Promoting Maui Hawaii – Part I
“Paul from Logoclothz takes a departure from graphics logos and custom tablecloths and dives into his favorite place in the world Maui and the Hawaiian islands. Maui is Paul’s dream destination.”
Ryan Cunningham
What comes to your mind when you think of the word paradise? Seriously, picture it. Are you picturing a green forest with luscious vegetation?
Do you picture clear blue oceans and tall emerald mountain peaks? How about empty beaches, and flowing waterfalls?
When I think of paradise I think of one place, Maui, Hawaii. Maui is one of 8 islands that make up the Hawaiian Islands. A world apart Maui is a truly spiritual, magical, and beautiful place.
It was only inhabited around 1200 AD by early Polynesians and the first Westerners arrived with Captain Cook in 1778.
It’s still a very young land and calls to me, no, it screams at me to be explored.
In this 4 part blog, I will let you in on my wife’s and I’s honeymoon and tell you how we planned our trip to Maui. We did a lot on Maui in 8 days, from whale watching to flying high above the island in a helicopter.
First, we will go over the history of Hawaii. Many people do not even know how Hawaii became a State.
We will then talk about some of Maui’s many attractions, restaurants, my favorite luau, and my wife’s favorite beaches.
Lastly, we will discuss how a little guidance on the island could be of help to tourists like myself. A few banners here a printed tablecloth there, it could go a long way.
Real Original
In 2018 I married the love of my life and we traveled to Maui, Hawaii for our honeymoon. I know, it sounds so cliche.
I’m reminded of Jason Segel’s character in the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall when he said, “real original!”
It was my second time in Maui and my wife’s first visit. Maui is paradise on Earth and has everything. All in one day you can see frost on Mt. Haleakala, rain along the road to Hana, dry desert on the west side, and clear skies near Kaanapali.
Maui has 10 of the world’s 13 ecosystems and over 120 miles of coastline, including 30 miles of beautiful beaches. Maui is nicknamed the Valley Isle because of the large valley that lies between Mt. Haleakala and the West Side Mountains.
In the valley, where the land is flat there are some buildings, sunflower fields, an old mill, and an airport.
Maui is gorgeous and something about its history, culture, isolation, and beauty have captivated me since I first went in 2001.
I couldn’t help but stop and think about the first people to inhabit the Hawaiian Islands and what life for them must have been like.
The Ancient Hawaiian Islands
Planning a trip to Maui included learning of Hawaii’s history and culture. I gained a special respect for the land on my first visit and was intrigued ever since.
We even learned a Hawaiian word or two beside Aloha. My wife’s name in Hawaiian is Kalala.
Early Polynesians from the Marquesas Islands are said to have first inhabited Hawaii around 400 AD. New research, however, puts the date later at around 1200 AD.
Early Polynesians sailed thousands of miles through the open ocean, perhaps following currents, fish, or whales.
They only had the stars to guide them and they brought with them vegetables and livestock that would eventually cover the islands today.
The islands were peaceful for a long while with two classes, the commoners and high chiefs. Each island was ruled equally by royal families.
For a long time, the Hawaiians flourished and lived in complete isolation with no wars between the ruling families. They developed agriculture, fish farms, religion, and hula.
With no written language, ancient Hawaiians recorded their histories, genealogies, legends, and the stories of their gods through the creation and memorization of chants. These chants are known as oli and the dances called Hula.
An interesting fact about the Hula dance is that missionaries who later went to convert the Hawaiians to Christians made a strong effort to eradicate the dance.
We will get more into that under the heading, “Western Civilization Destroys Paradise”.
New Era in Ancient Hawaiian Civilization
For a long time, the Hawaiians enjoyed peace in perfect isolation until the 11th and 14th centuries. Until then, no one came and stayed and no one left.
That is until hundreds of Tahitian canoes appeared on the horizon.
The Tahitians came in from Polynesian islands and brought with them a priest named Pa’ao. Pa’ao introduced new ceremonies, traditions, laws, and beliefs into the islands.
Eventually, the original settlers of Hawaii were under his control.
One belief system introduced into the Hawaiian islands that would change things forever is the idea of Mana.
Mana is the spiritual energy of power and strength and it exists in objects, people, and in all things.
It was believed that one could accumulate Mana through acts of bravery, sacrifice, and war.
Power and Strength
The newly adopted belief system introduced to the islands led to a different society in Hawaii. Chiefs would now be considered more powerful than others because of the Mana they accumulated or their status.
No longer did ruling families share the islands of Hawaii equally.
Each island started to fall under the rule of a group of powerful chiefs.
The more Mana accumulated the more power the chiefs had. In the 18th century, this led to a long period of war in the Hawaiian islands as the chiefs battled for greater status, land, and more Mana.
