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Fazias7 disciplines pertaining to the study of paleo-environments and the effect of prehistoric and historic cultural change upon the environment. I have personally begun some research into this area and have spoken to some paleo researchers in the field, who have informed me that there are only a few places on the island of Hawai'1 that have the proper existing conditions for the sampling of paleo pollen. Punalu'u Pond is a gold mine for this type of research, in that it can tell us once and for all if and how the environment changed over Gme on the island of Hawaii, Additional information/sites t was told by the Hanoa family, that there is much more in the way of structures in the bushes up further to the north and in both directions east and west. If this is true, than it may be safe to speculate that the Punalu'u area may have been a large complex of sites inter-related to each other. Some of the structures outside of the heiau may have been used by priests connected with the heiau and by the Ali'i nui when he or she came around the island to use the heiau for ceremony. Additionally, there had to be a place for the women to stay while the Luakini ceremonies were being conducted. Men had to be separated from the women for a time. Therefore, there must have been an area for the women to stay in during the two month ceremony once a year, and the three night (held on the nights of Hilo, Hoaka, and Kukahi) monthly ceremonies throughout the year, along with the associated houses connected with women. Since the Ali'i nui traveled with his entire entourage when he of she traveled around the islands, and since some of them had serious kapu associated with them (especially the great kapu chieftess Keakealaniwahine, who had walkways all throughout her complex at Keolonahihi), d would be interesting to find the exact use for Lanipao heiau. Further information, or potential for research and the discovery of important sites: • In 1794, Menzies traveled through the area and mentions Kamehameha's plantation at ~ Punalu'u. (Menzies, 1920) • In 1880, Punalu'u became a port town for visitors to the volcano. The warehouse was used for storage up to Nvo weeks while awaiting the next ship. Protestant church in background of photo. Ellis mentions this same plantation in 1823. (pub 1963, Hnlulu Advertiser) Ie- Land mans and Land Ownership Research into the ownership of land in the Punalu'u Ninole region is warranted. Much of the documentation demonstrates that the lands may have been qud claimed in order to obtain the (ands to build the restaurant and golf course in the 1970s. Additionally, it is not clear whether families in the 1970s were ever privy to the quit claiming of their lands since the first quit claims were done in the late 1800s and early 1900s when the plantaton came in and took over many lands. Numerous families fisted on the old maps on the parcels within the Punaluu-Ninole area are still present in the Ka'u district. Before development of any of these areas take place, a complete inventory and research into the legality of these quit claim "takings" of these lands should be conducted. According to Professor Langlas, at UH Hilo, in an analysis of what happened to the lands of the nine Ali'i nut after the mahele, the 'ahupu~a ,of Punalu'u was given to Ali'i Lot Kamehameha (Kamehameha V) in the mahele (1848-LCA#7715). After Lot died in 1872 the land went to Alit Ruta Ke-elikotani`who died in 1883. After Ali i Ruta died, the remaining land (Punafu'u Nui and the surrounding areas) went fo Ali'i Bernice Pauahi Bishop who died in 1854. The land then became a part of the Bishop Estates trust lands under her will. It is now designated as conservation lands, and is owned in part by private owners (those parts that once belonged to private owners under the mahele and the subsequent government sale of lands after the mahele), the portion where Punalu'u Nui sits is still owned by the Bishop Estates. Prior to Ali'i lot Kamehameha receiving the land, there is evidence that the land was once in Kamehameha's