Bones of the Land

The Real Moʻolelo: Living History in Every Stream and Stone

The red dirt road to Waimea Canyon winds through old sugar fields where my great-grandfather once worked. Each turn reveals another layer of our island's story. This isn't the sanitized version you'll find in most guidebooks. This is the real moʻolelo—the living history that flows through every stream, every sacred stone, every family that still calls these islands home.

Growing up in Hanalei, I learned that Hawaiian history isn't something that happened long ago. It's happening right now. When my papa taught me to read the signs in cloud formations over the mountains, he was passing down knowledge that master navigators used to cross thousands of miles of open ocean. When my keiki help restore the loʻi kalo near our house, they're practicing the same sustainable farming that fed entire communities for over a thousand years.

Understanding Our Journey Through Time

This moʻolelo spans from the master navigators who first found these islands to the modern sovereignty movement protecting Mauna Kea. Each chapter reveals how our people have maintained their connection to the land through colonization, overthrow, and cultural suppression.

You'll discover the sophisticated ahupuaʻa system that sustained our ancestors, witness the brilliance of Kamehameha's unification, and understand the illegal overthrow that stole our kingdom. But most importantly, you'll see how Hawaiian culture has not just survived—it has thrived, adapted, and continues to guide us forward.