Waipakē: Brittle water

Waipakē is an ahupua`a of the Ko`olau district, situated on the broad plains between Lepeuli and Pila`a. It has an excellent reef and extensive upland country suitable for dry-land farming. It is cut off from the mountains by Lepeuli ahupua`a, which borders on the south and east sides. Pila`a lies on the west. Wherever the land could be irrigated, taro was grown. There is no steadily flowing stream fed from the mountains but a series of springs supplied the necessary water

Noni, a plant grown for dye and medicine, grew in the uplands, as well as the edible and bitter, bottle gourds. Small gourds, emptied and dried, were used as food and water receptacles while bitter gourds provided calabashes large enough for clothing and net storage.

In 1848, at the time of the Māhele, there were ten claims made for 9 1/4 acres of taro fieldsand irrigated farm lands. The remainder of the land, 697 acres, was claimed by the konohiki chief, Narole.

*The story concerning the naming of this ahupua`a concerns two women pounding poi. The poi of the first one made a popping sound, pakē, whenever it was mixed or stirred. The second woman teased the first and sat down to pound some poi. But her poi too was pakē, and the ahupua`a was named Wai-pakē after these two.