The Hawaiians developed their own fighting techniques and weapons made from the Koa tree.
They used sharks teeth for serrated edges and the intestines of fallen warriors for cordage used for slings. The best of the warriors were known as the Koa.
The chiefs used their status and koa warriors to then take more land, usually by force.
Eventually, each island was ruled by one chief each, except the big island of Hawaii which had three main chiefs.
Westerners Arrive in Paradise
The first westerners to visit Hawaii were the British, led by Captain Cook in 1778. He named the group of islands the Sandwich Islands, in honor of one of his patrons.
Imagine, the United States had just become an independent country two years earlier in 1776.
At first, the British adventurer was welcomed to the islands. He landed in Waimea located on the island of Kauaʻi and was revered by the Hawaiians.
The Hawaiians admired the ships, tools, and weapons of the British.
Captain Cook made provisions for his crew and ships by trading metals and his crew traded nails for, well other favors.
Cook and his crew then left Kaua’i and visited Ni’ihau before sailing north in search of a passage route from the North Atlantic to the Pacific.
Cook Returns to Kealakekua Bay
A year later in 1779 Captain Cook and his two ships returned to the Hawaiian Islands, docking at Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island.
At the time of his second arrival, the Hawaiians were engaged in a festival dedicated to Lono, the Hawaiians’ fertility god. Kealakekua Bay was considered the sacred harbor of Lono.
During Captain Cook’s first visit to the Hawaiian Islands the people associated religion to him and his crew.
With his arrival to the sacred bay during their religious festival, the Hawaiians were sure Cook and his men were gods themselves.
Thousands of Hawaiians greeted the westerners and welcomed them again.
The Hawaiians’ goodwill was exploited by the British, however, and their extended stay started to raise tensions.
When a British sailor died on the island it was a sign to Hawaiians that the British may not be gods, straining their relations even further.
Westerners Forced to Leave Paradise
Captain Cook and his crew soon left the bay after rising tensions on the Big Island of Hawaii. Perhaps it was fate but after only a week of sailing home, the British sailors had to return to the island.
This time, they would not be as welcomed as before.
One of the ships sailing home to Europe was damaged in a storm and to the Hawaiians, this was further proof that the newcomers were mortal. Surely if the British were gods they could travel the ocean safely.
They met the returning crew and Captain Cook this time, throwing rocks at the ships.
While Captain Cook’s ships anchored offshore the Hawaiians harassed the British and stole a small cutter vessel. Captain Cook sought its return.
He took a group of his men and went to shore, hoping to ransom a high chief in return for his property. He had to capture the high chief first.
Monument in Paradise
Captain Cook never made it back to his ship and on February 14th, 1779 he would meet his final resting place in paradise. A scuffle broke out before Captain Cook could ever return to his ship with the high chief as his hostage.
The captain had laid his hand on the high chief and shot a Hawaiian who was defending him.
The surrounding Hawaiians pounced on Captain Cook plunging the very knives they received from the British into his body.
A few remaining British sailors retreated in their skiff but the captain could not escape.
Captain Cook, a famous explorer who had charted a quarter of the World’s oceans could not swim. He died at Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island where to this day, a monument stands in his honor.
When Captain Cooks men braved returning to shore to reclaim their captain’s body, they were given parts of his head, a hand, and parts of his uniform.
His men then put the remains in a casket weighted with cannon balls and dumped it overboard.
Till this day, Captain Cooks remains lay at the bottom of the ocean off the shore of Kealakekua Bay somewhere.
Kamehameha the Great
Besides Captain Cook’s bodily remains, he left behind knowledge at Kealakekua Bay. Knowledge of western technology, weaponry, and military tactics.
This knowledge would eventually change Hawaii forever and was graciously absorbed by a young Hawaiian.
This young Hawaiian was named Kamehameha and he would soon after Captain Cooks death rule all of Hawaii. According to Hawaiian legend, on the day Kamehameha was born a new star appeared in the heavens.
It was said, since his birth, that Kamehameha was destined for greatness. According to historians, his birth coincides with the appearance of Halley’s Comet in 1758.
Given the name Paiea at birth, Kamehameha was born into a family of royalty. During the time of his birth, the islands were at war with each other.
He was born in Kohala, Hawaii but hidden for his safety from rival clans in Waipio Valley
When it was deemed safe for Paiea to come out of hiding he returned to his family and was named Kamehameha.
He was then raised by his uncle, King Kalani’opu’u. Kalani’opu’u was the ruler of the island of Hawaii and an expert in the Hawaiian martial art called the Lua.
A Rising Warrior
Kamehameha, the nephew of King Kalani’opu’u was trained as a warrior. Kamehameha was strong, intelligent, and had the mind of a scientist.
