Images of Old Hawaiʻi

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Hoʻokuleana LLC to Receive “Innovation in Sustaining Places” Award

We are proud and honored to report that we just received word that the American Planning Association – Hawaiʻi Chapter selected us to receive the “Innovation in Sustaining Places” award for a Master Plan we prepared for a private agricultural park on the Big Island.

This is our third APA-Hawaiʻi award in a row; in prior years, two of our other plans were given the “Environment/Preservation” awards.

According to APA-Hawaiʻi, the award “Recognizes examples of truly innovative best practices for sustaining places.  Submissions should show specific examples of how sustainability practices are being used in how places are planned, designed, built, used, and maintained at all scales and how place-based strategies are integrated in the broader discussion of sustainability. Areas of specific interest include energy use and efficiency, green infrastructure, resource conservation, transportation choices and impacts, compact development, density, diversity, revitalization, employment opportunities, and population impacts.”

We took a different approach in the preparation of the plan.  In addition to the conventional land use layout, we made specific management and operational recommendations.  These were made to help assure that agriculture (food) will be the focus, goals/commitments are being addressed and tenants/collaborators are on track to fulfill the mission and vision.

Ultimately, a goal is to meld Hawaiian traditional wisdom with modern sustainability concepts and take an integrated approach in the design and operation of the Ag Park, incorporating understanding and respect for the land, the surrounding community and the environment.

In addition to other approaches listed throughout the Master Plan, we sought to incorporate the following sustainability approaches: Mālama ‘Āina, Organic Farming Practices, Composting, and Beneficial, Effective and Indigenous Microorganisms.

The context in which the Master Plan was prepared, particularly in relation to the overall Agricultural Park management strategy, addressed strong and recurring themes of Tradition, Sustainability, Integrated Holistic Approach, Long‐term Timeframe, Cooperation and Collaboration, Diversity of Foods and Economic Viability.

While farmers claim to be notoriously independent, attempts are made at every stage of the development and operation of the Park to incorporate multiple uses/reuse of resources; this included demonstrating the benefit of allocating one farm’s “waste” to fill another farm’s “need.”  In a sense, the Ag Park management philosophy views the overall Agricultural Park more like an integrated farm, rather than an assemblage of independent, individual farms.

The goal and central theme of the plan is:  “Food from Kohala for Kohala.”

I’ll have some more on this, later, but am excited to share the great news we received at the end of this past week.  The award will be formally presented in September at the statewide Hawai‘i Congress of Planning Officials’ meeting.  The image illustrates some of the uses proposed within the Master Plan.

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Kapi‘olani Park

Kapi‘olani Park was dedicated and named by King Kalākaua to honor his wife, Queen Kapi‘olani.  It was the first public park in the Hawaiian Islands.

The park was dedicated as “a place of innocent refreshment for all who wish to leave the dust of the town street.”

Scotsman Archibald Cleghorn, Governor of Oʻahu and father of Princess Kaʻiulani, was tasked to come up with the design for the park.

Characterized from the beginning as “swamp land in a desert,” Kapiʻolani Park became a park specifically because it wasn’t considered suitable for anything else, and because of its peculiar climate – it’s one of the few places on Oahu where rain almost never falls.

An important part of the initial park was its oval horse race track.  King Kalākaua reportedly liked gambling on horse racing and in 1872 he helped form The Hawaiian Jockey Club (this organized the sport according to the rules that governed races elsewhere.)

In the wet winter of 1876, horseracing enthusiasts from Honolulu asked King Kalākaua to find a dry course for their popular races. King Kalākaua chose an unoccupied dry plain at the foot of Diamond Head.

On June 11, 1877, Kapiʻolani Park was dedicated.

Nearby wetlands and stream provided a diversity of scenery and activity.  Picnicking took place on the banks of streams; trails and bridges over the waterway added to the restful ambiance.

Back in the late-1800s and early-1900s, a lagoon in Kapiʻolani Park contained many islands and islets. The largest was called Makee’s Island (named after James Makee, a Scottish whaling ship captain and the Kapiʻolani Park Association’s first president.)

Makee’s Island started near the corner of Waikīkī Road and Makee Road. (Later, Waikīkī Road was renamed Kalākaua Avenue and a portion of Makee Road joined Kapahulu Road to become Kapahulu Avenue.)

The island, shaped like a long rectangle, was over 700-feet long and 100-feet wide. On it was the first Kapiʻolani Park bandstand, a wooden gazebo-like structure.

The Royal Hawaiian Band performed there on Sunday afternoons and occasionally had night concerts.

