Kumu Pono Associates LLC
“O ke Aloha o Kekahi i Kekahi — Iwaena o na la apau o ke ola ana o na kupuna o kakou ihala, kekahi mau mea ano nui loa a kakou e hoomaopopo ae ai, o ia no keia mea o ke aloha. O kekahi mea pookela loa keia iloko o keia ao nei. He lehulehu o namana ano nui a ano kupono, ma ka nana aku, i kukuluia malalo o keia uhi o kealoha…” (John Wise, Editor. Nupepa Kuokoa, Maraki 31, 1922:2)
- Aloha for one another – Through all the days in the lives of our ancestors who have since passed on, one thing was of great importance to them, and that we know is this, aloha. It is one of the most significant things on all the earth. There are many examples of greatness and righteousness that can be observed, and all are founded under aloha… (Maly, translator)
Kumu Pono Associates LLC is a husband-wife team, made up by Kepā and Onaona Maly. They have worked together on historical and ethnographic studies for more than 45 years. We believe that ‘ike kūpuna (traditional knowledge) empowers Hawaiian communities and island residents. When we understand the honua ola (biocultural landscape) and the history of our island home, we are better prepared to make wise decisions in preservation, education and land use. Our shared kuleana (responsibility) is to be good stewards of the inheritance which we pass on to future generations.
The information, shared freely in this website, reflects decades of work we have done in communities across the islands. While the research is fairly extensive, it is still just skimming the surface. Our research and study presentation focuses on native Hawaiian and historical accounts, generally presented chronologically—in the words of those who first recorded various facets of history. This approach allows readers to view a landscape over time, and identify the significant changes that have occurred.
E nā hoa heluhelu (Fellow Readers) —
We humbly ask readers to keep in mind that we apologize for issues with grammar, standard formatting and scattered typos. Regardless of those minor issues, the native Hawaiian narratives, land records, selected historical accounts, and background are factual, relying on primary references which we have cited. Likely some of our work is still in need of copy editing. The primary purpose for sharing these studies seeks to serve several purposes:
- To give interested parties access to information about the biocultural landscape of the lands covered in each study;
- To support long-term preservation and stewardship of our unique biocultural landscape, traditional and customary practices, and a living culture;
- To ensure that State Historic Preservation Rules and Regulations and County Management Plans are complied with; and
- Provide necessary cultural-historical background to advocate for responsible community treatment of the biocultural resources
Kepa & Onaona Maly