Mauna Kea Oral History Appendix - Office of Mauna Kea Management

JH:
KM:
JH:
BR:
JH:
KM:
JH:
KM:
JH:
KM:
JH:
KM:
JH:
KM:
JH:
KM:
JH:
KM:
JH:
KM:
JH:
KM:
JH:
BR:
JH:
Yes. No, he wouldn’t touch ‘em. He said, “Whoever touches it, you’re fired, next day.”
He really respected those things
Oh, yes. He show you, but he would tell you, “Don’t touch it.”
Respect and fear
Don’t fool around.
Yes, the combination of both. Barbara was saying, “Respect and fear.”
Mostly respect, the guys, they knew, even us, we wouldn’t go fool around because, bad
luck, it’s bad luck.
No need mess.
You get something bothering you.
You know, it’s very interesting because again on this old map, you’ll see that where
‘Auwaiakeakua is marked. ‘Auwaiakeakua comes down just a little below by Pu‘u
Mahaelua.
Pu‘u Mahaelua, yes.
Just across from that area. There’s an area marked on the map that says, “Aina Mahi” or
“Halaukeakua.” It was like the long house of the gods or the ghosts, and a place that’s
cultivated lands. We know that even in the ancient times, Hawaiians were traveling, living
around here.
They had certain…let me tell you a story, they used to travel, they go up to the mountain
to pick flint. They got to go up, they stay over night come back the next day. They had to
have some place to stay because…they pack food, leave for the next guys come along,
and you have water or something.
Yes. And if too cold, not to stay up long on the mountain, you would come down and
work at the base camp area
Yes, base camp. I know we used to go up there to check fence.
You did
Yes.
Pu‘u Lä‘au like that and around
Pu‘u Lä‘au, check fence. Most the other guys, they were scared of Alex Bell. Yes, you tell
them go talk, they say “No, no, no.” What the hell, you can’t learn nothing. If I want to
learn, I got to go talk to him. Tony was the only one. Up Waiki‘i he used to lay pipeline,
water. The other folks, no. He gives orders, that’s all they do, they stay away from him,
leave him alone, just like he’s hands off, they don’t talk to him. He yell at you and that’s it.
Hmm. So you would go out holoholo on the mountain land also Fence line like that and
work
Yes. The old days, the Hawaiians had land, they start off in the mountain and it’s
supposed to run…it falls right down to the ocean.
Yes.
They didn’t own it, but it was all there. They own here and there, but all those days are
gone.
Jess, when did you work at the radio station
Yes. During the war time we were there.
Mauna Kea– “Ka Piko Kaulana o ka ‘Äina”
Kumu Pono Associates LLC
A Collection of Oral History Interviews (HiMK67-050606) A:439