WHEN THE EARLIEST SEAFARING PIONEERS arrived at the Hawaiian Islands, they brought traditions that would survive for a thousand years: their means of preserving the historical knowledge of their ancestors. Creation chants and the hula tell the story of their arrival.
For centuries, the Native Hawaiians (kānaka maoli) had their own government (kapu) and ruling chiefs (ali’i). English Captain James Cook’s arrival in 1778 marked the beginning of waves of new people, each leaving their distinct mark on the islands and their written records.
From a kingdom to a territory to statehood, Hawaii has a location in the Pacific that’s made it historically valuable. Here is how to research ancestors who made the long journey there.
WAVES OF HISTORY
The eight main islands that make up Hawaii rise
