Hundreds of years ago, Kaneohe Beach Park, also known as Naoneala‘a a Kaneohe, was the site of two major Hawaiian historic events: a peace-
making ceremony and the marking of a new chief on Oahu.
These glimpses into Hawaii’s past are now part of a new storyboard dedicated Friday at the 1-acre beach park on Waikalua Road by community members and officials in an effort to educate residents and visitors about Oahu’s history and to build neighborhood pride.
According to an 1867 account by Hawaiian scholar Samuel Kamakau, La‘amaikahiki, the new chief of Oahu, traveled around the island in his canoe and stopped at the beach park. There he threw sand from his canoe onto the beach, declaring his official presence on Oahu. The beach was then named Naoneala‘a after him. It means the sands of La‘amaikahiki (“naone” means sands). He also built three heiau and lived in the area during his reign.
Also, in 1737, after years of warring in the islands, the beach park was the site of a peacemaking ceremony among the chiefs of Maui, Kauai, Oahu and Hawaii island. The chiefs were family, and their advisers warned them that if they didn’t make peace, family would end up killing family. When the advisers brought the chiefs to the beach park, there were said to be hundreds of warriors on the slopes above the site and in canoes in the ocean watching as the chiefs of Oahu and Hawaii island embraced and declared peace.
Mahealani Cypher, member of the Ko‘olaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club, which spearheaded the storyboard effort, described the peacemaking event as “Hawaii’s version of Gettysburg. It was a glorious day to behold.”
The idea of the storyboard, funded by the National Geographic Society, the Ko‘olau Foundation and the Awesome Foundation, came out of a 2012 cultural project the civic club participated in that taught residents how to be good stewards and guests of the land. The club also advocated to change the beach park’s name to
reflect its place in Hawaiian history and garnered City Council approval in 2019. Community members had said that the park’s ancient name, Naoneala‘a, has been forgotten and replaced by Kaneohe Beach Park.
Projects like these are largely proposed and organized by community members and groups, said Nate Serota, spokesman for the city Department of Parks and Recreation. Of the city’s more than 300 park facilities, he said only a few have dedicated storyboards detailing the area’s historic significance.
Cypher, who grew up near the beach park, added that many Native Hawaiian families who live adjacent to Naoneala‘a a Kaneohe are glad to see their neighborhood recognized.
“It’s really exciting to know what the history is behind the area that we live,” she said. “When people know where they live was a place of great honor, dignity or significant events in history, it makes them proud of where they live.”
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Jayna Omaye covers ethnic and cultural affairs and is a corps member with Report for America, a national service organization that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues and communities.
