A Hidden History Etched in Stone

How many travellers must miss it, while travelling the Honoapi'ilani Highway (Rt 30) the only public road from Lahaina towards South Maui.
About a quarter of the way between Kihei and Lahaina is a town by the name of Olowalu. It was here that a well documented battle took place, one that would go down in history as the Olowalu Massacre.

Today, while driving through this stretch of Rt. 30, Olowalu is easy to miss. On the mauka side, a small lot can be found with two structures; The Olowalu General Store and a French restaurant named Chez Paul. Some half a mile behind the general store, a piece of Hawaiian history is preserved.

When you've spotted the water tower behind the store, you'll know to follow the trail behind it; the trail that leads towards the mountain. To your right can be found a new development; a startling reminder of how the modern continuously encroaches upon the old.


Petroglyphs- carvings etched in stone- were a method of communication among the ancient Hawaiians. Until the arrival of the missionaries in the late eighteenth century, the Hawaiian language could not be expressed in written letters. Thus petroglyphs were used to tell stories. There are many good examples of preserved petroglyphs to be found on the Hawaiian Islands, and some of the best are here in Olowalu.

After about a half mile walk along the trail, away from the general store, a sheer rock wall can be seen on the right. It's on this wall where the petroglyphs can be found. Some time ago a viewing platform was constructed to give visitors a better look, but this has since deteriorated and is now pretty much unsafe. This doesn't stop the curious from climbing it anyway, at their own risk. Sadly, those who don't respect the history of these preserved artifacts have given in to etching their own, more modern, engravings in the style of the petroglyphs. Fortunately it's easy to tell the authentic from the fake, and it doesn't take away from the link to the past one feels when at the site.

The Olowalu petroglyphs are a hidden history, but worth seeking out, for anyone looking to onnect to the past of Hawai'i.

A Connection to an Unkown Past

There was no reason to feel the sense of familiarity that was lingering as I climbed the hill to the remains of the heiau. This structure had nothing to do with my history, or that of my ancestors. In fact it was born of a belief system much different than my own; to honor gods that I do not worship.

What's left of the heiau is perched above the town of Wailuku, on Maui. From it's remains, one can look down on residential blocks and industrial areas. Heiaus were erected before the Kapu system was abolished. Perhaps this one was built to honor the Gods of War, or possibly to give thanks for good weather or a particularly fruitful harvest.

A haole like myself would have been forbidden from coming near a structure such as this. My sentence may have been death; for only Ali'i could enter. But the passing of time has made this heiau an insignificant relic to many. Yet I yearned to know more about it's history, and thus, that of the land it was built upon.

Not far from the heiau is the 'Iao Valley. Here, one of the bloodiest battles on Hawaiian soil took place, when Kamehameha overtook Maui, sometime in the late eighteenth century. As peaceful as the valley was on this particular morning, I couldn't help but think of the Hawaiians whose screams echoed through these canyons. It's interesting to note that there were some teenagers there at the same time as I was; almost definitely locals. Perhaps they weren't even sure as to how much Hawaiian blood was running through their veins; not an uncommon situation for kama'aina to find themselves in. Maybe they were there to get a glimpse of the past of their people. It could be that they were ditching school, and the fact that they ended up in the peaceful 'Iao Valley was incidental. In any case, having them there made the link from the past to the present a little more tangible for me.

Many spots on Maui that I visited motivated me to learn more. More about the people and the land, the culture and the history. It's this curiosity that will keep me coming back, both physically and in my mind. Through reading and through photographs. Through 'talking story' with anyone who has anything to share about this, and all the Hawaiian Islands.

It's this fascination that, even though I'm far away, keeps me crying for the 'aina.