Within the Sound of Kapalua Bay Online Magazine

An online magazine dedicated to the Hawaiian history of Honokahua Maui, the ancient land division that became Kapalua Resort

Within The Sound of Kapalua Bay

Fallen Warriors at Honokahua: November , 2007

Two Brothers' Battle for Maui in 1738

The most prominent mention of Honokahua in primary source Hawaiian history books is in Samuel

Kamakau’s account of Maui civil war battles in 1738, when, after the death of King Kekaulike, Mo‘i of

Maui, rule of Maui was contested by his two sons. In fact, the battle staged at Honokahua, resulted in

hundreds of dead warriors from Maui, Hawai‘i and O‘ahu, which are interred in the Honokahua

Preservation Site in front of the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua. This is the story of

two brothers' battle for rule of

Maui. Were the dying wishes of their father manifested?

Ancient Hawaiian koa warfare consisted of small projectiles, such as sling stones and javelin-type spears,

plus hand to hand combat with knives, daggers, clubs, and slicing weapons made from stone, wood, bone,

and shell. Specialized lua warriors could overpower enemies with bone-breaking wrestling when weapons

failed. It was not until the end of the eighteenth century that foreigners brought firearms to Hawai‘i.

Decades of Civil War

1738 was over fifty years before Kamehameha the Great united the Hawaiian Kingdom and declared a

lasting peace, and Hawaii was in the midst of a century of civil war which devastated population and

natural resources of every island. Chiefs appointed as stewards of the land became warlords, feuding and

contesting one another for ever-dwindling spoils. A common practice that often led to skirmishes was the

ruling chiefs’ habit of appointing one heir to the care of family gods and war gods, but appointing another

to operational rule of land, resources, and commoners. It was reasonable to make one heir Kahuna or priest

and another Ali‘i ‘ai Moku or Ruling Chief, and thereby consolidate all power under one family, but the

obvious attraction of patent rule caused problems. According to this custom, on his deathbed in 1738, King

Kekaulike, the Mo‘i of Maui, named his young son Kamehamehanui ruling Mo‘i or King of Maui.

[Kamehamehanui is not the famous Kamehameha the Great (c1758 – 1819), but his uncle]

King

Kekaulike's

Sons Face Off

Unfortunately, King Kekaulike’s older son, Ka Uhi ‘Ai Moku a Kama, (whose name contains the expression

meaning ruling chief), thought little of his spiritual inheritance. During the construction of Wailehua Heiau

at Mākilo, Lāhainā, Ka Uhi’s priest Pina‘au suggested, “Let the weak carry stones [build heiau], the work

for the stong is to establish themselves upon the land. Go to war; stand at the head of government.” Under

this counsel, Ka Uhi soon took up arms against his brother Kamehamehanui, thinking to kill him and take

rule of Maui. The battle began in Lāhainā.

Uncle Alapa’i of Hawai‘i Tries to Intervene

Alapa‘inui, a famous warrior and high chief of Hawai‘i Island and an uncle of these warring brothers, came

to Maui to intercede and negotiate a truce. His wise plan was to take Kamehamehanui back to Hawai‘i

with him, and leave Ka Uhi to rule Maui. If Ka Uhi had not been consumed with envy, he would have

listened to his uncle’s plan with gratitude, since it gave him rule, as he desired. But Ka Uhi, awed by the

military prowess of his uncle, listened to wicked counsel from his rebel kahuna, who said that Alapa‘i did

not come for peace, but wanted to take Maui for himself. Therefore, instead of welcoming his uncle and

brother in peace and listening to their offer, Ka Uhi attacked them as they camped in Lāhainā, and sent

them to fleeing back to Hawai‘i.

There is a saying in Hawaiian that “tutu only speaks once,” meaning that

one is wise

to heed the call of an elder, and to act, because there might not

be a second chance, a second offer, or a second try. This was the case

with Alapa‘i, KaUhi’s elder; once rebuffed and disrespected, Alapa‘i

did not offer compromise a second time.

Ka Uhi Trapped in the West Maui Mountians

Soon Alapa‘i and Kamehamehanui sailed back to Maui with a large flotilla of war canoes that landed on all

the beaches from Ukumehame to Lāhainā. Warriors and stormed Lāhainā, causing Ka Uhi and his men to

flee up Kahoma and Kaua‘ula streams into the ravines of the West Maui Mountains. Alapa‘i’s men sought

to flesh them out by destroying Lāhainā’s irrigation systems and taro farms. Trapped in the mountains and

outnumbered, Ka Uhi sent a secret envoy to O‘ahu to entreat and beg military assistance from another

uncle, the great military chief Pele‘ioholani, and arch enemy of Alapa‘i.

