The History of the Kanaueue Ahupua'a in Hawaii

The first blog I wrote is on The History of the Ahupua’a in Hawai’i. Now, the second in the series, is the history of the Kanaueue Ahupua’a.

I believe this flower is called Sexy Pink…

Kanaueue is the southernmost ahupua’a of the North Kona District, and like Haleki’i Ahupua’a, to the south, much of the land is covered by pahoehoe (smooth or ropey appearing) lava flows. The shoreline extent of Kanaueue is unclear as various maps either depict no shoreline frontage (being superseded by Haka’kano), or a relatively narrow shoreline stretch immediately north of Pu’u Ohau (Figures 3 and 4).

Based on LCA (Land Commission Awards) data, it is believed Kanaueue had a shoreline frontage consisting of low pahoehoe lava with a back shore sand deposit presently and popularly called “Coconut Beach.”

Kuleana lots at Kanaueue, Hokukano, Honuaino showing upland and coastal locations:

1891 Emerson map (R.M. #1281) showing land grants and the location of the seaward Hokukuan/Hokuli’a (the present project lands fall within Grant 865):

Kanaueueu is translated as “the rotating” (Pukui et al. 1974:84). A place of that name on Oahu had a ribald association. Place Names of Hawai’i relates, “The name was used in a risque song: Aia I Ka’wili ‘o Ka-naueueu, naue a’e kaua ‘e’ I ka ‘aina ho’opau, there at Stand Aswirl is Rotation, we rotate and eat everything up.”

However, this risque association may have to do with the presence of a locomotive roundhouse at the Kanaueue (Iwilei) Oahu Railway Station and it is unclear if there were such associations with Kanaueueu North Kona Hawai’i.