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Lēʻahi

Lēʻahi (Diamond Head), Waikīkī

“Lē‘ahi”

from Aloha Ka‘apuni (2025)

In this forty-stanza section of Aloha Ka‘apuni, entitled “Lē‘ahi,” McDougall examines shifts in prevailing perceptions of Lē‘ahi, from those of Kānaka ‘Ōiwi to those of 18th century western sailors, the U.S. military, and tourists. Aloha Ka‘apuni, as a larger work, is inspired by how aloha ‘āina circulates and revolutionizes within and beyond Hawai‘i highlighting ‘āina that are launch sites to which we return to again and again.

This art installation comprises four locations. Find each installation at the locations below:

 

Download the full forty stanza section of Aloha Ka‘apuni, “Lē‘ahi” by Brandy Nalani McDougall

Link to Download the full forty stanza section of Aloha Ka‘apuni, "Lē‘ahi" by Brandy Nalani McDougall

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Image of Artist Brandy Nālani McDougall

Brandy Nālani McDougall

From the ahupuaʻa of Aʻapueo in Kula, Maui, Brandy Nālani McDougall (Kanaka ʻŌiwi, she/her/ʻo ia) is the author of two poetry collections, The Salt-Wind, Ka Makani Paʻakai (2008) and ʻĀina Hānau, Birth Land (2023). A Ford and Mellon-Hawaiʻi fellow, her critical monograph Finding Meaning: Kaona and Contemporary Hawaiian Literature (University of Arizona Press, 2016) is the first extensive study of contemporary Hawaiian literature and was the winner of the Beatrice Medicine Award in 2017. She is the director of the Mānoa Center for Humanities and Civic Engagement and an Associate Professor of American Studies (specializing in Indigenous studies) at University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. She is the Hawaiʻi Poet Laureate for 2023–2025. She lives with her keiki in Kalaepōhaku, Honolulu, in the ahupuaʻa of Waikīkī on Oʻahu.

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Image of Artist Brandy Nālani McDougall

Installation 1: Mākālei Beach Park

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The first of four installations, Installation 1 is located at Mākālei Beach Park near Diamond Head State Monument.

From Waikīkī:

  • Head east on Kalākaua Avenue toward Diamond Head.
  • Continue onto Paki Avenue, then turn right onto Diamond Head Road.
  • Follow Diamond Head Road uphill; the destination will be on your left, near the entrance to Diamond Head State Monument.

From H1 Freeway:

  • Take the 6th Avenue exit (Exit 25A).
  • Turn right onto Alohea Avenue, then left onto 18th Avenue.
  • Follow 18th Avenue as it turns into Diamond Head Road; continue until you reach 3111 Diamond Head Road on your right.

  • Street parking is very limited and available along Diamond Head Road.
  • Visitors should observe posted parking restrictions and residential areas, as some areas prohibit stopping or parking.

  • The closest TheBus routes:
    • Route 23 (Hawai‘i Kai-Sea Life Park) stops along Diamond Head Road, near the entrance to the monument.
    • Route 2 (Waikīkī-Kahala Mall) stops at Paki Avenue & Monsarrat Avenue, a 10-minute walk to the location.
  • Check TheBus website or the HEA app for real-time schedules.

  • The nearest Biki stations are located along Monsarrat Avenue and Kapi‘olani Park, about a 10-15 minute walk from the site.

  • From Kapi‘olani Park, take Paki Avenue to Diamond Head Road and follow it eastward uphill.
  • Walking from Waikīkī Beach takes approximately 30-40 minutes, offering scenic ocean and mountain views.

Installation 2: Lē‘ahi Beach Park

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The second of four installations, Installation 2 is located at Lē‘ahi Beach Park near Diamond Head State Monument.

From Waikīkī:

  • Head east on Kalākaua Avenue toward Diamond Head.
  • Continue onto Paki Avenue, then turn right onto Diamond Head Road.
  • Follow Diamond Head Road uphill; the destination will be on your left, near Fort Ruger Pathway.

From H1 Freeway:

  • Take the 6th Avenue exit (Exit 25A).
  • Turn right onto Alohea Avenue, then left onto 18th Avenue.
  • Follow 18th Avenue as it turns into Diamond Head Road; continue until you reach 3187 Diamond Head Road on your right.

  • Street parking is very limited along Diamond Head Road.
  • Visitors should observe posted parking restrictions and residential areas, as some areas prohibit stopping or parking.

  • The closest TheBus routes:
    • Route 23 (Hawai‘i Kai-Sea Life Park) stops along Diamond Head Road, a short walk from the destination.
    • Route 2 (Waikīkī-Kahala Mall) stops at Paki Avenue & Monsarrat Avenue, about a 10-minute walk away.
  • Check TheBus website or the HEA app for real-time schedules.

  • The nearest Biki stations are located along Monsarrat Avenue and Kapi‘olani Park, approximately a 10-15 minute walk from the site.

  • From Kapi‘olani Park, walk east on Paki Avenue, then turn left onto Diamond Head Road and follow it uphill.
  • Walking from Waikīkī Beach takes approximately 30-40 minutes, offering scenic ocean and mountain views.

Installations 3 & 4: Operation Red Wings Medal of Honor Park

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Installations 3 and 4 are located near Diamond Head State Monument at the Operation Red Wings Medal of Honor Park (Fort Ruger/Triangle Park).

  • Site 3 is located at the middle of the park, along the sidewalk’s edge along Diamond Head Road.
  • Site 4 is located at the corner of Diamond Head Road and Paikau Street.

  • From Waikīkī:

    • Head east on Kalākaua Avenue toward Diamond Head.
    • Continue onto Paki Avenue and then turn right onto Diamond Head Road.
    • Turn left onto Paikau Street; the destination will be on your right.

  • From H1 Freeway:

    • Take the 6th Avenue exit (Exit 25A).
    • Turn right onto Alohea Avenue, then left onto 18th Avenue.
    • Continue on Diamond Head Road, then turn right onto Paikau Street.

  • Limited street parking is available along Paikau Street.
  • Visitors should be mindful of residential driveways and posted parking restrictions.
  • Additional parking may be available at nearby Kapi‘olani Park (a short walk away).

  • The nearest TheBus routes:
    • Route 23 (Hawaii Kai-Sea Life Park) stops along Diamond Head Road, a 5-minute walk to Paikau Street.
    • Route 2 (Waikīkī-Kahala Mall) stops at Paki Avenue & Monsarrat Avenue, a 10-minute walk to the site.
  • Check TheBus website or the HEA app for real-time schedules.

  • The nearest Biki stations are located along Monsarrat Avenue and Kapi‘olani Park, about a 10-15 minute walk from the site.

  • From Kapi‘olani Park, take Paki Avenue to Diamond Head Road, then turn left onto Paikau Street.
  • Walking from Waikīkī Beach takes approximately 30 minutes, offering scenic views along Kalākaua Avenue and Diamond Head Road.