Hula is the soul of Hawai′i expressed in motion. It began as a means of worship during religious ceremonies by highly-trained men and gradually evolved into a form of entertainment. The hula dramatizes the story of a chant or song, which are written about many different subjects. Often the song has a double meaning. For example, the words may be about the soft rain in a beautiful place, but the hidden meaning is about the beauty and love of a person. There are two styles of hula. Old-style hula, as performed before Western encounters with Hawai′I, is called kahiko. It is accompanied by chant and traditional instruments. Hula as it evolved under Western influence, in the 19th and 20 centuries, is called `auana. It is accompanied by song and Western musical instruments such as the guitar, the `ukulele, and the double bass. Various forms of dance are found throughout Polynesia, and the immigrants to Hawaiÿi brought the dances of their homelands with them. While in Hawaiÿi, you will see many forms of Polynesian dance. Two of the most popular are the fire knife dancing of Samoa and Tahitian dance, which is characterized by heavy drumming and rapid hip movements. Hula is somewhat more sedate, and the emphasis is on the hands.

Poi is the most beloved of Hawaiian foods, perhaps because it was and still is often the first food that is given to a baby. Poi was considered so important and sacred a part of daily Hawaiian life that whenever a bowl of poi was uncovered at the family dinner table, it was believed that the spirit of the ancestor of the Hawaiian people, was present. Because of that, all conflict among family members had to come to an immediate halt. Kalo is a staple food for the native Hawaiians. You can eat almost every part of the kalo. The corm which grows in the ground can be eaten as poi, kalo which is mashed and mixed with water. You can also eat the whole corm after it has been steamed. You can also use the raw corm as fish bait. The stems of the kalo or the hähäkalo can be cut into pieces and used as a vegetable in any dish. The leaves of the kalo or the lü′au is most commonly found in laulau, a Hawaiian dish that uses beef, pork, fish, uala (sweet potato), and lü′au all wrapped nicely in ti-leaf and steamed. The kalo provides for the native Hawaiians so in turn the people need to mälama the kalo. The kalo plant in itself represents one′s family. The 'oha or offspring of the kalo is the root of the word `Ohana which means family. Every part of the kalo represents a different generation. So instead of having a “family tree” Hawaiians think of their extended families as kalo plants. Today, you may read about taro in the newspaper for several reasons. One is a proposal to genetically modify taro to make it more resilient to the invasion of insects and other plant diseases. Some native Hawaiians feel that taro should not be genetically modified because of its historical and cultural significance. Taro also makes the news because many groups are trying to bring about its resurgence as a way of teaching children and new-comers about the Hawaiian culture. Taro is grown and eaten in 65 countries throughout Asia, India and Africa, but Hawaiians are the only people to make poi. Traditionally they cooked the taro root, then pounded it on large flat boards, using heavy stone poi pounders. If you go to any museums while you are here you will see some beautiful poi pounders. Pounding poi is hard work and traditionally is done only be men. If you go to a lü′au you will have an opportunity to eat poi. Try it! Some people say the taste is somewhat like cold Mexican refried beans.

Polynesians invented surfing, and it was practiced throughout the South Pacific. Hawaiians created the long board. It was only in Hawai`i that surfers rode boards sometimes eighteen feet long or longer, two feet wide, five inches thick, and which might weigh a hundred and fifty pounds or more. Such boards are still preserved in Honolulu at the Bishop Museum. They were buoyant enough to support the rider and allow all the riding positions: prone, sitting, kneeling and standing. This variety of skills, on long boards, together with the widespread participation of all classes of people was unequaled in any other Pacific island group. Ancient Hawaiian mele recall surfing areas and even individual surf breaks on every island in the Hawaiian chain. For the island of Hawai`i, 49 individual surfing spots have been identified through songs and legend; 17 on O`ahu; 19 on Maui; 3 on Ni`ihau; 1 on Moloka′i; 1 on Läna`i and; 16 on Kaua`i. Beginning in 1912, a Hawaiian named Duke Kahanamoku competed in four Olympic Games, both in swimming and water polo, spread over sixteen years. He won three gold medals and two silvers, and set five individual Olympic records in the process. Duke traveled around the world taking his surfboard with him and teaching surfing to anyone who asked. He is credited with introducing surfing to the mainland U.S. There is a statue of Duke on Waikïkï Beach across from the Hyatt. Duke, who died in 1967, was the father of the modern sport of surfing and is also credited with inventing windsurfing. And surfing is the “father” of many modern sports including snow boarding, skateboarding, and kite boarding.

