Maunawila Heiau
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Maunawila Heiau is located on a 9-acre property in the ahupuaʻa (land division from mountain to sea) of Hauʻula, just east of the Northern point of the island of O’ahu, Laie. The Hawaiian word, heiau, is defined as a Pre-Christian place of worship, shrine; some heiau were elaborately constructed stone platforms, others simple earth terraces. Many of these are preserved today. It is also considered to be a wahi kupuna, a place of the ancestors. Many believe Maunawila Heiau is a heiau hoʻōla, which in Hawaiian is a place for healing and medical purposes. It was a place in which warriors would go to heal, and also train for battle. Experts at Maunawila Heiau treated people holistically, with herbs and other natural remedies. Archaeologists today are still making discoveries in this sacred spot. Today, Maunawila Heiau has become a place for cultural connection, preservation and education of the āina (land).
Images
Today, Iolani Palace, located in Honolulu, Hawaii, has been restored to provide a historical representation of what the palace looked like when it was built.
After the kingdom of Hawaii was overthrown by the United States government, the Hawaiian flag was lowered and replaced with an American flag.
Queen Liliuokalani, pictured, was the queen of the Kingdom of Hawaii before she was overthrown in 1893.
Volunteers work to restore the damaged ceiling of the interior of Iolani Palace
In the 1960s, Iolani Palace had make-shift buildings built to help make the neglected palace usable.
Hauʻula youth build community and connections to ʻāina through culture
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Maunawila Heiau is located on a 9-acre property in the ahupuaʻa (land division from mountain to sea) of Hauʻula, just east of the Northern point of the island of O’ahu, Laie. The Hawaiian word, heiau, is defined as a Pre-Christian place of worship, shrine; some heiau were elaborately constructed stone platforms, others simple earth terraces. Many of these are preserved today. It is also considered to be a wahi kupuna, a place of the ancestors. Many believe Maunawila Heiau is a heiau hoʻōla, which in Hawaiian is a place for healing and medical purposes. It was a place in which warriors would go to heal, and also train for battle. Experts at Maunawila Heiau treated people holistically, with herbs and other natural remedies. Archaeologists today are still making discoveries in this sacred spot. Today, Maunawila Heiau has become a place for cultural connection, preservation and education of the āina (land).
Sources
Protected Lands - O'ahu MAUNAWILA HEIAU COMPLEX, Maunawila Heiau, Oahu - Hawaiʻi Land Trust. Accessed February 23rd, 2023. https://www.hilt.org/maunawila.
https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/local-news/2022-07-27/hauula-youth-build-community-and-connections-to-%CA%BBaina-through-culture