NO MATTER HOW YOU SLICE IT, HAWAIIAN “HISTORY” is so recent it‘s more like current events. Before missionaries developed written Hawaiian it was an oral story of aliʻi nui and kahunas, kings and nobles, of whalers and missionaries, disease and religion, war and unification, of sugar cane and pineapple.
An Infamous Day
Ike and the New Flag
The Islands were formed from 40 to 70 million years ago, just a blink of the eye on the geologic scale. They have been inhabited for only 1500 years and what most of us know about the history of Hawaii spans the time from Cook’s “discovery” in 1781 to December 7, 1941, the “date which will live in infamy.” Some of us geezers even recall returning to school in 1959 to find that two new stars were added to Old Glory.
Pu’ukohola-Heiau
So it came as a surprise that Volcanoes National Park is joined by three National Historic Sites on the Big Island. The names hardly roll off the tongue and their significance is lost on this haole but they are worth visiting if for nothing other than the scenery.
Temple on the Hill of a Whale
Pu’ukohola-Heiau National Historic Park is on the north-western coast. Literally “Temple on the Hill of the Whale” It was the last major Hawaiian temple built and is where the Hawaiian Islands were violently unified by King Kamehameha.
Pu'uhonua O Hōnanau
Totems
Sanctuary at The Great Wall
Not to be confused with pu’ukohola, pu’uhonua means “sanctury” and Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historic Park is the best preserved of Hawaii’s spiritual sanctuaries. It’s an idyllic spot with countless palm trees shading the centerpiece Great Wall. The penalty for violating many of the kapus or taboos, was death. If the transgressor could make it to a pu’uhonua he could seek refuge and forgiveness.
Kaloko-Honokohau
Green Turtle taking the Sun
Golden Plover and Sanderling
For us haoles, Kaloko-Honokohau National Historic Park is more about Nature than History although it was important to Hawaiians as a source of fresh water and for its fish ponds. Today it is a wonderful place to sit in the sand, wade among green turtles or scamper over the lava looking for birds.