The pineapple is native to southern Brazil and Paraguay. Native tribes sailing up through South and Central America to the West Indies are thought to have spread its growth before Columbus arrived. Christopher Columbus is responsible for introducing the pineapple to Europe following his exploration of the Caribbean islands in 1493, when he brought samples to Queen Isabella of Spain. European explorers called the fruit the “Pine of the Indies”. Later, when it was introduced to the English, the word “apple” was added to associate it with another delicious fruit that people enjoyed. However, in those days it was very rare in Europe and so highly prized that it was called “The Royal Fruit” and “The Fruit of Kings.” In the 1600s, King Charles II of England posed for an official portrait in an act then symbolic of royal privilege -- receiving a pineapple as a gift. Pineapple was subsequently spread around the world on sailing ships that carried it for protection against scurvy. Ancient Hawaiian mele recall surfing areas and even individual surf breaks on every island in the Hawaiian chain. For the island of Hawai`i, 49 individual surfing spots have been identified through songs and legend; 17 on O`ahu; 19 on Maui; 3 on Ni`ihau; 1 on Moloka′i; 1 on Läna`i and; 16 on Kaua`i. Today, Hawai`i′s pineapple producers are concentrating on creating new varieties of pineapple to appeal to the gourmet market. There are a number of new pineapple varieties—currently the most popular is often referred to as the Gold variety—which is extra sweet and has golden colored flesh.

The Hawaiian Islands sit on the Pacific tectonic plate. Hawai`i is the youngest of the Hawaiian island chain. The island of Hawai`i is made up of 5 volcanoes. Kohala is the oldest. Kohala is considered to be extinct because it has not erupted for 60,000 years. Deep canyons have been eroded on the north flank of the volcano. Mauna Kea is the tallest volcano on the Island of Hawai′i, and when measured from sea floor to summit it is the tallest mountain in the world. In winter, you can see snow on its peak, and all year round it is covered by a glacier. The most recent eruption was about 3,500 years ago. Mauna Kea is considered a dormant volcano. Hualälai is the westernmost shield volcano on the Island of Hawai′i. The most recent eruptions of Hualälai occurred in 1800-1801. It is considered an active volcano. Two large flows reached the ocean. The Kona airport is built on the 1801 flow. Mauna Loa is the largest volcano on Earth. It makes up half of the Island of Hawai′i. Mauna Loa is considered very active, erupting 15 times since 1900. The last eruption was in 1984 and sent lava within 4 miles of Hilo. Kïlauea is the youngest of the volcanoes on the Island of Hawai′i. Much of the bulk of the volcano is below sea level. The present-day caldera formed in 1790 and contains a pit crater, Halema′uma′u. Kïlauea is in the shield-building stage and is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth. Over 90 percent of the surface is covered by lava less than 1,000 years old. The current eruption of Kïlauea began in 1983. Hawai`i is unique in the world. The Pacific tectonic plate has opened up another hot spot just off the coast of Hawai`i Island. Volcanologists have the rare opportunity to see the earliest stages of island growth. Lö′ihi is the youngest volcano associated with the Hawaiian chain and is located under water 15 miles southeast of Kïlauea volcano. This volcano is active. The summit of the volcano is 3,178 feet below sea level. If Lö′ihi erupts at rates comparable to Kïlauea and Mauna Loa, it will reach sea level in a few tens of thousands of years.

