Waimea means sacred/reddish water. The Ha‘i ‘ōlelo (oral history) of Waimea begins with the high chief Kama Pua‘a. Kama Pua‘a, according to traditional history, was given a gift from the Kahuna Nui (high priest) Kahiki‘ula. This took place sometime in the eleventh century. The gift was all the lands that begin with the word Wai. The word Waimea means “sacred water.” ⁣ ⁣ In the 1800s, Waimea Bay became the sandalwood capital. Huge cargo ships would anchor offshore to load sandalwood. By the 1830s