At that time, Waikīkī was a popular retreat for the royal families, merchants of Honolulu and visitors.  They were attracted by the long white sand beach, the protective reef and the proximity to Honolulu.  Then, there were relatively few visitor accommodations.

Initially, people would convert their homes and rent rooms.  Finally, in 1893, the first famous Waikīkī hotel opened, “Sans Souci.”  It became one of the first beach resorts (that end of Waikīkī is still called “Sans Souci Beach” – makai of Kapiʻolani Park.)

At the turn of the century, more hotels began to spring up in Waikīkī – starting with the Moana Hotel in 1901, the Royal Hawaiian in 1927 and others.

In the early years, the park’s primary attractions were an exotic bird collection and horse racing, especially the running of the Rosita Cup, held annually on King Kamehameha Day.

Peacocks, trees and palms were added to the park, with plantings obtained from Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Roads and trolley lines were extended to include “Waikīkī Road at Makee” (Kalākaua and Kapahulu Avenues.)

Then the zoo component started to expand.  During 1914 to 1916, more animals were exhibited at Kapiʻolani Park. The first animals included a monkey, a honey bear and some lion cubs. In 1916, Daisy, a friendly African elephant, arrived in Honolulu.

In 1947, the Honolulu Zoo master plan was approved to occupy the triangle of Kapiʻolani Park lying between Kapahulu Avenue, Monsarrat Avenue and Paki Street.

Nestled near the Zoo is the Waikīkī Shell, a venue for outdoor concerts and large gatherings (it was home to the now retired Kodak Hula Show.)

Likewise, sports activities also expanded.  Polo was introduced and baseball was played, in addition to tennis courts, field laid out for soccer and rugby and a continuous path for walkers and joggers.

This area now includes Kapiʻolani Park, Waikīkī Zoo, Waikīkī Shell, Waikīkī War Memorial Natatorium and Waikīkī Aquarium.

The image shows Kapiʻolani Park in about 1900.  The carriages are lined along the race track and a polo game is going on in the center.  I have also added other images and maps on Kapiʻolani Park in a folder of like name in the Photos section on my Facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/peter.t.young.hawaii

© 2012 Hoʻokuleana LLC

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Keōpūolani

Keōpūolani (the gathering of the clouds of heaven) was the highest ranking chief of the ruling family in the kingdom during her lifetime.

Her name given at birth was Kalanikauikaalaneo (the heavens hanging cloudless;) she was often called by other names, as Kai (the sea,) and Makuahanaukama (the mother of many children.)

She was aliʻi kapu of nī‘aupi‘o (high-born – offspring of the marriage of a high-born brother and sister or half-brother and half-sister) rank, which she inherited from her mother, Keku‘iapoiwa Liliha and her father Kiwalaʻo.

Her ancestors on her mother’s side were ruling chiefs of Maui; her ancestors on her father’s side were the ruling chiefs of the island of Hawai‘i.  Keōpūolani’s genealogy traced back to Ulu, who descended from Hulihonua and Keakahulilani, the first man and woman created by the gods.

Keōpūolani was reared under strict kapu because she was sacred; her kapu were equal to those of the gods.  She possessed kapu moe, which meant that those who were in her presence had to prostrate themselves, face down, for it was forbidden to look at her.

At certain seasons, no person was allowed to see her.  In her childhood and early adulthood, she never walked out during daylight hours.  The sun was not permitted to shine upon her, so she chose to be among people at night.

Keōpūolani was with Kalola (her grandmother, Kiwala‘o’s mother) on the Island of Hawai‘i, when Kamehameha started his conquest to conquer the islands; victory at the battle of Moku‘ohai, there (with the death of Kiwalaʻo (Keōpūolani’s father,) was the start of Kamehameha’s rise to power.

Kalola, her daughters and her granddaughter (Keōpūolani) fled to Maui, to take refuge with Kalola’s brother, Kahekili, and his son, Kalanikūpule.

Then, Kamehameha stormed Maui with thousands of men, and after several battles Maui troops retreated to ʻIao Valley; Kamehameha was victorious there, too.  Kalola escaped through the Olowalu Pass and down to Olowalu, where she retreated to Moloka’i.  On the island of Molokaʻi Kalola became ill.

Kamehameha followed Kalola to Moloka‘i and made a “request that she (Kalola) should confide her daughters and granddaughter to his care and protection. To which Kalola is said to have replied, ‘When I am dead, my daughters and granddaughter shall be yours.’” (Fornander)

Kamehameha camped on Moloka‘i until Kalola died.  This “capture” of the women by Kamehameha, a conquering chief taking the widow and female relatives of his defeated rival, was politically important.

Keōpūolani usually resided with Kamehameha at Kailua-Kona.  This, however, was not their constant dwelling place, although it was a favorite one.

