Ma ka lā 3 o Ianuali i hala iho nei i ʻākoakoa ai he 100 a ʻoi kupa o nā ʻāina hoʻopulapula o Keaukaha a me Panaʻewa ma Puhi no ka hoʻomaʻemaʻe i ke kapa kai mai Palekai a i ʻĀwili.
“Nui nā poʻe i ʻākoakoa mai no ka hoʻomaʻemaʻe iā Puhi, a ʻae, ʻano pūʻiwa wau,” wahi a Kaʻaka Swain, ka pelekikena o Keaukaha Community Association (KCA).
Na KCA a me ka hui ʻo Kānewala i hoʻolaukaʻi i ia hanana i kapa ʻia ʻo “People for Puhi.”
“The clean-up at Puhi Bay was initiated to utilize our resources and ʻike to support the transition of the park into more community-driven management,” wahi a Makana Lewis, kekahi o nā mea hoʻokumu iā Kānewala.
Na nā lima kōkua i ʻohi i ka ʻōpala a ʻoki i ka mauʻu. Ua paepae hou ʻia nā pōhaku ma ka ʻaekai a ua wāwahi ʻia nā pākaukau pikiniki kahiko.
“These efforts improved safety, access, and overall conditions of the space,” wahi a Lewis, “Holes were also dug for sign installation intended to showcase the proper place names of the park, such as Palekai (ʻBreakwall’), Puhi, Kulapae (site of former Hawaiian Village), and ʻĀwili (ʻBrowns’).”
ʻO ia ʻāina i kapa laulā ʻia ʻo Keaukaha Beach Park he piko ia o ke kaiāulu, wahi a Kauka Halena Kapuni-Reynolds, he kūʻauhau o Keaukaha a kupa o ia ʻāina hoʻopulapula ma mua.
“Puhi Bay and Kulapae are places where we continue to gather as a community to teach our children about those who came before them,” wahi a Kapuni-Reynolds.
Nui ʻino nā hanana ʻohana i mālama ʻia ma ʻaneʻi, wahi āna, ʻo ka pāʻina lā hānau pēpē ʻoe, ʻo ka ʻaha male ʻoe, ʻo ka hoʻolewa ʻoe. Ma ʻaneʻi pū i hoʻoili ʻia ai ka ʻike lawaiʻa a ʻaukai mai kekahi hanauna i kekahi.
“We visit wahi pana because they help us to recall history while remembering the importance of caring for these places for future generations,” wahi a Kapuni-Reynolds. “If we are not able to physically access this place anymore for these purposes, it would be even more difficult to pass this information down to future generations.”
ʻO ia ka mea e koʻikoʻi ai kēia mau hānana hoʻomaʻemaʻe ʻāina, i mea e lilo ai ke kaiaulu he kahu o ka ʻāina a pēlā pū nā moʻolelo o kēia ʻāina i ili mai kahi hanauna i kekahi no ka 100 a ʻoi makahiki.
E waiho ana ma ʻō iki aʻe o ka 16 ʻeka ma ka ʻaekai nei ʻo Keaukaha Beach Park he ʻāina na ke Keʻena ʻĀina Hoʻopulapula (DHHL) mai ka makahiki 1937. Ma loko nō o nā mahina i hala iho nei, e ʻimi ana ʻo DHHL i ka hoʻokuʻu i ko lākou kuleana manakia pāka. Wahi a Swain, he wā kūpono nō paha kēia no KCA, a me kona 400 mau ʻohana, e mālama ponoʻī i ko lākou kapakai i aloha nui ʻia.
“After lengthy discussion the [KCA] board decided that it is something we should do for the community. So, we are,” wahi a Swain.
Ma ka mahina ʻo Kepakemapa 2025, ua noi ʻo KCA i ke Komisina Home Hoʻopulapula i ka mālama pualu iā Keaukaha Beach Park. Wahi a Swain, akahi a hoʻomaka ka walaʻau ʻana me DHHL, a e pono ana nō paha ke kōkua mai ia keʻena.
“After all they are not signing over the land, but merely leasing the land to us,” wahi a Swain, “What participation looks like we still need to discuss.”
Ke wānana nei ʻo Swain he hoʻokahi paha makahiki a paʻa kekahi ʻano ʻaelike me ko DHHL. No ka manawa, e kia ana ʻo ia ma ka hoʻolālā ʻana i kekahi hou hanana “People for Puhi” no 2026.
