Traditional canoe sheds, or hale wa‘a, were built close to the water for easy access. Courtesy of the Big Island Visitors Bureau
Though outnumbered by immigrants from the mainland U.S. and Southeast Asia, and their descendents, Hawaii’s native people maintain a strong connection to their traditions. Many sites important to indigenous Hawaiian culture are preserved. The Menehune Fishpond, on the island of Kauai, is an example of ancient Hawaiian aquaculture. The 500-year-old Luahiwa Petroglyphs, on Lanai, are the best-preserved example of ancient Hawaiian pictograms.
Visitors can also explore Hawaiian history at the Bernice P. Bishop Museum, in Honolulu, which houses artifacts from the royal family’s collection, along with scientific exhibitions about Hawaii’s unique geology.
The Honolulu Academy of Arts has collections of European, Asian and American art, including paintings by James McNeill Whistler, Georgia O’Keeffe and Alice Neel. The Academy also exhibits a collection of art by Hawaiians and about Hawaii, which offers a visual history of the islands.
Subscribe now for more of Smithsonian's coverage on history, science and nature.
| Tweet | Digg |
Comments