Aliʻi typically had multiple homes and divided their time between the different places of importance.  Keōpūolani spent part of her time at Hawai‘i, part at Maui, part at Oʻahu and part at Kaua‘i.

In 1797, she gave birth to a son, Liholiho.  Kamehameha wanted Keōpūolani to go to Oʻahu, to Kūkaniloko, a famous birthing site and heiau (temple,) however, she was too ill to travel, and gave birth to their first-born child in Hilo.

Kauikeaouli, her second son, was born in Keauhou, North Kona.  She named him after her father, Kalanikauikeaouli Kiwalaʻo.

The following year, her daughter, Nahi‘ena‘ena, was born.

Kamehameha allowed Keōpūolani to have other husbands after she gave birth to his children, a practice common among ali‘i women (except Ka‘ahumanu.)  Kalanimoku and Hoapili were her other husbands.

Kamehameha I died in 1819, his son, Liholiho became King.  Shortly after that, Ka‘ahumanu and Keōpūolani (wives of Kamehameha I) joined in convincing Liholiho to break the kapu system which had been the rigid code of Hawaiians for centuries.

Liholiho accomplished this simply by eating a meal with women.  When the Hawaiians saw that Liholiho was not struck down by angry gods, the entire kapu system was discarded.  Likewise, the kapu moe ended at this time, as well.

Missionaries then arrived in Hawai‘i in 1820.  The Christian religion really caught on when High Chiefess Keōpūolani became interested and impressed with the Missionaries and the message they brought.

Keōpūolani was spoken of “with admiration on account of her amiable temper and mild behavior,” said William Richards, a missionary in the islands.

Keōpūolani is said to have been the first convert of the missionaries in the islands, receiving baptism from Rev. William Ellis in Lāhainā on September 16, 1823.  She was ill and died shortly after her baptism.

She was granted her request to be buried in a royal tomb, and lays in the Waiola Cemetery in Lāhainā, Maui.

(Much of this information is from Mookini, “Keōpūolani, Sacred Wife, Queen Mother, 1778-1823.)  In addition to this image, I have included some other images related to Keōpuōlani in a folder of like name in the Photos section on my Facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/peter.t.young.hawaii

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Commercial Sugar in Hawai‘i

The early Polynesian settlers to Hawaiʻi brought sugar cane with them and demonstrated that it could be grown successfully.

Since it was a crop that produced a choice food product that could be shipped to distant markets, its culture on a field and commercial scale was started as early as 1800 and it continued to grow.

In 1802, sugar was first made in the islands on the island of Lānaʻi  by a native of China.  He came here in one of the vessels trading for sandalwood, and brought a stone mill and boilers, and after grinding off one small crop and making it into sugar, went back the next year with his fixtures, to China.

The first commercially-viable sugar plantation, Ladd and Co., was started at Kōloa on Kaua‘i.  On July 29, 1835 (187 years ago, today,) Ladd & Company obtained a 50-year lease on nearly 1,000-acres of land and established a plantation and mill site in Kōloa.

It was to change the face of Kaua‘i (and Hawai‘i) forever, launching an entire economy, lifestyle and practice of monocropping that lasted for over a century.  A tribute to this venture is found at the Kōloa Sugar Memorial in Old Kōloa Town.

Sugar gradually replaced sandalwood and whaling in the mid-19th century and became the principal industry in the islands until it was surpassed by the visitor industry in 1960.

Early sugar planters shared many challenges: trade barriers, shortages of water and labor, and the lack of markets for their sugar.

Hawaiians were hired to work on the plantation.  This had far-reaching effect on the social and economic make-up of the local society.

This introduced the concept of independence for the Hawaiians.  Workers were paid directly and no longer had to pay a tax to the chiefs.

Workers were initially paid with coins.  Getting enough coins to pay the workers was difficult in the 1830s.  In response, Kōloa Plantation initiated the use of scrip as payment to workers; these were redeemable for purchases at the plantation’s store.

However, due to counterfeiting, in 1839, scrip was printed from engraved plates, with intricate waved and networked lines.  This more formal Kōloa Plantation scrip became the first paper money in Hawaiʻi.  Not only was this scrip accepted at the Ladd & Company store, it became widely accepted by other merchants on the island.

Sugar was the dominant economic force in Hawaiʻi for over a century, other plantations soon followed Kōloa.  By 1883, more than 50 plantations were producing sugar on five islands.

Kōloa Plantation set other standards that endured throughout the islands for over 100-years.  In addition to the plantation-owned general store, housing was provided for workers.

Barrack-type buildings or individual homes had space for workers to plant a garden.  The company dairy sold milk to plantation workers.  Medical services were provided.