Being of royal blood he was brought onto Captain Cook’s ship with his uncle. His interests were peaked by the British sailors.
Kamehameha communicated to Captain Cook through a Tahitian interpreter and began asking questions. He was most intrigued by their arsenal of muskets and cannons.
Kamehameha took note and must have realized that there would be more foreigners to follow after the British.
In 1782 King Kalani’opu’u died giving Kamehameha the island’s war god. This signified that Kamehameha was the strongest warrior.
Not too long after, Kamehameha would begin his conquest to unite the Hawaiian islands.
Building an Army
Kamehameha wanted to be able to defend against any other foreigners who would invade the islands. Kamehameha lost many battles during his effort to consolidate power.
His intelligence, however, and the ability to change would prove to make him a king.
In 1790 Kamehameha went to take control of Muai. The Chief of Maui was away on the island of Oahu when Kamehameha’s forces arrived on shore.
During The Battle of Kepaniwai at Iao Valley, Kamehameha was victorious against Maui’s forces.
It was one of the deadliest battles in Hawaii and bodies were said to have clogged the streams. The Chief of Maui refused to give control when he returned and Kamehameha would have to eventually return.
Over several years, Kamehameha traded foreigners sandalwood in exchange for muskets, cannons, and ammunition.
He began building a large army, arsenal and eventually a large navy. He utilized western military tactics and strategies and would eventually take control of the Hawaiian islands.
Americans Sail to Paradise
In 1790 the first Americans to arrive in Hawaii sailed in two separate ships, the Fair American and the Eleanor. Before Kamehameha became ruler of Hawaii, Captain Simon Metcalfe met a local chief named Kameʻeiamoku.
He was the cousin of Kamehameha’s mother and later became Counselor of State to King Kamehameha.
Simon Metcalfe of the Eleanor publicly whipped Kameʻeiamoku for a small infraction before leaving Kohala on the Big Island. Kame’eiamoku vowed revenge on any other ship that would pass by.
So happens, the next ship to pass by was the Fair American. The Fair American was captained by Simon Metcalfe’s son, Thomas Metcalfe.
Thomas Metcalfe and his crew were easily overrun by Chief Kameʻeiamoku. All were killed except a European Settler, Issac Davis. Meanwhile, Captain Simon Metcalfe ran into trouble of his own in Olowalu, Maui.
As the Eleanor anchored along the coast of Maui a boat was stolen and a sailor was killed. This would lead to the Olowalu massacre, witnessed from shore by a westerner named, John Young.
Metcalfe told trading canoes to approach his ship, the Eleanora and then opened fire with the ship’s cannons. Over 100 Hawaiians were killed and over 100 others wounded. Hawaiians referred to the slaughter as Kalolopahu or spilled brains.
Advisors to the Kamehameha the Great
In 1790 Kamehameha had two westerners at his disposal who were instrumental in uniting the Hawaiian Islands. His forces captured Issac Davis from the Fair American.
Then Kamehameha convinced John Young from the Eleanor to stay under his protection. Kamehameha would then quickly rise to power with the Westerners’ at his side.
The two Westerners became close associates of Kamehameha and served as his military and political advisers. They would help in negotiating arms deals and essentially open Kamehameha’s eyes as to his potential power.
Kamehameha became the Wests most important trading partner and he even adopted their form of dress. He was infatuated with the English, King George, their clothing and culture.
The Kingdom of Hawaii 1810
In 1794 with the help of his western advisors, Kamehameha sought to control more than just the Big Island of Hawaii.
He built a large navy of British built ships with a Hawaiian flare. The English would call him Napoleon of the Pacific.
In 1794 Kamehameha took control of Maui and its neighboring islands, Molokai, and Lanai. In 1795 Kamehameha sailed to Oahu and in the decisive battle of Nu’uanu, he claimed victory.
By the year 1795, Kamehameha had control of all of Hawaii except for the islands of Kauai and Niihau. After failed attempts to sail to the islands, Kamehameha used diplomacy to gain total control.
Kamehameha convinced Kaumualii of Kauai to become a tributary kingdom under Kamehameha.
Kaumualii thus prevented further bloodshed. In the year 1810, Kamehameha became the first king to rule all of the Hawaiian Islands.
King Kamehameha first proposed peace in his nation. He declared warfare would no longer take place on the islands. King Kamehameha then had a flag made for his new nation.
The first Hawaiian flag incorporates parts of the French, British, and American flags. King Kamehameha adopted Western ways but he never abandoned Hawaiian culture.
Maui Hawaii – To Be Continued
We will continue the history of the Hawaiian Islands in Part II. We will discuss how Hawaii illegally became a State to the United States of America. Imagine that!
To be continued…
