A bridge between the past and the present
Kahuina is the crossroads for residents to honor the history of Hawaiʻi while illuminating a prosperous future.
Over time, residents began incorrectly referring to the larger urban Honolulu area as “Kakaʻako” but most of what we currently consider “Kaka’ako” is actually Ka’ākaukukui.
A Modest Fishing Village
Kahuina’s Lamakū and Māmalu Towers are built on land owned by Kamehameha Schools, an organization dedicated to creating sustainable, vibrant communities where kamaʻāina have every opportunity to live, work and thrive. The towers sit on the area originally known as Kaʻākaukukui, a prosperous fishing village where ‘aweoweo (bigeye), ʻama ʻama (striped mullet), squid and alamihi crabs swam the shores, and ʻAoʻaoa winds and rain gave life to the ‘āina. Kakaʻako is actually a very small area in urban Honolulu located near the shoreline of today’s Kakaʻako Waterfront Park.
Innovative Spirit
Kahuina draws strength from the ʻāina, honoring those who came before
Princess Victoria Kamāmalu
As the highest ranking female chief of her time, Princess Victoria Kamāmalu (1838–1866) of Kaʻākaukukui was concerned about the ill health and grim social conditions facing the Native Hawaiian people. Together with Chiefess Lydia Kamakaʻeha Dominis, Queen Liliʻuokalani, and Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, she co-founded the Kahaʻahumanu Society, an organization dedicated to erasing the peoples’ suffering. Kamāmalu served as the ʻAhahui’s first president while also leading the Kawaiahaʻo Church choir as an accomplished chanter and composer of Hawaiian oli. Kahuina’s Māmalu Tower honors her legacy and commitment to bettering the lives of the Hawaiian people.
An Innovated Spirit
Born from the nearby salt-making ponds, and later growing into Oʻahu’s center of industry with the construction of Honolulu Iron Works in the 1800s, Kaʻākaukukui continues to light the way to a bright future with Kahuina’s Lamakū and Māmalu living and working communities. It is with knowledge, understanding and heart that Lamakū and Māmalu come to be and contribute to the resilient and innovative spirit of Kaʻākaukukui.
Caring for the ʻĀina for Future Generations
Kahuina landowner, Kamehameha Schools, is dedicated to caring for the ʻāina and restoring cultural and natural resources rooted in traditional Hawaiian values. By honoring the area’s original place name, Kaʻākaukukui, Kahuina helps to restore the area’s historical legacy and pays homage to kamaʻāina, past and present.