Hawai‘i’s economy turned toward sugar in the decades between 1860 and 1880; these twenty years were pivotal in building the plantation system.  A century after Captain James Cook’s arrival in Hawaiʻi, sugar plantations started to dominate the landscape.

What encouraged the development of plantations in Hawaiʻi?

For one, the discovery of gold and rush of settlement of California opened lucrative avenues of trade in the Pacific.  Likewise, the Civil War virtually shut down Louisiana sugar production during the 1860s, enabling Hawai‘i to compete in a California market that paid elevated prices for sugar.

In addition, the Treaty of Reciprocity – 1875 between the United States and the Kingdom of Hawai‘i eliminated the major trade barrier to Hawai‘i’s closest and major market.  Through the treaty, the US obtained Pearl Harbor and Hawai‘i’s sugar planters received duty-free entry into U.S. markets for their sugar.

At the industry’s peak in the 1930s, Hawaii’s sugar plantations employed more than 50,000 workers and produced more than 1-million tons of sugar a year; over 254,500-acres were planted in sugar.  That plummeted to 492,000 tons in 1995.

With statehood in 1959 and the almost simultaneous introduction of passenger jet airplanes, the tourist industry began to grow rapidly.

A majority of the plantations closed in the 1990s.

As sugar declined, tourism took its place – and far surpassed it.  Like many other societies, Hawaii underwent a profound transformation from an agrarian to a service economy.

The image is Kōloa Sugar Mill in the 1880s; in addition, I have included some other old Sugar Mills related images in a folder of like name in the Photos section on my Facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/peter.t.young.hawaii

The Sugar theme, Mill and other Kaua‘i South Shore sites are included as Points of Interest in the Holo Holo Kōloa Scenic Byway.  We are assisting Mālama Kōloa in the preparation of its Corridor Management Plan.  Recently, the project was awarded a Historic Preservation Commendation from Historic Hawai‘i Foundation.

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association (NaHHA)

The Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association (NaHHA) was founded in 1997 by George S. Kanahele, Kenneth Brown and other Native Hawaiian professionals to address concerns about how Native Hawaiians and Hawaiian culture were perceived and represented in tourism.

They determined that, in order to have greater success in improving tourism and honoring Hawaiian culture and its people, they would need support; in 1997, they formed NaHHA, a 501 (c)(3) private nonprofit.

NaHHA advocates for the development and advancement of Native Hawaiians in tourism as the best investment in future leaders and in the perpetuation of authentic culture in the industry.

Working to better connect the Hawaiian community and the tourism industry, NaHHA has formed alliances with various Hawaiian organizations and nonprofits, artists and cultural practitioners, and with tourism associations, hotels and private businesses.

These connections and alliances have gained NaHHA recognition as lead agency for the Hawaiian Culture Initiative of the Hawai‘i State Tourism Strategic Plan.

In keeping with their mission, NaHHA recently completed a two-year train-the-trainer program to develop Hawaiians to provide cultural training and consultation.

Ola Hawai‘i, “Hawai‘i Lives” is NaHHA‘s educational program for today‘s ho‘okipa (hospitality) industry, for managers and employees who seek to have a better understanding of the Hawaiian culture.

While the curriculum is designed around Hawaiian values, it honors the cultural diversity of Hawai‘i.

Native Hawaiian culture not only lends fundamental value to Hawaii as a visitor destination but is exploited as a marketing theme in the selling of Hawaiʻi raising expectations that Native Hawaiian experiences are readily and easily accessed.

The reality is that visitors and locals alike are hard-pressed to find native Hawaiian cultural experiences.

Information that will connect them to authentic Hawaiian cultural experiences is difficult to access because it is not included in the mainstream visitor information programs.

NaHHA also sponsors Native Hawaiian Tourism Conferences and dialog with the goal to enable partnerships and inspire actions that result in:

• a greater collaboration between Hawaiian businesses/community and the visitor industry
• increased integration of Hawaiian culture in hotels and other businesses;
• practices that mālama ʻāina – care for our natural environment
• creative tourism, empowered communities and successful businesses

In 2006, while I was at DLNR, I had the opportunity to participate as a speaker at the NaHHA Native Hawaiian Tourism Conference.  The conference theme was, “Celebrating Hawaii’s Heritage – Sustaining Our Island Legacy.”

I clearly saw the opportunity for the State (and more particularly DLNR) to partner with NaHHA by focusing on cultural matters in the visitor industry venue.

The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) awarded a coveted Gold Adrian Award to the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association’s (NaHHA) Ola Hawai’i Manual.  (This is the largest and most prestigious travel marketing competition globally.)