Mauna Kea Oral History Appendix - Office of Mauna Kea Management

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No, no, the orchard side is that way. They were on this side. The road goes down to the
houses, to the big hill [Pu‘u Ku‘ikahekili], and you look down you can see. One of the last
houses, there’s the oven way down at the end, almost to the base of the big hill. There’s
two of ‘um in good shape yet.
Yes, they are.
They’re not broken, the kids never fooled around with them.
Was anyone using them when you were working there
The wife them, they used to use ‘em for bake bread and things, it was good.
Stoke up a fire inside
Yes. Get ‘em hot, put the bread inside, close the door. It cooked. That’s the way they
make oven in Europe.
Yes.
I don’t know how they made ‘um. They made it out of some kind of mortar. I don’t know
what, but those damn things don’t crack.
The ones that you can see are in good shape now
Good shape yeah, never broke.
Only thing missing, the metal door like that.
The door, the hinges rust up in time.
Yes. So there were thirteen or more families living there
Oh, yes. They had the families. Most of the folks live up there, it’s more than one family in
one house.
Yes.
They have one small house, but generally about two families live together. All family,
uncles and aunts and cousins. Like I said, everybody was cousins and uncles in those
days.
You know Mr. Hannah, when you were talking story with the ‘ohana and like your wife’s
family like that. Did anyone ever talk, some of the old legends like that. Like why Waiki‘i
was named or…
I used to ask old Alex Bell, he was the oldest one up there.
Yes.
Everybody else was scared to talk to him, but him and I, I used to go out with him all the
time. Because my job, when I was running the pump, I was pau about 8 or 9 o’clock in
the morning. I was pau work. A.W. told Alex when I was standing right there, “Alex, this
boy, dry times he pumps twelve hour, fourteen hours a day. But when rainy season
comes in and he pau work at 6 o’clock, six-thirty in the morning, he’s pau work.” He said,
“Don’t give him anything else all day.” So, I used to go home, I go riding with him, I go out
with Tony. During the wet season, go out and check the tank. The tanks full. If the tank is
not down more than three inches, we no need pump that one. So, I go up check the tank,
they’re all about full, every place get water, the cattle drinking from the gulch. They aren’t
taking no water. But, when dry, nine months out of the year, you come back 11 o’clock at
night, every night.
You start like before sun and…
Start before 6 o’clock, you get your horse and go and you come back at night time.
Mauna Kea– “Ka Piko Kaulana o ka ‘Äina”
Kumu Pono Associates LLC
A Collection of Oral History Interviews (HiMK67-050606) A:435