DK Travel : Maui : History & Culture

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Hula Implements

The implements used by hula dancers and their accompanying chanters have changed little over hundreds of years. Though some enthusiasts still craft their own implements, hula supply shops on all the islands now allow dancers with busy 21st-century lives to purchase many of the items needed (though the materials used may not always be traditional these days).
Humupapa

Flowers are sewn onto plant material such as dried banana leaves, or lau hala .
Jodo Mission

This three-story pagoda sits at the outer edge of Lahaina town. In its courtyard stands a giant statue of Buddha, the largest outside Japan, placed in commemoration of the 1868 arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to Maui. The serene grounds are open to the public; the buildings are not.
John Waihe’e

The first governor of Hawaiian ancestry, he led the state from 1986 to 1990.
Kahakuloa Village/Kahakuloa Head

For nearly 1,500 years Hawaiian families have inhabited Kahakuloa, growing kalo (see East Maui) on stone terraces and using aqueducts to irrigate the crops from mountain streams. There are no gas stations or restaurants in the village, and the most prominent building is a lovely, small church. East of the village, the monolithic 636-ft Kahakuloa Head rises majestically from the water’s edge.

Kahakuloa Village

Kahakuloa Village Church
Kahekili

A Maui ali’i (chief), recognized as the most powerful – some say fierce – Hawaiian of the 1780s.
Kaho’olawe’s Sovereignty

No issue generates more debate in Hawai’i than the plight of the island of Kaho’olawe. Used by the U.S. military as a weapons range for decades, the bombing was finally stopped in 1990 after more than 10 years of protest. Kaho’olawe was then returned to the state and recognized for its cultural significance in 1993.
Kanahā Beach Park

Just off the road to the airport, the beach at Kanahā is narrow and the water usually choppy. But it’s a great spot to windsurf and kite sail – or to watch more experienced practitioners. The park has large grassy areas, showers, restrooms, picnic tables, and barbecue pits.

Kanahā Beach
Kanahā Pond State Wildlife Sanctuary

Now a designated wildlife sanctuary, Kanahā was once a royal fishpond (see Moloka’i and Lāna’i). One of its main roles today is as refuge for the rare Hawaiian stilt, or ae’o , as well as about 50 other bird species. The migratory ae’o is a slender wading bird that stands 16 inches tall and has a black back, white belly, and sticklike pink legs. The birds can often be seen feeding along the marshy edges of the pond near the Hāna Highway.
Kapa

Used throughout old Polynesia for clothing, blankets, and decoration, Hawaiian kapa is made from the bark of the wauke , or paper mulberry tree. The process, which is restricted to women, involves pounding the bark repeatedly into paper-thin sheets that are then decorated using plant dyes and bamboo tools.