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Welcome to Napo`opo`o village, Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park, and Kealakekua Bay Marine Life Conservation District! The residents here treasure this area, its past, our present home, and want to share it with you and to preserve it for the future. This is a community rich in history with an unbroken continuity of settlement from as far back as known to the present. The name "Kealakekua" can be translated as "the pathway of the gods" in honor of the annual procession of the Hawaiian god of agriculture, Lono. When the Hawaiians had their undisturbed culture here, the kahuna (priests) lived not far from the modern day pier in the area between Hikiau Heiau (the temple platform), and the base of the pali (cliff), an area enclosed by a rock wall. This was called Kekua. Hikiau Heiau is an ancient Hawaiian place of worship. Here the Hawaiians held their religious ceremonies on the top of the huge solid stone temple structure. Please treat this whole area with respect and do not touch or walk on the heiau. The commoners lived in a populous village south of the heiau which is called Napo`opo`o. They were called maka`ainana (people of the land). To feed the priests and chiefs, they grew richly producing gardens. Many descendents of the original Hawaiian settlers still live here in and near Napo`opo`o village. They cherish their history, Hawaiian language and traditions while at the same time living a modern life in the state of Hawaii. Across the bay at Ka`awaloa lived the ruling ali`i (chiefs) in a settlement of more than a hundred residences. The alii went back and forth between both sides of the bay by canoe and by foot. The bones of the chiefs were buried in small, inaccessible lava tubes in the curved cliff that forms this bay. Because the chiefs possess mana (spiritual power) from the gods, their bones were treated with great respect. When the Cook expedition arrived in Kealakekua Bay, it was said that 10,000 Hawaiians- -all living in the near-by area--greeted the strange tall ships in water craft ranging from huge double canoes to small single canoes to surfboards. Captain James Cook died here in an unfortunate skirmish on Feb. 14, 1779 about a hundred yards to the left of the Cook's Monument where a small semi-submerged plaque marks the exact spot. Herb Kane, a local artist of part-Hawaiian descent, has painted with very realistic detail this famous first contact in Kealakekua Bay between the Hawaiians and Captain James Cook: http://herbkaneart.com You will launch your kayak from Napo`po`po Landing, the old concrete wharf that at one time was one of the busiest landings on the Kona side of the island. Here cattle, coffee, and other local products were first transported here in small railroad cars, then shipped out on steamships. You can still see the rusty remnants of the tracks on the wharf. As this area is rich in history, it is also rich in nature. The coral reef in Ka`awaloa's calm, protected waters is one of the most pristine coral reefs in Hawaii, with a thriving marine eco-system. A large pod of spinner dolphins, called nai`a in Hawaiian, enters the bay each morning to sleep, rest, mate, give birth, and shelter their young. The Marine Mammal Protection Act mandates that swimmers, kayakers, and boaters do not harass the dolphins or interfere in any way with their life activities. We hope to view the dolphins from a respectful, legal distance, but this is not a “swim with the dolphins” tour and no swimming with dolphins is allowed. Please drive slowly, and treat all residents of the area, on land and in the sea, with respect. We wish that you will read and follow our guidelines that will help you enjoy your stay and insure that others will be able to come and enjoy the same beauty after you have left. DO’S & DON’T’S ON THIS TOUR DO… learn from your guide and reading about the history
and culture of the area DON’T…touch, step on, take from add to, or deface
any Hawaiian cultural site or anything you are unsure about |
