Kū‘ena‘ena is a series of images that reveal the truth and brilliance of who we are, despite ongoing efforts to dismantle and misrepresent our traditional knowledge systems, ways of being, and histories.

Papa‘ena‘ena Heiau, originally situated directly mauka of this site, is an important heiau (place of worship) for Hawai‘i. Noted scholars believe that Kamehameha I travelled to Papa‘ena‘ena after defeating Kalanikūpule and his forces in the battle of “Ka Lele a Ka ‘Anae” (The Battle of Nu‘uanu), which marked the climax of Kamehameha I’s political campaign to unite the Hawaiian Archipelago under his supreme rule. It is believed that the captured Kalanikūpule was brought to Papa‘ena‘ena and offered as a sacrifice to Kūka‘ilimoku, the island-snatching god.

Similar to the pohaku within the heiau repurposed to build the rock wall surrounding La Pietra School for Girls, many images of Kūka‘ilimoku have been appropriated in ways that do not honor the original ki‘I and its manifestations, whether woven, carved, feathered, or otherwise. Kū‘ena‘ena re-establishes the connection between this akua in places it may have been found centuries ago and continues to shine as we tell and live our stories.