Listing of Hawaiian Wao (Realms and Ecological Zones)

Indigenous Understanding of Space, Environments, and Natural Resources

The list provided herein was initially around 2006 and has been used extensively in our work.

Hawaiians, as with most indigenous cultures, were sophisticated in their understanding of their environment. While the list of wao (realms or ecological zones) commonly used today has dwindled, careful research into primary resources shows that Hawaiians had dozens of names for wao that extended from the sky to the deep sea. A listing is provided below.

A figure created by Matt Sproat (2012) showing a range of selected wao in a traditionally Hawaiian environment.

Listing of Hawaiian Landscape Regions with Definitions (Complied from Maly, Malo, and Pukui)

Wao lani

Mountain area believed to be occupied by gods

Kualono

1. Kua and lono, to hear. The space on the top of a mountain; a place of silence, i. e., of hearing.

2. A knoll, small hill or protuberance on the top of a mountain.

Malo (1951) defines these areas as the peaks or ridges, which form the summits of the kuahiwi.

Pane poʻo

1. The peak of a mountain 2. Pinnacle, summit; topmost

Palahe‘ī

Region below kualono

Kuahiwi

The top or summit of a mountain. Also identified as the mountains in the center of the island, called the kuahiwi, or the backbone (Malo, 1951).

(Kua)-Mauna

Mountain or the back of a mountain; Area below the kuahiwi region; Areas on the mountain, which at times cover over with fog and have great flanks behind and in front; a mountainous region

Wao nahele

1. Area below kuahiwi region, where small trees begin to grow 2. An inland forest region, jungle, desert.

Lua pele

Rounded abysses beneath the kuahiwi and kualono, comprised of extinct craters.

Wao one

Desert

Wao kele

Rain belt

Wao koa

Area where koa trees grow suitable for canoes

Wao lipo

Area below the wao nahele, where trees are taller

Pili lāʻau

Edge of a forest

Wao ʻeiwa

1. Area below the wao lipo 2. An inland region

Wao

1. General term for inland area usually not precipitous and often uninhabited and below the kuahea region 2. Area where larger trees grow, any kind of wilderness, the abode of gods spirits and ghosts 3. General term for inland region

Wao maʻukele

1. Area below the wao region where trees grow taller 2. Dwell 3. Area where small trees grow

Wao akua

1. Area below the wao ma‘ukele and area where spirits are said to dwell 2. Area where small trees grow; we have embodied the popular idea that gods and ghosts chiefly inhabit the waster places of the earth 3. Uninhabited mountain region where ghost reside 4. A distant mountain region

Mau

1. Area below the wao akua region, inhabitable by man 2. The region on the sides of the mountains next below the waoakua

Wao kanaka

1. Upland area below the wao akua where people may occasionally frequent or even reside 2. Area below wao akua region an area where people cultivate food 3. Area where the amau fern grows 4. Area where koa trees grow suitable for canoes 5. Inland region where people may live or frequents 6. a region on the side of a mountain next below the wao nahele; it is a region where people may live and vegetables may be cultivated.

ʻāpā

Land below the wao or wao kanaka regions

Kuamauna

A protuberance or hillock on the side of mountain. Literally mountain (mauna) back (kua).

Kihi poʻohiwi mauna

Deep ravines in the side of a mountain

Ku(a)hea

A region on the side of a mountain below the kuamauna and where small trees grow.

Kaka‘ipali

A precipice or series of precipices enclosing or protecting the adjoining region; also known as kaolo.

Palipali

1. Many precipitous hills 2. Precipitous, full of cliffs and hills

Piko

1. Summit of a hill or mountain 2. The extreme corner or boundary of a land 3. The end

Poʻo huku

Top point of a hill, ridge

Pā pulupulu

A clearing within a hapuʻu forest at relatively low altitudes, as in Hilo and Puna districts on Hawaiʻi where taro was cultivated

Wao ‘Ama‘u

Place where ‘ama‘u, endemic genus of ferns (Sadleria), are found. Also known as ma‘u.

‘Āpa‘a

Name of a region of country below the ma’u or waokanaka on the side of the mountains; also the name of a wind; i kuipeia e ka makani apaa, he was knocked down flat by the wind apaa.

Malo (1951) postulates the name reflects that the region was hard, baked and sterile.

Wao ‘Ilima

Area at a lower altitude that that called wao ‘ama‘u.

Pahe‘e

Name of the region on the side of the mountains next below the ‘ilima.

Kula

Name of a region of a mountain near its base, become the pahee. A region where houses are built and people live. It extends to the kahakai region, or sea shore region.

ʻāpoho

Below the kula region near villages and other habitations of man.

Pali paʻa maoli

Base of the mountain

Papa lalo

Valley bottom, lower stratum

Kahakai

1. Sea shore 2. Region of a country bordering on the sea.

Pilikahakai

Shore, especially the area between high and low tides

Pilikai

Shore

Kākaha

1. Strip of barren land near the seashore; shoal 2. Common name applied to strips of barren land along the sea shore

‘ae kai

Place where land and sea meet.

Pu‘eone

The place in the sea outside of where the surf breaks; also known as poana kai

Po‘ina nalu or po‘ina-kai

Where waves break, surf break.

Kai-hele-ku or kai-papau

Area outside the poina-kai where there lay a belt of shoal water shallow enough for one to stand in

Kai-ohua

Area where the small fish ohua is found.

Kai kohala

Shallow sea within the reef, lagoon. Malo (1951) notes that there were typically no pu‘eone where there were kai-kohola.

Kua-au

Belt where shoal water ended

Kai-au or ho-au

Area outside the kuaau known for swimming

Kaiokilohe‘e

Area known for spearing he‘e (squid)

Kai-he‘e-nalu

Surfing area

Ākauka

Inland fishing grounds, identified by lining up with landmarks ashore

Kai lawaiʻa

Fishing grounds

Kaihiaku

Sea for aku trolling

Kai kohola

Belt outside the reef. This belt was named for being the place where the whales (kohola) swim.

Kai ma ka lae

1. Sea at a point or cape 2. Area where waves dash against points of land

Kuanalu

1. Outer edge of the coral reef 2. Coral reef 3. Surf just before it breaks, wave crest 4. The place in the outer surf just before it breaks; or the place where the waves break

Kai ‘ele

Black sea.

Kaiuli

The dark blue sea, the deep sea; the name of the sea beyond the kohola (reef, lagoon); also sometimes called the kailuhe‘e.

Kai pualena

Water when one cannot see the bottom.

Kai pōpolohua-a-Kāne-i-Tahiti

The purplish-blue reddish-brown sea of Kāne