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The story unfolds before us, as we watch the movie at Pu’ukohola Heiau National Historic Site. 

A High Priest declares he received a prophecy. Kamehameha I will become King of The Island of Hawaii (aka The Big Island). All Kamehameha has to do is build a temple to the god of war, and offer a sacrifice. Embroiled in a violent war with his cousin for the Kingship, Kamehameha thinks this an excellent idea. His supporters form a massive human chain, pass lava rocks, and stack them to form a temple. 

Temple complete, the next task on Kamehameha’s to-do list, offer a human sacrifice to the god of war. Kamehameha thinks his plan is brilliant. He invites his cousin, Keoua to the temple site, under the guise that Kamehameha wants to negotiate a peace treaty. History  indicates that Keoua guesses the intention of this visit, but goes anyway. He feels he has no choice. There is a prophecy. Though it isn’t one-hundred percent certain, as one final act of rebellion, cousin, Keoua, mutilates himself, creating an imperfect sacrifice ( you can look up which part of his body he mutilated). Though Keoua will not get to be King, hopefully neither will Kamehameha. Kamehameha I sacrifices his cousin, and eventually becomes the King of all of the Hawaiian Islands. Whether Keoua’s plan failed, or whether he played a long game, seeing that Hawaii is now the 50^th state of the United States, is up for interpretation.

I try not to give you long-winded, historical exposition, but I promise this doesn’t even brush the surface of these historic events.  

I knew two things about the history of Hawaii.

1. It became the 50^th state of The United States in 1959
2. Pearl Harbor is located in Hawaii 

As we travel across three islands, I find the pre-colonial history and culture of Hawaii, fascinating. Learning about how Hawaii becomes a state, is educational, and appalling. 

The movie theater at Pu’ukohola Heiau National Historic Site, is the best one we’ve visited so far. 

After the movie, we roam the exhibit area. There are exhibits indoors and outdoors. 

Pu’ukohola Heiau National Historic Site’s stamp, is located in the indoor, exhibit area. 

While stamping our book, we chat with the Park Ranger. 

He offers to give us a tour to the viewing area of the Heiau (Hay-ow). 

The National Park Sites in Hawaii are sacred spaces to the Hawaiian people. The National Park Service assists in preserving the sites. Visitors are asked to respect the sacredness of the place. At the Pu,ukohola Heiu National Historic Site, this means you are permitted to view the Heiau, but you may not enter the structure.  

I’m amazed at the precision of the design and engineering of this significant structure. Lava rocks, expertly stacked, like an intricate puzzle, no mortar used. 

There is a wooden offerings altar at the site. Today the altar is used for lei offerings (no human sacrifices allowed).

The Park Ranger tells us that tour guides often bring groups to the site to place leis on the altar. Some visitors may be here to experience a spiritual moment, he suspects most just want a great social media picture. Though he is an advocate for educating everyone on Hawaiian history and culture, he does not think individuals should leave offerings, unless they are spiritually connected to the site. If you visit Pu’ukohola National Historic Site and are encouraged to place a lei on the altar, remember that this act is deeply spiritual to Hawaiians. 

Our plan, visit two of the Big Island’s National Historic Sites, in one day. The intention is to make Pu’ukohola Heiau National Historic Site a quick stop, since it’s a small site, but once there, we are captivated by the temple and listening to the Park Ranger tell us about his personal connection to the site. It’s a special visit.  

If you plan to visit Hawaii, I encourage you to come to The Big Island to visit the historic parks. If you don’t plan to visit Hawaii, or don’t plan to visit soon, take a few moments to look up and learn about Hawaii’s complex history.

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