Pu'u o 'Ehu means "Hill of Spray." This tall hill stands above Hamakua Marsh. I think that in ancient times, Pu'u o 'Ehu was named Hill of Spray because when the sea was closer the choppy waters used to splash and sea spray was blown across the hillside.

Scientists know that the shoreline used to come to the base of Pu'u o 'Ehu because they have dug deeply into the ground there and have found coral and sand. No one is very sure exactly when the shore came up to Pu'u o 'Ehu, but I think it was closer when the first Hawaiians came. I think so because you can see that the sea level has been going down, and the Hawaiian name is a hint.

I imagine that in the old days Pu'u o 'Ehu was important to my ancestors because it brought fresh rainwater down the hillside for them to drink, and it gave them a good lookout to see if their visitors or their enemies were coming to shore. It was probably also a good lookout to see where the fish for dinner could be found. Some of my schoolmates and I went to Hamakua. On the way back we saw the 'ilie'e plant growing on the side of Pu'u o 'Ehu. The 'ilie'e plant was back then used for black dye for tatoos.