deluze and his ʻohana’s commitment to kūpaʻa (be steadfast) in aloha for ʻāina amidst the urban sprawl of ʻEwa. Many of our community initiatives center around caring for a three acre farm in Kaʻōnohi, which remains one of the last agricultural land holdings in ʻEwa dedicated to the perpetuation of Hawaiian culture and values and the cultivation of ʻai (food, kalo) for the purpose of community sustenance.
For additional information about ʻEwa, please see:
Hoʻōla Hou iā Kalauao 