Ka Lae o Kumukahi or “Kumukahi” is among the most celebrated wahi pana (storied and sacred places) in all Hawai‘i. It is referenced in association with many other wahi pana along the neighboring shore, extending mauka across the ‘āina. Among these wahi pana are Ha‘eha‘e, Makanoni, Hana-ka‘ulua, Ka-milo-holu, Wai-a-ka-‘ea, Ki‘i Pōhaku Ali‘i, Ke-awa-a-Pele, Kūki‘i, Wai-welawela, Ka-wai-a-ke-kua, Wai-a-Pele and Ka-hōlua-a-Kahawali. Further, Kumukahi is represented in significant traditions across all the Hawaiian Islands—some of which connect Hawai‘i with Kahiki, the ancestral homeland of the gods and people of Hawai‘i. Kumukahi is also referenced in thousands of family accounts, extending from the island of Hawai‘i to Ni‘ihau, Lehua, and Ka‘ula written of in Hawaiian language newspapers). Kumukahi, Kula Ahupua‘a, and the associated wahi pana are all part of a larger cultural landscape. The traditions, history, traditional and customary practices of the residents connect with and overlap with those of kama‘āina throughout the district of Puna, and beyond. One cannot fully know or appreciate the history of Kumukahi without an understanding of the larger cultural context.
At the request of Pono Kaulike, Inc. Kumu Pono Associates LLC conducted archival research through thousands of historical records to develop the ethnographic study titled:
The study includes a wide range of historical references, including primary Hawaiian-language resource documents (many translated for the first time in this study by the authors), and some of the earliest records for Kumukahi, Kula and the larger Puna region, compiled to date. An index to the primary documents, maps and photos reviewed while preparing the study may be accessed through the link “Archival Index” (PDF).
The index is organized in two chronological parts, by general subject matter, date published, source. Part (1) is cited by several overarching categories, and is the primary list of documents referenced in the study; and Part (2) is a general list of other historical documents which are of broader interest in the history of Puna. Nearly 700 documents are cited as part of the index. While fairly extensive, the list is far from exhaustive. There are years of research yet to be done, which will inevitably, lead to a more thorough documentation of the history of Kumukahi, Puna, and its wahi pana.
