HONOLULU — Next time you’re sipping a cold brew on Bishop Street or browsing crystals in Kaka‘ako, pause for a moment. Beneath your sneakers might lie remnants of a thousand-year-old Hawaiian settlement—or even a royal burial site.
That’s not hyperbole. It’s Hawaiian history hiding in plain sight.
Long before downtown was dotted with glass towers and poke bowl counters, it was part of a thriving native ahupua‘a system—land divided from mountain to sea. Areas like Kaka‘ako, once salt flats and fishponds, were crucial to food sovereignty and cultural life.
Today, developers in Honolulu are legally required to conduct archaeological surveys before digging. And what they often find? Burials, tools, petroglyphs, and even iwi kūpuna (ancestral bones). In fact, a 2022 study by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs revealed that over 3,000 burial finds have been recorded across the state since 1989.
A Layered City
The intersection of ancient and modern plays out in real time here. The skeleton of a royal chief might lie just yards from a luxury condo. And yes—some of those luxury units were redesigned mid-construction due to these discoveries.
This duality isn’t just poetic—it’s literal. Many locals now call for “preservation in place” practices, allowing iwi kūpuna to remain undisturbed. It’s an emotional issue, wrapped in land rights, cultural respect, and legal battles. But it’s also a deeply human one. As one kumu said in a recent cultural site tour: “It’s not just history—it’s ancestry.”
Not Just a Past, But a Presence
As urban Honolulu evolves, more people—especially young residents and transplants in their 20s and 30s—are seeking deeper connections to the land. That includes learning about the history beneath their feet. Many are now joining walking tours, cultural site visits, or enrolling in Hawaiian studies courses through local colleges or community centers.
It’s not performative. It’s restorative.
Why Hawaii Monthly Is Talking About It
At Hawaii Monthly, we believe loving Hawai‘i means knowing her stories. Not just the ones on postcards, but the ones buried under sidewalks and sung in chants. For a generation excited by growth, culture, and justice, honoring what came before is part of what comes next.
So next time you’re brunching in Chinatown or parked under a monkeypod in Ward, remember: you’re not just in a neighborhood—you’re standing in a legacy.
E mālama i ka ‘āina. Respect the land. Learn its layers. And be a good guest—whether you’ve lived here all your life or just got here yesterday.
— History & Culture, Hawaii Monthly