Generations of Hawaiian Chiefs looked on Kuki'o with favor. From Kame'eiamoku and Kamanawa, twin advisors to Kamehameha the Great, down to Kalakaua, Hawai'i's last reigning king, the beauty of Kuki'o gave great pleasure. Kuki'o not only entertained royalty, but supported Hawaiians following a traditional lifestyle, sustaining families who lived or summered there.

The ahupua'a system of land division, wedge-shaped parcels sweeping from mountains to sea, meant those living at Kuki'o drew fish from the sea, gathered wood on the upland slopes, and grew what other foods they needed on the land between. The kapu system acted as a means of resource management and kept harvests, bird-catching, and fishing in balance. Fishing was the mainstay of the district. As Valentine Kalaniho'okaha Ako remembers, "When we used to fish out here, we fish what we wanted. We didn't take more than needed, you know, to fish out the place. There was always fish available in this area. If you wanted the awa, it was available, and 'o'io. This was the ko'a (fishing ground)."

The land at Kuki'o lies cloaked in dark lava. The rising shoulder of Hualalai shadows Kuki'o, a protective presence since its last convulsions in 1801. Legends tell how the volcano goddess Pele spread her anger that year, filling the giant fishpond at Pa'aiea because Kepa'alani, the pond overseer, refused to share his catch with her. This same lava flow threatened enough people along the Kona coast that a high-level sacrifice was called for. William Ellis reported in his journal that "All seemed unavailing, until one day the king [K]amehameha went, attended by a large retinue of chiefs and priests, and, as the most valuable offering he could make, cut off part of his own hair, which was always considered sacred, and threw it into the torrent. A day or two after, the lava ceased to flow."

Kuki'o remained a unit, coastal lands conversing with uplands, long after ranching and Western lifestyles stepped in beside traditional fishing and farming. Robert Punihaole remembers trails linking the different zones as "the main drag, coming to and from all these places." Growing up in the 1930s, Robert and his four brothers learned to fish and tend livestock: "Those were beautiful days . . . we chased the goats, bare footed." Helping their dad with ranch work, the boys "get scolded all the time, but all my brothers kolohe (rascals)."

Despite changes, Kuki'o remains a land of stories. Lovers turned to stone still stand along the coast; the cave at Makalei hides precious water and continues to carry the name of its boy discoverer; the hill of Akahipu'u holds the memory of a failed attempt by menehune (mythical people in Hawaiian legend) to rearrange its shape. Tales whisper on, legends, stories, imaginings blending into a life today rich with what went before.

Family traditions at Kuki'o carry on as well. For so many generations, families have worked together and played together, gathering to surf, fish, ride trails on horseback, or simply talk story. Hannah Springer's family started Hu'ehu'e Ranch in the late 1800s; she and her husband live with their children today at Kukuiohiwai nearby. Speaking of the enduring qualities of Kuki'o, Springer says, "This spot attracted us as parents. We could come, the children would go down to the ponds, or we could all be at the sea. It is a wonderful place to watch the sun rise and the moon rise. It has become a spot where we say our prayers and just enjoy fellowship."

Captain James Cook passed by Kuki'o in 1779. He and his crew were the first recorded Westerners to admire and map the shoreline.

Twin brothers Kame'eiamoku and Kamanawa won a permanent place in history when they appeared on the Kingdom of Hawai'i's coat of arms. As chiefs from the Kohala and North Kona districts, they gave crucial support to Kamehameha as he consolidated his leadership after the death of Kalaniopu'u. Both continued to advise Kamehameha throughout his reign. Kamehameha's marriage to Kamanawa's daughter, Peleuli, cemented their alliance.

In an incident with American sailors, Kame'eiamoku, insulted by Captain Simon Metcalf, vowed revenge on the next visiting foreign ship. That second ship, the Fair American, captained by Metcalf's son Thomas, fell with just a single survivor. Spared by Kame'eiamoku for his bravery, Isaac Davis stayed in the islands and became himself a key advisor to Kamehameha.