“Kaiona - the akua wahine who resides atop Kaʻala. She is a benevolent akua who sends her ʻiwa to guide lost travelers to a trail home. I spent hours looking for more information on her and got stuck. I called anakala Puakea Nogelmeier to help me in my search and he graciously helped me pour through books and Hawaiian newspaper articles for anything related to Kaiona. We didn’t find any new mo‘olelo, but we did find many beautiful kanikau (funerary dirges) referencing Kaiona and the plants and birds associated with her. Among the birds are the iʻiwi makapolena (young iʻiwi), the oʻo, and of course, the ʻiwa. Among the plants are the wiliwili blossoms, the ʻōhai, and the maʻo. They are all shown here except for the maʻo.

The visit to anakala was impromptu, and I was so wrapped in the conversation that I didn’t write any notes down. This piece was a way to lock this into my memory and, I hope, into your memory, too!”