When Christian missionaries saw the hula, they were appalled by the overtly sensual movements of scarcely clad men and women. Under the missionaries′ influence, Queen Ka′ahumanu, King Kamehameha′s favorite wife, forbid hula. Sixty years later, King Kaläkaua revived many Hawaiian traditions including hula. For his delight in the ancient pleasures, he became known as the Merrie Monarch. But with the overthrow of the kingdom, hula once became again a rare event. Some might even have wondered if the tradition was lost all together. Fortunately, the sacred knowledge lived on hidden from exposure. And a few decades later, in the early 1900′s, hula reemerged to lure tourists to the islands, even though at first it was a commercialized “grass-skirt-girl” version iof the ancient dance. (By the way, Hawaiians never danced in grass skirts. Often they use ti leaf that has been stripped into narrow strips.) In May 1960, after the last big tidal wave devastated the town of Hilo, the town leaders looked for ways to attract more visitors. A “Merrie Monarch Festival”, they felt, would become a cultural event, celebrating the sacred Hawaiian ways. Traditionally, Hawaiians loved competition, and so it was decided to make this a hula contest, showcasing the best of the best. The first competition took place in a tiny gymnasium, with nine hälau (hula schools) participating. Through the years the audience has grown. In 1979 the little gym no longer fit and the Merrie Monarch moved to the Edith Kanaka′ole stadium. In 1980, television cameras arrived, and ever since, the Merrie Monarch has been receiving uninterrupted live coverage on State-wide television. Many people all over the state watch the non-stop coverage day after day. Both men′s and women′s hula are performed. Each group dances once in kahiko, the style of the ancients, and once they must dance `auana, which is called “modern.” A raw life force marks the kahiko dances. The steps and movements convey power, sensuality, and a deep reverence for the balancing forces of nature. Kahiko dancers′ costumes show primary colors, and often a lot of skin. For the `auana division, the women often dress in long flowing gowns, sometimes up to the neck. The men often wear aloha shirt and slacks. But today, some groups take different approaches as befits “modern” hula.

The town of Captain Cook is named after the legendary English explorer Captain James Cook. Cook explored the entire South Pacific, and was the first recorded westerner to come to Hawaiÿi. He first came to Kaua′i in 1778. While there he traded with the people. Cook left for Alaska a short time later. He returned a year later, in 1779, and landed first on Maui (where the warrior who was to become Kamehameha the Great first saw him.) Cook then sailed to Hawaiÿi island and landed at Kealakekua Bay. At the time Cook sailed into the Bay, it was Makahiki season. This is a season dedicated to the god Lono, the god of agriculture. Makahiki coincides with the rainy season, and this is a time when Lono takes the land as his wife to make it fertile again. Cook estimated there were more than 10,000 people gathered in the area when he arrived. Some people say that the Hawaiians thought that Cook was Lono. Others say that the Hawaiian chiefs and priests knew that Cook was a man, but referred to him as Lono since his ships square masts mirrored the Makahiki symbol. In any event, Cook was paid homage as Lono when he arrived. Everything was peaceful and the Hawaiians shared and gave much of their provisions. Cook departed Kealakekua but was forced back when a gale broke the mast of his ship. Upon Cooks return to Kealakekua the Makahiki season had come to a close, and the Ku, or war season had begun. No longer having to prostrate themselves or show the same kind of respect to him, the Hawaiian chiefs and commoners took to teasing and thievery of the British and their belongings. Cook, plagued with illness and exhaustion, reacted irrationally when a schooner was found missing, and plotted to kidnap the king. His plan was thwarted by the King′s guards, and the scuffle led to Cooks death. Hawaiians and seamen were killed. The English never blamed the Hawaiians for killing Cook. In fact, his first officer said in his journal that he felt Cook had acted unreasonably. Cook was given a mortuary treatment of a high chief by the Hawaiians. There is a memorial to Cook at Kealakekua Bay.

