Wahi Pana Are Sacred Sites
Every civilization and culture reveres and respects certain areas or structures because something important to that culture’s history occurred, or is occurring, there. In Hawaiʻi, these may include burial or birth sites, war temples or places of healing, battlegrounds or water sources, the sites of legends or the homes of the legendary. In Hawaiʻi, these sacred sites are called wahi pana.
Hawaiʻi Island has three national park sites on the island’s west coast that are all, or in part, wahi pana.
In the northwest, near the harbor and small town of Kawaihae, is Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site. Many consider this the birthplace of the Hawaiian kingdom, as the building and dedication of the great war temple, Puʻukoholā Heiau, marked the beginning of the supremacy of Kamehameha I, who would unify all the islands under his rule before dying in 1819. The massive stone structure stands over Pelekane Bay, where feather-caped ruling chiefs arrived and departed by canoe. Once a year, deeply meaningful ceremonies are reenacted on the temple and the park site’s grounds, with participants in traditional dress. A tall lele, or altar, is laden with hoʻokupu, or offerings. On that morning, chants ring out over the grounds almost as if no time has passed at all.
Hana Kūpono is Right Behavior
Near the center of the island's west coast, Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park protects the great Kaloko fishpond, an aquaculture pond that is said to have been built over 300 years ago. Its massive stone enclosure wall created a productive managed wetland that is over five times larger than the average community fishpond of that time. Some stories say that Kamehameha I visited it often, helping to manage the harvest of plump, carefully raised fish. The kupuna (elders) who worked together to bring this area under National Park Service protection in the 1970s wrote of the “spirit of Kaloko,” the “voice...calling into existence the wahi pana and people of times past.” Kaloko fishpond, along with a long stretch of coastline that holds the ruins and remains of other smaller fishponds, fishtraps, home sites, royal baths, petroglyphs, and heiau, is available at any time for those who wish to wander and listen for the spirit of Kaloko.
In the southwest, serene and beautiful Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park sits like a dream of the past on the southern shore of Hōnaunau Bay. This place was well known as a safe haven for noncombatants during the wars that raged between the high chiefs for political control. But crucially, it was the refuge of lawbreakers seeking to escape the heavy penalty, usually death, that was the price for breaking the kapu, or laws, of pre-contact Hawaiʻi. If the refugee could reach the puʻuhonua, the sanctuary, then there would be hope for his or her rehabilitation and possible reintegration into society. For a very long time, the sacred bones of Hawaiian chiefs were kept here, and their mana (spiritual power) was believed to protect the grounds. Even today, the sense of peace and protection is tangible along the white sand paths that wind under the coconut palms.
When visiting Hawaiian cultural sites, hana kūpono, which means right behavior, is key.
Approach these areas the same way you would approach your church, an ancient European cathedral, or any other place you hold in reverence.
Walk only on designated, clear paths. These places mean something important to Hawaiian people. Help them maintain the longevity of these sites. Do not climb.
Are there park rangers nearby? Ask them about the meaning of the site, and find out how you can behave respectfully. Check the visitor center park store for books, videos, maps, or guides that can fill in the story of these wahi pana, the sacred places of Hawaiʻi.
DVD is here: https://shop.hawaiipacificparks.org/products/dvd-na-wahi-pana-the-national-parks-of-west-hawaii-island
About Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park: https://shop.hawaiipacificparks.org/collections/books/products/tracing-past-puho
Learn some Hawaiʻi place names: https://shop.hawaiipacificparks.org/collections/hawaiian-culture-history/products/place-names-hawaii
