Mauna Kea Oral History Appendix - Office of Mauna Kea Management

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Yes, the Mauna Kea ponies.
[chuckles] Yes. They have different breeds too. So, when they talk about it all, I can hear,
they use to say they got blue galley and… [thinking] they’re spirited, fiery horses…
[thinking] different breeds they call ‘em. Later on now I think, they all go to quarter
horses.
Yes. And they’re softer horses though, no good for the mountain.
They don’t need those old horses.
That’s right, yeah.
Anyway, I told Willie… Well, it was not too clear, one time I talked to Henry AhFong, the
old man.
Yes, yes.
He told me “Yes, he would go down there, he was one of them.” I said, “Well, look you
huki that animal out of the track and you start pulling ‘em down. Up there, they get to
Waihü, little bit more up got a sand flat you know.”
Yes.
You see when you huki, you drive, pull this animal out, you run ‘em on the rock, around
the sand first, till he tired.
Yes, yes.
And then you lead ‘em down there. He said, by the time you reach Pöhakuloa Flat, you
pull ‘em over to Humu‘ula is about five miles, I think. On the old road you were talking
about.
Yes, yes.
Those animals just follow you like one dog.
Yes, all tame almost.
Not very many people…the wildlife people, Woodside, talks about that trap. One day I go
shoot birds, I shoot goats, I see that thing still up there.
Yes, yes. They knew that the wild horse or the wild cattle would have to go drink water.
Yes.
So they took advantage of that place.
That’s right.
Like you said, three sides they trap ‘em in, wall yeah
Yes. I guess the cattle knew when it comes out into the one end there, they didn’t need
any rocks, fence or anything because when they see you, they know that drop there.
Then another place, they had one of those traps is in someplace called Pu‘u Mali, it’s
little more Kuka‘iau side.
That’s right, wait, I know just where you’re talking about. It’s out this side here, yes. Okay.
That, they had a different set up.
[looking at map] Oh, here’s Pu‘u Mali, right here. Right there. There was another trap
over there though
It’s, built differently. The way I see it, they didn’t have…they had the cowboys waiting I
think, they get one place that comes in from the mountain. And then they come out. Then
a big rock wall goes around like this and more or less circular. One on this side too. I
Mauna Kea– “Ka Piko Kaulana o ka ‘Äina”
Kumu Pono Associates LLC
A Collection of Oral History Interviews (HiMK67-050606) A:405