The park has two major sections, the Palace Grounds and the Pu`uhonua O Hönaunau, the Place of Refuge. Separating the two areas of the park is the Great Wall. Your walk through the park begins at the Palace Grounds, the home of the ruling chief. It is surrounded by a beautiful coconut palm grove overlooking Hönaunau Bay. The nearby beach was strictly reserved for royalty. You can see samples of canoes carved from koa wood with lashings of coconut fibers. All of their construction was done with the materials native to the land. Along your path you see models of the different types of houses and storage sheds which sat on the palace grounds As you walk through the Palace Grounds you will see an original gamestone (papamü) that was used in the game of Hawaiian checkers (könane). Nearby are bowls carved right into a huge stone, which were used to extract salt from seawater. As you leave the palace grounds you approach the Great Wall. This huge rock wall, built sometime in the 1500's, is constructed in the Hawaiian artform of rock wall building, which did not use cement. Hawaiian rock walls were so well made that original structures from centuries past, like the Great Wall, still stand in pristine form. The purpose of the wall was to separate the Palace Grounds from the pu`uhonua (sanctuary). You will walk past a reconstructed temple, the Hale o Keawe Heiau. The original temple, built around 1650 and long ago destroyed, housed the bones of at least 23 chiefs. As late as 1818, a son of Kamehameha I was buried on these sacred grounds. It was believed that the mana in the bones of the dead chiefs gave additional protection to the place of refuge. Once you have passed the temple you have entered Pu`uhonua. People who had been sentenced to death for breaking kapu fled to this section to seek refuge, often by swimming across the entire bay. Also came men, women and children, those weak and ill, those defeated in battle, or those who were non-combatants in battle but on the losing side. Once the petitioner arrived, the kahuna pule, priest, would be obligated to offer them sanctuary and absolution, under pain of his own death should he refuse to do so. Often the petitioner would be freed within hours to resume a normal life. These people had been given a second chance for life itself. This was not a place teeming with hardened criminals. This was a sacred place on which life began anew for the ancient Hawaiians. As you wander through the Pu`uhonua, you pass sites of two other large ancient heiau (temples), the older of unknown age, the other, `Ale`ale`a, was built before 1550. Your walk takes you past many carved statues or ki'i (tiki).

When measured from the sea floor, Mauna Kea (“White Mountain”) is the highest mountain in the world. The summit of Mauna Kea represents many things to Hawaiians. The upper region of Mauna Kea is called Wao Akua - the realm of the Akua - the Creator. It is considered the temple of the Supreme Being in many oral histories throughout Polynesia, not just Hawaiÿi. It is home of Nä Akua (the Gods), Nä `Aumakua (the ancestors) and the meeting place of Papa (Earth Mother) and Wäkea (Sky Father), who are considered in many oral histories to be the progenitors of the Hawaiian People. It is the burial ground of the highest born and most sacred ancestors. Many of its geological features hold sacred value to the Hawaiian people. Among these is Waiau (the Sacred Lake) considered among other things to be a doorway into the Pö (the Heavenly Realm of the Ancestors). The aquifers of Mauna Kea supply most of the water for the big island. Mauna Kea is the site of the largest primitive quarry in the world, used by prehistoric Hawaiians to obtain basalt for stone implements. The stone implements made from this rock were of such quality, they were traded all over the island chain. The summit of Mauna Kea is also home to some of the most rare and endangered plant and animal life on earth. Mauna Kea is considered one of the world's premiere astronomical sites. Because of its rarified atmosphere, it is home to some of the world's largest and most advanced astronomical observatories.

In about 1832,Kamehameha III invited Spanish vaqueros (cowboys) living in Vera Cruz, Mexico, to Hawai`i to train the Hawaiians in ranching, to modernize the industry and to make it more productive. The era of hunting wild cattle was over. With their highly trained ponies, intricate high-horned saddles, and lariats, the vaqueros demonstrated handling and horsemanship as an art. They taught the Hawaiians to make saddles, to braid the kaula`ili (lariat), to craft `uepa kani (bullwhips) and the metalwork for bits and kepa pele (spurs). In talking with the Hawaiians, the men introduced themselves as “Español.” The closest the Hawaiian tongue could come to that was “Paniola.” A man who worked cattle in the Spanish style was now a Paniola. (The word used today, “Paniolo,” is derived from Paniola.) By 1836, Hawai'i had working cowboys, whereas what we consider "American" cowboys date back only to the 1870s, after Custer's last stand at Little Big Horn. Not only Hawaiian saddlery, but Hawaiian formal dress, owes much to the influence of 19th century Spanish fashion. The puffed sleeves and ruffled train of the woman′s holokü still show their Hispanic heritage. The paniolo′s hat often has the flatter crown and wider brim of its Spanish ancestor, rather than the height of the ten-gallon hat of the Western United States. In 1908, four paniolo, Ikua Purdy, Archie Ka`aua, Sam Spencer and Eben Low traveled to the World Rodeo Championships in Cheyenne, Wyoming. With their colorful shirts and flowered brimmed hats, they were considered curiosities, and faced prejudice. Not taken seriously, they had trouble borrowing horses to use. Finally given horses no one else wanted, they trained them in the Hawaiian style – working them in a river to prevent them from fighting. Ka`aua took third place, and Purdy won first place in the steer-roping division, finishing in 56 seconds. He was proclaimed World Champion. Having won them over with his skill, determination, and style, Purdy was given a standing ovation by the crowd. The songs Hawaiian Rough Riders, Pu′uhuluhulu and Waiomina were written in their honor.

