Mahu-Kona: Land Section, Village, Harbor, Kohala

From ‘Ohana Naihe

Mahukona Land History

Mahu-kona: land section, village, harbor, Kohala

Originally this property was said to belong to:

Princess Ruth Luka Keanolani Kauanahoahoa Ke’elikolani of Hawaii, also known as Princess Ruth Ke’elikolani (1826-1883) it was said this land was held by the State of Hawaii who realized they had no deed to the property and gave it to the largest land owner Kohala Sugar Company – then Castle & Cooke. After changing of hands sold it to Chalon International now known today as Surety Kohala. This land is home to the only Navigational Heiau inclusive of rich historic archaeological remains way too many to have an accurate account. The Navigational Heiau may be seen by taking a short hike to the point across from the harbor; partially viewed from the roadway into the park before arriving to the home of the old warehouse.

zone ordinance, an SMA permit and a final plan approval have all exceeded their time limit, or the developer has violated conditions of their approval. The developer has failed to comply with a list of conditions given to them by the planning director by a July 14, 2008 deadline.

The "developer" in this case is named "Kohala Preserve Conservation Trust LLC" (KPCT) is not a conservation trust, or in any way in the business of preservation or conservation.

The principals and financial interests are essentially the same as they were when the land was owned by Surety and before that by Chalon. In most of the violations, KPCT has avoided their obligation to the public in regards to public review, park improvements at Kapa'a and Mahukona, shoreline access, road improvements and environmental protection.

For more information of the July, 2008 letters submitted to the County of Hawaii Planning Director regarding this issue please visit:

Getting to know Ruth

The princess defied Western ways and paid for it by being ignoredby historians until noW

Exerpts from: John Berger

HISTORY is not a topic that seems to interest many people these days, and if most Hawaii residents know of Princess Ruth Ke'elikolani at all it's because of a photograph that shows a large grim-looking Hawaiian woman standing stiffly in formal 19th century attire. Only eight or nine photos of her are known to exist.

"The two things people usually know about her is what she looked like -- which a lot of people seem to remember -- and maybe that she had something to do with the Bishop Estate having a lot of land," said Craig Howes, of the University of Hawaii at Manoa Center for Biographical Research….Howes feels it's time that Ke'elikolani gets credit for her efforts to defend Hawaii and its culture, and for maintaining intact the vast land holdings that became the foundation of Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate, ….Ruth, bequeathed almost all her land holdings to her cousin Bernice Pauahi Bishop. Had Ruth been less aggressive in asserting her claims or less astute in her ability to maneuver through the western legal system, much of the land now owned by KSBE might have been dispersed.

…It is said Ke'elikolani's place as being a mover and shaker among the mid-19th century ali'i, and the ways in which her resistance to foreign ways make her significant in influencing Hawaiian thought today.

Ruth Ke'elikolani's Victorian mansion Keoua Hale was larger than 'Iolani Palace.

….It is said that David Kalakaua did not extend his courtesy to Ke'elikolani when he was elected to the throne…. With tension between the Kalakaua and Kamehameha lines, Ke'elikolani demanded that Kalakaua and his family formally relinquish claims to the lands that she had given her adopted son Leleiohoku after he died in 1877….Had Leleiohoku lived to become king in 1891, he would have also been the wealthiest man in Hawaii.

…The fact that Kalakaua ended up as king without the same kind of resources as Ke’elikolani was one of the main problems of the time. It is said Kalakaua continually withdrew on the legislature to receive money for the government - building the palace, for example. Ke'elikolani had personal resources – what is really really sad about (Prince) William Pitt Leleiohoku dying, from said investigation, Ruth set up a deal where the person who was going to become king (after Kalakaua) was also going to become the most independently wealthy person in the island. He would have ended up with the resources to be able to tell the legislature to go stuff itself at various points… A financially independent monarch would have been a more difficult target for the enemies of Hawaiian freedom to overthrow.

…Lili'uokalani, who was forced to deal with the same financial problems that had plagued Kalakaua, died in 1917 at the age of 79, and so it is certainly possible that Leleiohoku, who was born in 1854, could have reigned as the monarch of a free and independent Hawaii until the early 1930s.”

MAHUKONA TODAY: Community groups petition planning director to allow Mahukona Resort permits to expire. In early July, 2008 both Kako'o and Maika'i Kamakani 'O Kohala submitted letters to the County of Hawaii Planning Director asking that he not extend permits and planning approvals issued to the developer planning to build a resort and luxury home subdivision at Mahukona. The permits, which include a change of (Continued on back)