O Piʻilani, he aliʻi kaulana o Maui nō ia. He moʻopuna ʻo ia na Kahekili a he moʻopuna kualua na Kekaulike. ʻO ia ka mea nāna i kīpapa i alanui no Maui Komohana i mea e hoʻokuʻikahi ʻia ai nā hono kaulana ʻo Honokōwai, Honokeana, Honokahua, Honolua, a me Honokōhau. A ma hope o kā Piʻilani hoʻokuʻikahi ʻana iā Maui Hikina me Maui Komohana a me nā mokupuni o Kahoʻolawe, Molokaʻi, me Lānaʻi ua kaʻa nā “hono” a pau o kēlā mau wahi ma lalo ona a puka ka ʻōlelo kaulana, “Nā Hono aʻo Piʻilani.”
I mea e hoʻohanohano ai i ke aliʻi ʻo Piʻilani, ua hana ʻo Rick San Nicolas i ʻahuʻula no ke aliʻi nui. No Maui mai ka ʻohana o kona makuahine, ka ʻohana Saffery (mai Edmund me Naehu) no Lāhaina, ʻOlowalu, me Kula. He ʻeiwa kapuaʻi ka laulā ma ka ʻaoʻao ākea loa a ma kahi o ʻeono kapuaʻi ka lōʻihi. Ua hoʻohālike ʻia kāna ʻahuʻula i ka mea i loko o ka Hale Hōʻikeʻike Pelekāne, he ʻahuʻula i hana ʻia me ka hulu o ka ʻiʻiwi, ka mamo, a me ka ʻōʻō. Wahi a Nicolas, he kinona kuʻuna ka pōʻai ma luna o ua ʻahuʻula la no Maui me Kauaʻi. Ua ʻōlelo ʻo Nicolas, aia he mau kaukani a ʻoi kau ʻuo hulu i nākiʻi lima ʻia ma kekahi nae ma ka ʻahuʻula hou. Ua hoʻomaka ʻo ia i kēlā makahiki aku nei a ua pau iho nei ma ʻApelila 2022.
Ua ʻupu aʻe kona manaʻo e hoʻāʻo e hana i ua ʻahuʻula la ma muli o ka paʻakikī. Nui kona aloha i ka hana noʻeau hulu. Ua hoʻomaka ʻo Nicolas me ka hana lei hulu a laila hana ʻo ia i kāhili kū, ka mahiole, a me ke kiʻi akua hulu ʻo Kūkāʻilimoku. ʻOiai ua aʻo ʻia iā ia iho ma o ka heluhelu puke me ka noiʻi ʻana ua mahalo hoʻi ʻo ia i ka loea hulu ʻo Mary Lou Kekuewa i kona aʻo kauleo. Eia paha, ua ili iho ka welo hana hulu iā ia mai kekahi kumupaʻa. Me ke kōkua o ia mau kūpuna, ua pau kāna ʻahuʻula mua ma ka makahiki 2004. Ma ka makahiki 2013, ua pau ka hana hoʻohālike ʻahuʻula o Kamehameha me ke hoʻohālike kāʻei kapu a Līloa iā ia. Kupanaha ka mikioi o ka hana lima.
E hōʻike ʻia ana kā San Nicolas mau ʻahuʻula ma Bailey House ma Wailuku ma ka mahina ʻo ʻOkakopa. E hōʻike pū ʻia ana nā kiʻi o kekahi mau poʻe e wahī ʻia ana i nā ʻahuʻula a San Nicolas. Na Kauila Kawelo i paʻi kiʻi i ua mau poʻe a ua “hopu ʻia” e ia ka haʻaheo, ka haʻahaʻa, a me ka hanohano o ia mau poʻe kānaka. Mea mai ʻo San Nicolas, “Hiki iā ʻoe ke ʻike i ka loli o nā maka aia a wahī ʻia ke kanaka me kekahi ʻahuʻula. Uē kekahi. Minoʻaka kekahi. Hoʻomalule nō!” I ka manawa a Rick i noho ai i loea ma ka Pāka Aupuni o Nā Lua Pele ka hoʻomaka ʻana i kēia pāhana paʻi kiʻi i kapa ʻia “The ʻAhuʻula Project” a i ʻole TAP.
Ua ʻōlelo ʻia, “Maui nō ka ʻoi.” Inā pēlā, hiki ke ʻike ʻia kēia welo poʻokela i loko o kēia mamo no Nā Hono aʻo Piʻilani ʻo Rick San Nicolas. Aia ʻo ia ke aʻo a hoʻomau nei i kāna hana ʻahuʻula ma kona home i Kaleponi a i o Zoom. I Maui ana ʻo ia ma ʻOkakopa. No laila, e wahī hou kākou i ka ʻahuʻula hanohano o nā kūpuna, ʻo ia nō ka ʻahuʻula. Ola ka inoa ʻo Piʻilani.
