L - Kiʻilae Village

Look for the rock walls on the mauka side of the trail. They mark the beginning of Kiʻilae

NPS

Quick Facts

Location:

Ala Kahakai NHT / 1871 Trail

Significance:

Historic Village

Amenities

1 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

Kiʻilae Village offers a glimpse into the past, when Hawaiʻi was changing rapidly, but still supported traditional aspects of daily life. With the arrival of Europeans in the Hawaiian Islands, many things changed. New plants and animals were introduced and settlements began moving away from the coastal villages to the more fertile uplands and larger harbor cities. What remains in Kiʻilae today are abandoned house sites, agricultural features, animal pens, and salt pans that can be seen from more recent times.

It is not known exactly when Kiʻilae village was established, but it may have been inhabited as early as the 1600’s due to availability of water, fishing grounds and upland fields. Indigenous knowledge points to the early settlement at Kiʻilae as a place where kahuna (priests) trained. By the end of the 19^th century, Kiʻilae had a population of approximately 100 people consisting of about 10 extended families.

Unlike the difficulty assigning a beginning date for Ki‘ilae Village, the end of its occupation is well documented. By 1913 only one family remained in coastal Ki‘ilae, and sometime the 1930’s the last full time resident moved away. Its depopulation was largely the result of a changing economy that focused increasingly around the mauka areas near the current Māmalahoa Highway. Green (1993:534) explains the changing economy and shifting population with the following:

The improved belt road around the island, which provided access to trade centers, effectively isolated the shoreline settlements, causing much of their population to move inland nearer to the road and the kula garden areas.

So, it seems that the change in community pattern along this coast was triggered not only from the evolution of transportation in the area, but also a change in the economy from a barter economy to a “work-for-money” economy.

As you continue along the trail into the heart of Kiʻilae village, remember to stay on trail and practice Leave No Trace principles to help protect these sites.