The island of Maui is named after the demigod, Maui. Maui is a mythical figure known throughout Polynesia. There are many stories told about Maui′s great feats. One is similar to that told of the Greek god, Apollo, whose daily task was to harness his chariot with four horses and drive the Sun across the sky. The story is told that in the days before man, when only the gods and goddesses lived here, the days were too short because the sun “ran across the sky.” To help his mother get her work done, Maui decided to slow down the sun so we could have longer days. He climbed to the top of Haleakalä, where his grandmother lived. She told him how to catch the sun. Maui hid until morning and watched the sun begin to rise. As the first ray of sunshine appeared, Maui snared it with his lasso of twisted coconut fiber. He snared all 16 rays of the sun and it could not move. The sun demanded to be released, but Maui would not let go. “Promise me that you will move more slowly across the sky,” he told the sun. Left with no choice, the sun struck a bargain. He would move slowly for six months out of the year, during the summer, and then move at his preferred pace for the other six months.

One of only 13 national Marine Sanctuaries, the Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary promotes research, education and long-term monitoring of the endangered humpback whale and its habitat. This sanctuary was established in 1997 to protect the North Pacific population of the endangered Humpback Whales. No one knows exactly when humpback whales first began wintering in the warm, shallow waters around the Hawaiian islands. Whalers documented their appearance in the 1840′s, but apparently they were not here earlier. But today these waters constitute one of the world′s most important habitats for the endangered North Pacific humpback whale. Scientists estimate that two-thirds of the entire North pacific population (approximately 4,000-5,000 whales) migrate to Hawaiian waters each winter to breed, calve, and nurse their young. Sightings occur as early as October through mid-April. The sanctuary is also home to a fascinating array of marine animals, corals, and plants, some of which are found nowhere else on Earth.

Kïpahulu moku starts at Pua'alu'u and ends at Kälepa. The name of the famous wind of this area has an interesting story. There once was a lady who was married to this man. He was not a very attractive man however he was very nice and treated her well. They were married for sometime and his love for his wife was as strong as ever. Visitors came to Kïpahulu and among these visitors was a very attractive man. This married woman took a liking to this man so much that she decided to leave with him. She left her husband in Kïpahulu and took company with this other man and moved with him to his homeland of O'ahu. The Kïpahulu man broken hearted over losing his wife sought out the advice of a kahuna. He asked that kahuna to help him win his wife back. The kahuna said to him to speak into a shell the love that he holds dear for his wife, set it in the ocean and the wind will carry it to her. The man did just that. In a matter of weeks the woman was at the shore gathering seaweed and found this shell. She listened t o the sound of the shell and heard the voice of her husband she had left. Remembering his love, she fell homesick for him and for Kïpahulu. She decided to leave O'ahu and return home. Hence the name of the wind that helped carry the shell across the ocean, Ka Makani Ka'ili Aloha, The love snatching wind. (This song can be found on Pekelo Cosma's CD, "Going to Häna Maui").

