Elspeth P. Sterling's and Catherine C. Summers' archaeology book, "Sites of Oahu," makes reference to a place named Hanalei on O'ahu, where "there was much milo, neneleau, kamani and other trees on the land, home of the 'i'iwi and 'o'o birds." It is a reference attributed to Theodore Kelsey.

What can one make from this short but simple reference to Hanalei, O'ahu? First, there is nowhere else where one can find any kind of reference to a place called Hanalei, O'ahu.

I spoke to Keoni Nunes, a respected and well-known cultural practitioner and historian. Keoni was a haumana (student) to Kelsey and identified Makakilo as that place referred to by Kelsey as Hanalei. For those of us who live in the mid-elevation level of Makakilo, between Kalo'i Gulch and Awanui Gulch, and just where Makakilo Gulch vanishes ... we live in Hanalei.

Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of Hanalei, according to Kelsey, is his reference to the plants and birds that thrived in the area. It allows us a peek into the past and helps us understand plant and bird change and how that can serve as an indicator of environmental and landscape alteration. Neneleau, milo and kamani are dryland forest trees and appear to have been the dominant trees in the area once known as Hanalei.

The place name of Hanalei, when given to a landscape, makes reference to a lei or that of a hoaka (crescent). Hanalei (Makakilo) sits in the receptacle (hoaka) of three pu'u (hills), which form a hoaka in and of themselves. The hoaka of Pu'uomakakilo and Pu'upala'ila'i opens and faces the rising sun. Pu'uokapolei sits in the bowl formed by these three pu'u and faces mauka to Hanalei. It is when the sun reaches Pu'uokapolei that Hanalei receives the mana of the sun.

Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the ancient place name of Hanalei is the man who shares this information with us. Theodore Kelsey was born in Seattle in 1891. He and his parents moved to Hawai'i shortly after he was born. He learned the Hawaiian language as a child. He and Henry Kekahuna assisted archaeologist Kenneth Emory of the Bishop Museum through their understanding of the Hawaiian language, the ancient Hawaiians' view of themselves and their worldview and an understanding through mapping of heiau.

Kelsey will be remembered for the picture he painted for us of a distant landscape. Before thorny kiawe (mesquite) and foreign weeds, it was milo, kamani and neneleau that dominated the landscape between Pu'uomakakilo and Pu'uopala'ila'i; it was the native birds 'i'iwi and 'o'o that found shelter amongst their branches. This is how it once was, in this place once known as Hanalei.