Manaua i ka wai

Years ago there was a bad drought in Waimea after the rivers went dry and one of the main reservoirs cracked. My Papa was the head of the water department for Parker Ranch at the time and was there when millions of gallons of water that fed our town drained. His first thoughts went to the people and the ranches. They spent days and nights hauling water throughout Waimea, Kawaihae, and Kohala.

He knew of a mo‘o named Manaua to call upon for help. Stories of a rain rock where she would sunbathe were passed down through time and he knew he needed to find it, and indeed he did. It was covered in overgrowth so he put a call out for kōkua. The rain rock, also named Manaua, could finally be seen again. He told my mom that lei needed to made specifically out of lau and pua from the uplands above the pu’u kinikini and indeed, she did.

They made their offerings and the people of the town began to make theirs because they remembered the story too. Soon, the clouds gathered and the rains came. The fours rivers began to flow again. My Papa knew who to give thanks to and he passed down the kuleana to my mother and her sisters uphold this sacred pilina to Manaua. And she is passing these teachings to us.

When the big fires came, this was the first place my family went to to pray for help. Chants for rain were lifted across the pae ‘āina and indeed, the rain came.

May we pass down the stories so that the next generations will always know who to pray to and where to go to call the rains home.

Manaua i ka wai
Manaua iho mai
Manaua lau wai
Manaua e pae
Manaua i ka wai

📸: @jalena.kl