Sample Records

Claim # Description
10349 This claim illustrates an ahupua`a search. It is one of the 86 claims you would get if you searched for Hanapepe ahupua`a. It is the most lyric claim in the database.
02564 This claim illustrates one of the claims you would find searching the text field for the word "heiau."
00082 This claim illustrates, among other things, a heiau listed as a place "where the gods stood." This heiau is not noted in any of the standard source books. Local informants knew it existed, but didn't recall its name. Researcher Maria Orr wanted a search done for "wahine stone." The "wahine stone," named Kohe Kili in the earlier documents shows up in later documents as Kahekili stone. We believe puritanical influences may have promoted this kind of name change. This claim also shows how early foreigners were given large tracts of land for their services (carpenter, shoemaker, blacksmith, captain of ship, etc.) if they kept it within the family, not selling or giving it to another foreigner. It also indicates kama`aina were alienated from their lands at the pleasure of the chiefs.
02888 This claim illustrates a cross-over from one ahupua`a to another for subsistence resoucres. It also indicates the konohiki took the land back when client died of "measles" with no heirs.
00000H04 This claim illustrates the case of a person's name with no corresponding claim number for the parcel of land described. The number contains 5 zeros, plus the Island letter plus the number 5, showing it is fifth in the sequence on non-numbered claims for Hawaii Island. Note alternative spellings of name; editorial comments list other claims to consult.
00473B This claim illustrates a claim with many items of historic interest, and also shows that ali`i did not receive all their claims. Pikanele, an important chief on Maui, describes the bartering system of this period. He also notes that he was part of group of people "who led Nahienaena astray" "in 1840" and it appears he was dispossessed from his land as punishment. He may have helped the king (Kamehameha II) and his sister (Nahienaena), to be together, which was a sacred traditional liaison but very objectionable to the missionaries.
00035FL Claim 00035FL is an example of a fort land claim in Honolulu. Soldiers garrisoned at the fort were given lands for homes and food production and. in most cases. these were passed on to family after death. However, if the lands were not in production they could be taken away. No. 00035FL is the most extensive fort land claims and lists 39 named ponds, 7 coconut groves, and the sea fishery of Kalia in addition to lo`i and kula. The fort land claims for Waikiki, Honolulu, Manoa and Alewa have the FL following the number. There are also fort lands on Kauai, both in Waimea and Makaweli ahupua`a, but they have no special FL designation as do the Oahu ones. However a search "soldier" and "koa" can show all these claims.
90190! This illustrates how the Mahele database treats wrong numbers. There is an apostrophe after the land claim number; our indication of a wrong number. There is a editorial comment referring to the correct number (when found). If the correct number is located the documents listed under the wrong number are transferred to the correct number. Only the page where the wrong numbered document occurs remain in that record. However, if no correct number is located, then any documents found are left under that wrong number.
10190 This awarded claim is made up of one correct document and one mis-numbered document (see previous sample claim). It shows how this database puts the two documents together to give full information about the awarded land.
06659 This claim illustrates one example of important land use information in unawarded claims. The graveyard of one of David Malo's wives, Pakisepa Pahia, is listed for his Keauhou property on Maui. While 3702 lists his various awards, this land in Keauhou is not one of them. This graveyard is not mentioned in his awarded claim.
07733 Claim 7333 is another example of important land use information found in unawarded claims. This claim for 3 apana of land in Keopu 3, on the Island of Hawaii, records the presence of a named cave in Ililola or Kaluaoililoa `ili.
00059 Claim 59 is an example of historical and geneaological information to be found in unawarded claims. We have 3 generations of Kuanea's family and the battles of Kamehameha on the Island of Hawaii and how that changed land tenure.
06709 This claim illustrates an awarded claim which little other information given may indicate this is a kama`aina woman.
00004MA A typical Mahele award record does not have any Land Commission documents under that number which describe the land parcel(s). One needs to find other claims, typically not awarded, which will provide the description for the land in the Mahele Award parcel(s). Only 64 of the Mahele Awards are listed in the Land Commission indices.
000240M This type of awarded claim with no documents is similar to the Mahele Awards (see previous sample). No documents have been found for this number, but documents were found to exist under another number describing this parcel of land.
10907 This claim shows the blend of a recent introduction - turkey farming - in 1848 and the traditional planting of auikiuki grass on the plains
05780B This claim discusses a canoe landing at Lahaina used by the Waikapu and Wailuku people, quite possibly when they came to Lahaina to sell their Irish potatoes to the whaling ships. This is one of many references to canoes, canoe landings, koa trees for building canoes, canoe makers and canoe shelters.
04405GG This claim illustrates one of the numbering systems used in the hearing of land claims. It seems likely that claims officers were given a list of numbers to be used during the hearings and when there were many more claimants than numbers, the officers improvised by adding first A-Z and if there were still more claimants, they added AA-ZZ. Sometimes, it is also obvious that the same number was given out to different claimants, and later one of the numbers was ameneded to have an A or B added on to differentiate it from the other.
07949 Konohiki claims are frequently not awarded. This one is awarded to a female konohiki. Female konohiki are not unusual in the Land Commission documents. Another example of the role of females in traditional Hawaiian society at the time of the first arrival of missionaries, can be seen in Land Claim Award 387 for Kauai, where the King, Kaumuali`i, offers Reverend Whitney land for each missionary man and each wife. However, Rev. Whitney says only one land for each couple will suffice.
06355 This awarded claim, in Pelekunu ahupua`a on Molokai, represents some of the confusion surrounding claims. It was claimed by Kekio, who sailed away to Kahiki in 1851 and presumably did not return. He bequeathed it to his younger brother, Keku, who died without a will. The father, Kailimeeau, returns the land to the konohiki, yet it is awarded. Note also that this steep valley accessible only with difficulty today shows traditional crops of taro and olona growing within the claimed land. Most Molokai claims of this database will be coming on line in 1999. Several other Molokai claims show that the "kao" or goat had already been let loose to breed in this valley.
10426 Some areas, like Mokapu on Oahu, show no land claims on Tax Map Key (TMK) maps, because none were awarded there. However, on Mokapu, there are a number of unawarded claims, showing names and land use. Other strategies for finding land use information can also be used. For Mokapu on Oahu, searches for Nuupia, Kaluapuhi (ponds) also turned up claims for this area. Hawaiiloa (the crater) also was located. The compiler has also found that in selected ahupua`a searches, claim numbers taken from TMKs have a 05-30% chance of being wrong. Sometimes, one of the claim number digits is wrong, sometimes a person is awarded that number, but elsewhere, and one needs to look for other awards for that person to find the proper place. Sometimes extended searches can be done for an area by looking for names in the text file where every neighbor and mention of that name is recorded.
07083 This claim illustrates mention of "wahi pana" (decorated, legendary places). Also some of the land zones found along the Kona coast are noted. The claimant here refers to the Kaluulu (breadfruit zone 500-1000 ft) and the "Apaa" (a zone mauka of the breadfruit zone, the most intenstively cultivated zone; 1-2,500 ft. elevation with taro sweet potatoes and sugar cane). Other zones not mentioned in this claim are the Kula (zone from the shore up to 500 ft) and the Ama`u (fern zone, 2,500 to 4,000 ft.) (Kelly, Na Mala o Kona 1983:62 or Shilt et al. 1984:1-15).


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