Uncle Pele‘ioholani comes to Ka Uhi’s Aid

Finding no greater pleasure than to challenge his rival Alapa‘i and perhaps gain rule of Maui into the

bargain, Pele‘ioholani, with 640 of his choicest koa warriors, sailed to West Maui. He knew that Lāhainā

would be a hard fight; Alapa‘i had had destroyed the farms and fresh water sources of Lāhainā, and now

had over 8,000 men from six districts of Hawai‘i guarding access to land and sea from Olowalu to

Honokowai. Therefore, he sailed north and set up camp at Honokahua and Honolua, where water and

food were plentiful. In addition, these protected bays were defensible, and any raid from the south could be

seen at a great distance from the ridge above Hāwea Point. His expert strategy was to divert Alapa‘i’s

troops, thereby giving Ka Uhi‘s forces a chance to fight their way back down to Lāhainā. The uphill

advantage plus Pele‘ioholani’s men pushing from the beach left the possibility of squashing Alapa‘i in the

middle.

Attack at Honokowai; Retaliation at Honokahua

Pele‘ioholani first struck a small division of Alapa‘i’s men guarding Honokowai stream, where the battle

resulted in heavy losses on both sides. Alapa‘i retreated to Kekaha (now Black Rock), regrouped and

attacked Pele‘ioholani’s camp in Honokahua, a bold move. Hundreds of O‘ahu and Hawaii warriors fell at

Honokahua, and were buried in the sand dunes. A majority of the individuals interred at the Honokahua

Preservation Site in front of the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua are Alapa‘i’s and Pele‘ioholani’s warriors slain in the

1738 battle at Honokahua.

Pele‘ioholani Pursues Alapa‘i South to Pu‘unene

Pele‘ioholani was not ready to lay down arms. His canoes pushed south and pursued Alapa‘i past Lāhainā,

to Ukumehame, and around the pali to Ma‘alaea, and all the way to the East Maui isthmus plains of Pu

‘unene. During the pursuit, a small band of Alapa‘i’s men ambushed and captured Ka Uhi’s canoe. By

order of Alapa‘i, Ka Uhi was drowned and the insult to Alapa‘i was paid in full with Ka Uhi’s life. However,

as with many wars, although much blood was spilled on both sides, and the warriors still desired to press

in. By the time the two sides were spent in Pu‘unene, another 800 valiant men to died. Then the two great

commanders, Alapa‘i and Pele‘ioholani, left standing in the blood of their men, faced one another with no

more reason to fight, and every reason to lay down their weapons. They gave up the fight, not in

consolation, but in grief.

King Kekaulike wisely chose his younger son for rule, and his wish, though contested, was made manifest.

Was his mana at work? Were the gods in th

battle, or

was it just that

Ka Uhi's envy come to

back to

destroy him? In any case, this victory by the forces of Hawaii now set up Kamehamehanui as the King of

Maui, an ancestor of a great warrior of Hawaii who would bear his name and come to

rule all of Hawaii,

Kamehameha the Great.

Even now,

a hundred and seventy years later,

bones of the fallen warriors of 1738

are still found in the

sandy soil at Pu‘unene

, and Honokahua.

Note:

The Map above was created based on accounts

Fornander and Kamakau

which give different

names for the site of the last battle.

Fornander places the

final confrontation in Lāhainā at Kekaha

, but

Kamakau's version says, "

u'unene."

n a recent study of old West Maui Maps, historian Jill Engledow,

author of Island Life 101: A Newcomer's Guide to Hawai'i discovered a West Maui location near Kehaha,

called Pu'unene. Therefore, both primary sources are in fact correct, and the 8th step of the war, after Ka

Uhi was killed, was movement of troops to

West Maui's Pu'unene section of Ka'anapali for the last stand.

Sources:

Kamakau, S. M. Ruling Chiefs of Hawai‘i, revised edition. Honolulu: Kamehameha Schools Press, 1992

pp. 72-74

Fornander, Abraham. Ancient History of the Hawaiian People to the Times of

Kamehameha I. Honolulu: Mutual Publishing, 1996 pp. 140-141

Personal communication, Jill Engledow, Maui Island Press

This educational material may be used in its entirety for the benefit of furthering cultural and historical knowledge of Hawai'i

Archives

Hawea Point:
Sacred to
Hewahewa

The Ahupua'a
of Honokahua

Honokahua Bay

War of 1738
Strategic Battle Perspective

1. Alapa‘i takes Lāhainā, Ka Uhi retreats to
the West Maui Mountains
2. Pele‘ioholani comes from O‘ahu to assist
Ka Uhi and camps at Honokahua
3. Pele‘ioholani meets Alapa‘i at Honokowai
4. Alapa‘i retreats to Kekaha
5. Alapa‘i strikes back at Honokahua
6. Pele‘ioholani pursues to Ukumehame
7. Ka Uhi taken by Alaka‘i and drowned
8. Pursuit to the last confrontation at Pu‘unene

red = Alapa'i and Kamehamehanui Forces
black= Pele'ioholani and Kauhi'aimokuakama Forces
triangle = encampment
double waved line = engagement

Honokahua
Cloud Formations