The most famous volcanic crater in the world is Diamond Head. Diamond Head is a crater that has been extinct for 150,000 years. It was originally named Lē′ahi by the ancient Hawaiians. The name meant “brow of the tuna” and looking at the silhouette of the crater from Waikīkī, you can see the resemblance. The current name was given to the crater by British sailors in the 1800′s. When they say the calcite crystals in the lava rock appeared to glimmer in the sunlight, they mistakenly thought there must be diamonds in the soil. The crater has a 760-foot summit. An observation deck was constructed by the U.S. Army at the summit in 1910 to provide target sighting in the bay. In ancient time, there were four heiau on Diamond Head. It is believed they were used to pray for good fishing and good surfing. In ancient time, the slopes were used for hölua sliding. As a kid, did you ever take a big piece of cardboard and slide down a grass-covered hill? The Hawaiians traditionally do something like that, although a lot more dangerous. They would find a mountain with a lava flow that extended for at least 200 yards up to a mile. They constructed a sled track (kahua hölua) on the side of the hill by building up rocks for a foundation, then covering the rocks with soil which was beaten down to create a level sloping surface. When in use, the surface was covered with ti leaves and grass to facilitate smooth running of the sled. The tracks were usually built for one sled at a time and were too narrow to permit racing side by side or to allow one sled to pass another. They constructed a sled, or papa, of wood, lashed together with coconut fiber. It consists of two narrow runners, between seven and eighteen feet long and rounded on the lower edge for smooth running. The sled runners taper from about two inches at the front to five or six inches across the back. Matting is placed on the cross bars, providing a platform for the chest. The person about to slide gripped the sled by the right had grip, ran a few yards to the starting place, grasped the other hand grip with the left hand, threw himself forward with all his strength, fell flat on the sled and slid down the hill. His hands held the hand grips and the feet were braced against the last cross piece on the rear portion of the sled. The sport is extremely dangerous as the sleds attained high speeds running down hill, up to 50 miles per hour. Much skill was necessary to keep an even balance and to keep from running off the slide or overturning the sled. In competitions, the sled that went the farthest, won. This was a favorite pastime of chiefs and warriors, and is still played today. One of the best preserved hölua sleds is on display at the Bishop Museum.

As you approach the Pali, notice above you can see two notches in the ridge. These are man-made, dating only from about 1795. They were created by O′ahu′s last chief, Kalanikapule. He had them made and then had cannons placed in the notches in order to defend against Kamehameha. Kamehameha had already captured Moloka′i and Maui and then came to O′ahu. His war canoes covered the beaches from Waikīkī to Wai′alae. The first battle was fought at Punchbowl. Kamehameha′s warriors drove the defenders up Nu′uanu Valley, but once they were in range of the cannons, they could not continue. Kamehameha sent some warriors up Mänoa Valley and over the ridge to take out the cannon emplacements. He then pressed the defenders to the cliff. Some say he forced the warriors to jump, others say the defenders chose to jump rather than surrender, but in any event, more than 800 skeletons were found at the base of the cliff in later years. As a result of this battle, Kamehameha became King of O′ahu. From the Nu′uanu Pali Lookout (“Cool Height Cliff”), you can see the caldera of the Ko′olau volcano, which is out to the outer reef of Käne′ohe Bay.

This land is where all the kings lived beginning with Kamehameha III in 1825. In those days, it was designed in the old Hawaiian way, with many small structures (hale) for a Throne room, eating rooms, meeting rooms, etc. Kaläkaua became king in 1874. He had great vision. He traveled to the U.S. and around the world. He wanted a palace that would make him the equal of the kings and queens he had met in his travels. He designed a high-style mansion, very much influenced by “modern” public architecture. Kaläkaua appreciated the European culture, as well as revived the ancient Hawaiian culture. He brought many of the old kahunas to the palace, to write genealogies, chants and ancient medical remedies. After his death Kaläkaua was replaced by his sister, Lili′uokalani. She was the Queen when the government was overthrown. She was imprisoned in the `Iolani Palace for nine months. There is a wonderful tour of the Palace, and the royal Hawaiian Band plays a free concert here every Friday. Pohukaina is on the grounds of `Iolani Palace. This site is sometimes referred to simply as “the mound.” Pohukaina was apparently an ancient burial cave. The legend is that Pohukaina is actually a series of caves with openings in different parts of the island of O′ahu. It is said that the cave reaches to all edges of the island. It has waterfalls, streams, and high chambers. There are supposed to be different burial chambers within. In 1858, Kamehameha IV brought over the ancestral remains — coffins and even earlier grave goods, going way way back — and buried them in Pohukaina. This is what gives the area a great sanctity, because these are some of the greatest chiefs who ever lived. When the new mausoleum was built in Nu′uanu, the original house was torn down. But the ancient remains were largely left in place, and are believed to be there today. Today it is marked by a simple mound of earth surrounded by a little fence with a sign that simply says, “Kapu.”

