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COUNTY OF HAWAII •14`:'=` :• `I <br /> STATE OF HAWAI <br /> • f Mi M <br /> • <br /> BILL NO. 132 <br /> ORDINANCE NO. <br /> AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE PARKS AND RECREATIONAL FACILITY <br /> SCHEDULE, CHAPTER 15,ARTICLE 8, SECTION 15-68.1 OF THE HAWAII <br /> COUNTY CODE 1983 (2016 EDITION, AS AMENDED), BY RENAMING KAHAKAI <br /> PARK, THE "WAIAKAHI`ULA BEACH PARK" IN RECOGNITION OF ITS <br /> ORIGINAL PLACE NAME. <br /> BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII: <br /> SECTION 1. Purpose. The purpose of this ordinance is to rename Kahakai Park, located <br /> northeast of Pahoa, situated in the region of Puna, Island and County of Hawai`i, State of <br /> Hawai`i, in recognition of its original place name. <br /> Kahakai Park is located within the historical boundaries of the Waiakahi`ula ahupua`a, <br /> adjacent to the Keonepoko, Kahuwai,Nanawale, and Honolulu ahupua`a. The Waiakahi`ula <br /> ahupua'a encompasses the present-day Hawaiian Shores and Hawaiian Beaches subdivisions in <br /> Puna. The park contains remnants of the ancient Hawaiian village of Waiakahi`ula, a once <br /> densely populated settlement with dispersed structures. Among the notable cultural and historical <br /> features are a well-preserved canoe shed, foundations of a house, and various agricultural sites. <br /> Waiakahi`ula, means "the place where the water runs red," which comes from cascading <br /> streams along the cliffs that take on a reddish hue during the season of Ho`oilo—Hawai`i's wet <br /> and rainy season, which spans from November to April. <br /> Waiakahi`ula gained notoriety for a tumultuous battle that unfolded in the neighboring <br /> Keonepokoiki ahupua'a during the reign of the Hawaiian ali`i, `Ahia. A prominent and <br /> oppressive leader of the Puna region in the late 1700s, `Ahia imposed harsh taxes and labor on <br /> the local populace, leading to discontent and resistance. Faced with noncompliance and <br /> rebellion, `Ahia ordered his men to slaughter the maka`ainana(commoners). However, prepared <br /> to resist, the maka`ainana of the ahupua'a of Keonepokonui, Keonepokoiki, and Waiakahi`ula <br /> came together and engaged in battle. <br /> During the battle, the maka`ainana invoked the rains of Puna through ritual, resulting in a <br /> torrential rainstorm and a flood that carried the fallen bodies of`Ahia's men toward the ocean. <br /> Despite the success of the maka`ainana in battle, the coastal area of Waiakahi`ula also became <br /> the final resting place for many `iwi kupuna. <br /> It is believed that the battleground is located in the ahupua'a of Waiakahi`ula, where the <br /> present-day Keonepoko Elementary School stands. <br /> Renaming Kahakai Park to honor its original place name of Waiakahi`ula, reflects a <br /> dedicated commitment to preserving the profound cultural and historical significance of this <br /> `aina. It also ensures that its mo`olelo (story) is not only preserved, but also endures, allowing it <br /> to be appreciated by future generations. <br />