Ka Pu’uhonua o Olowalu

The Olowalu Valley has historically been an area of refuge for those seeking sanctuary. People were once deemed untouchable once stepping into the Valley’s borders. This is an element of pu‘uhonua sanctuary, which is prevalent on each of the Hawaiian islands. Olowalu has been a space of protection on Maui for hundreds of years.

Natural History

Pu‘u Kukui is a Hawaiian mountain that once formed the West Maui mountain ridge, which extends 15 miles. This event, occurring 1 million years ago, gave way to the formation of the Olowalu Valley.

The Olowalu Valley occurs at an intersection of two land formations: Līhau, standing at 4,192 feet on the Northside of Olowalu, and Līhau ‘Ula, at 3,786 feet forming the South wall.

Kipuka itself means an area surrounded by lava, like the ridges that create the Olowalu Valley. This gives way to our name of Kipuka Olowalu.

Agricultural Expansion

Upon early colonization, groups who populated the island coined the lush and windy side of the mountain to be the “male” side and the arid leeward side as the “female” side. Kipuka Olowalu is located in one of these arid leeward areas, which provides loose eroded soil. While this can inhibit vegetation growth, certain foods like the South American sweet potato are able to flourish.

The sweet potato introduced in the 1300s allowed for the cultivation of these dry areas. This allowed for increased resilience and population growth throughout Hawai’i.

The Reef

Just inshore on the lowlands of the Olowalu Valley lies a wetland area. This wetland provides an ecosystem supporting many native plants, birds, fish, and mollusks. This wetland has previously been sustained with the incoming tide and tributary of the Olowalu Stream. However, this wetland now lacks access to ocean tides due to the Honoapi‘ilani Highway passing through.