Wa&_macron; ‘Akahi

Ku&_macron;pe‘e
Ke Keiki

Ha&_macron;nau ka Pipipi,
‘o ke Ku&_macron;pe‘e ka&_macron;na keiki, puka

First Epic

Ku&_macron;pe‘e
The Child

The Pipipi gives birth,
the Ku&_macron;pe‘e emerges

Ka‘u&_macron;pu&_macron;lehu

Mai loko mai ‘o In The Lee of Huala&_macron;lai, na Jocelyn Fujii

Ma kai ‘o Ka‘u&_macron;pu&_macron;lehu, i kanu a ma&_macron;lama ‘ia ke kauna‘oa melemele a ‘alani ikaika i kanu ‘ia a puni o ka pu&_macron;na&_macron;wai ‘o Waiakauhi. Ma laila pu&_macron; i ha&_macron;li‘i ‘ia na&_macron; kapa moe o ka po&_macron;hinahina, he mea kanu ‘o&_macron;iwi o kahakai, ka po&_macron;huehue, he la&_macron;‘au hihi ‘o&_macron;iwi o ka ‘a&_macron;ina, a me ka nehe, e uhi ana i ka ‘a&_macron;ina e like ho‘i me ka lole veleveka uliuli a ‘o&_macron;ma‘oma‘o.

Mau no&_macron; ka ola o ka ‘o&_macron;pae ‘ula ma loko o ka pu&_macron;na&_macron;wai, e like ho‘i me ka&_macron; Joe Maka‘ai wa&_macron; kamali‘i. Ma na&_macron; po&_macron; malama ‘ole, mai ko la&_macron;kou home iho, i puka aku ai na&_macron; pu&_macron;pu&_macron; ‘ono a ‘ele‘ele ‘o ia ho‘i ke ku&_macron;pe‘e ma ‘o&_macron; a ‘o&_macron; o ke kapa kai, e like ho‘i me ka&_macron; la&_macron;kou i hana ai mai ka ho‘omaka ‘ana.

Mau no&_macron; ka hoene o ka ‘Eka a me ka Ho‘olua ma loko o na&_macron; mau‘u lo&_macron;‘ihi. Mau no&_macron; ka&_macron; ‘o&_macron; o ka ‘O&_macron;launiu i na&_macron; lau niu. Ke kio palupalu o ka ‘u&_macron;lili, komo aku ka ‘u&_macron;lili i ke ao me ka ho&_macron;‘ike aku i kona ho‘i hou ‘ana i ke&_macron;ia ho‘oilo a‘e.
Ma kai o ia wahi, hui aku ka napo‘o ‘ana o ka la&_macron; me ka maka aka&_macron; mau no&_macron; kona noho ‘ana i ka ‘alihi lani. Ku&_macron; na&_macron; wahi pana ‘o Ka‘u&_macron;pu&_macron;lehua i loko o kona ‘ena melemele a ‘o Ka‘u&_macron;pu&_macron;lehu ka&_macron;na mea wale no&_macron;: ka pu&_macron;‘o‘a kaulua ‘o Ku&_macron;‘ili, na&_macron; kahawai hinahina a ‘ele‘ele o ka pa&_macron;hoehoe, ka pu‘u, na&_macron; alahele, na&_macron; loko i‘a, ke kapa kai, a me na&_macron; ulu la&_macron;‘au o ka ‘o&_macron;hi‘a a me ke kauila kekahi o ia mau mea.

Mai ka we&_macron;kiu mai, helele‘i kona mau ihona e pu&_macron;liki leo ‘ole i ke kai, a ma&_macron;lama ‘o Huala&_macron;lai i kona wikilia.

Ka‘u&_macron;pu&_macron;lehu

From In The Lee of Huala&_macron;lai, by Jocelyn Fujii

At the Ka‘u&_macron;pu&_macron;lehu seashore, the brilliant yellow-orange kauna‘oa is planted and nurtured around Waiakauhi Pond. Where blankets of po&_macron;hinahina, a native beach shrub, po&_macron;huehue, the indigenous beach morning glory, and the native sunflower called nehe cover the ground like blue and green velvet.

‘O&_macron;pae‘ula still swarm in the pond, as they did in Joe Maka‘ai’s youth. On moonless nights, from their sandy depths, the delicious black shells called ku&_macron;pe‘e appear here and there at the shoreline, as they have since the beginning.

The ‘Eka and Ho‘olua still rustle through the bulrushes. The ‘O&_macron;launiu still pierces the coconut fronds. The fragile chirp of the wandering tattler, ‘u&_macron;lili penetrates the dawn with a promise to return next winter.

Seaward, the glorious sunset greets the gaze but remains a symbol that belongs to the horizon. Awash in a golden glow, the landmarks of Ka‘u&_macron;pu&_macron;lehu belongs to her alone: the double-domed Ku&_macron;‘ili, the silver-black rivers of pa&_macron;hoehoe, the hills, trails, ponds, shoreline, the distant stands of ‘o&_macron;hi‘a and kauila.
From the summit, her slopes sweeping to the sea in a silent embrace, Huala&_macron;lai keeps her vigil.

Kekahi ‘Ike Hou A‘e

Inoa Hawai‘i: Ku&_macron;pe‘e

Inoa Peleka&_macron;nia: Polished Nerite

Inoa ‘Epekema: Nerita polita

Kona ‘ano: Ola ke ku&_macron;pe‘e i loko o ke one ma kahi o ka palena kai nui. I ka po&_macron;, pi‘i aku ke&_macron;ia mau ku&_macron;pe‘e ma ka po&_macron;haku e ‘ai i ka limu o ia wahi. He pu&_macron;pu&_macron; ma&_macron;noanoa a ‘a&_macron;hinahina kona aka&_macron; i kekahi manawa he melemele, ‘ula‘ula, kahakaha, ke‘oke‘o, ‘alani, ‘a&_macron;kala a kikokiko ka waiho‘olu‘u. Ulu ke&_macron;ia pu&_macron;pu&_macron; a ho‘okahi ‘i&_macron;niha me ka hapalua.

‘Ikepili Hoihoi: Ua ho‘ohana ‘ia ke&_macron;ia pu&_macron;pu&_macron; no ka ho‘onaninani ‘ana i ka lole a i ‘ole i ke kino o na&_macron; ka&_macron;naka. Ua ma&_macron;lama ‘ia na&_macron; ku&_macron;pe‘e ma‘amau ‘ole no na&_macron; ali‘i.

More Information

Hawaiian Name: Ku&_macron;pe‘e

English Name: Polished Nerite

Scientific Name: Nerita polita

Description: The ku&_macron;pe‘e lives in the sand near the high tide line. At night, the ku&_macron;pe‘e climbs up on rocks and eats the seaweed that grows there. The shell has a thick gray shell, sometimes it is yellow, red, striped, white, orange, pink and spotted. This shell grows up to an inch and a half in length.

Interesting Fact: This shell was used for decorating clothes and the body of men. The rare ku&_macron;pe‘e were kept for the chiefs.