Everyone knows that a lü`au is a big feast, but actually the word lü`au is a misnomer. The word lü`au refers to the leaf of the taro plant served at a lü`au. The correct word is pä`ina, which means a gathering of people for the purpose of dining in a celebratory way– in other words-a party! But today, even Hawaiians use the word lü`au to refer to this party. If you have an opportunity to go to a lü`au, you should go for a real Hawaiian experience. There is usually lots of great food, music and hula. The food traditionally served at a lü′au includes kalua pig, which is pork that has been cooked in an imu or underground oven, fish, limu (seaweed), crab, he′e (octopus), opihi (limpets), lau lau (pork and vegetables wrapped in leaves), and poi. Local Hawaiians have lü`au to celebrate important occasions such as birthdays and graduations. An especially important lü`au is for a baby′s first birthday. The reason the baby lü′au is so important is that traditionally in some Hawaiian families, the baby was not given a name until the first birthday. This gave the grandparents and others a chance to watch the baby and pick a name appropriate to that baby′s mission in life. That is why so many Hawaiians have nicknames such as honey, sweetie, girlie, boy, junior, braddah, sistah—these were the names they had that first year.

Kïpahulu moku starts at Pua'alu'u and ends at Kälepa. The name of the famous wind of this area has an interesting story. There once was a lady who was married to this man. He was not a very attractive man however he was very nice and treated her well. They were married for sometime and his love for his wife was as strong as ever. Visitors came to Kïpahulu and among these visitors was a very attractive man. This married woman took a liking to this man so much that she decided to leave with him. She left her husband in Kïpahulu and took company with this other man and moved with him to his homeland of O'ahu. The Kïpahulu man broken hearted over losing his wife sought out the advice of a kahuna. He asked that kahuna to help him win his wife back. The kahuna said to him to speak into a shell the love that he holds dear for his wife, set it in the ocean and the wind will carry it to her. The man did just that. In a matter of weeks the woman was at the shore gathering seaweed and found this shell. She listened t o the sound of the shell and heard the voice of her husband she had left. Remembering his love, she fell homesick for him and for Kïpahulu. She decided to leave O'ahu and return home. Hence the name of the wind that helped carry the shell across the ocean, Ka Makani Ka'ili Aloha, The love snatching wind. (This song can be found on Pekelo Cosma's CD, "Going to Häna Maui").

Throughout Polynesia, the people traditionally carved wooden images to represent their gods and goddesses. The word for these is tiki in Tahitian, or kiÿi in Hawaiian. These images were worshipped, given food and draped with lei as though they were living. When the old religion was thrown out in 1819, most of these images were destroyed. A few are left in museums, and there are some authentic replicas at restored heiau. In the 1950s, with the rise of beatniks and restaurant lounges like Don the Beachcomber′s and Trader Vic′s, tikis became all the rage. They became associated with bachelors, surfing, lounge lizards, mai tais, Waikïkï and bohemian living. Today, vintage tiki stuff from the 1950s is highly collectible. However, some Hawaiians consider “tikis” of Hawaiian gods to be disrespectful.

Polynesians brought sugar cane, or kö, with them in their sailing canoes. It was a plant whose leaves they used for thatching, and to wrap fish bait. They also used kö as a sweetener in herbal preparations and chewed on it to clean their teeth. It was also used in healing medicines. The first successful sugarcane plantation was started at Köloa, Kaua′i in 1835. Its first harvest in 1837 produced 2 tons of raw sugar, which sold for $200. Other pioneers, predominantly from the United States, soon began growing sugarcane on the islands of Hawai′i, Maui, and O′ahu. Sugar is a thirsty crop. It takes approximately 500 gallons of water to produce one pound of sugar. It also takes 1,000,000 gallons of water per day to irrigate 100 acres of sugar. Pioneer sugar planters solved water shortages in dry, leeward fields by building irrigation systems that included aqueducts (the first in 1856), artesian wells (the first in 1879), and tunnels and mountain wells (the first in 1898). These irrigation systems enabled the planters to grow sugarcane on more than 100,000 acres of arid land. These irrigation systems were built largely by laborers brought in from China. By 1898, production had grown to 225,000 tons and reached one million tons by 1932. Until the mid-1980s, annual cane sugar production in Hawaii averaged one million tons. The islands of O′ahu and Hawai′i saw their final sugarcane harvests in 1996. Today, sugarcane is grown on Maui, and growers there are attempting to develop the sugarcane as a source of ethanol fuel for cars.