Hawians and Their History

I am Native Hawaiian and reside in Orange City, Florida. My ancestors were the first people who settled in Hawaii around 500 AD to 750 AD. They were Polynesians who came from the Marquesas Island in large boat-like canoes. The Canoe had a person who was the navigator. The navigator was a person who was able to read the stars and the sky as direction. These people were able to tell if there was land ahead even before they were able to see land from the canoe. A few years later, people from Tahiti and the other smaller Hawaiian Islands settled in Hawaii. They settled in Hawaii 2000 years ago.

It is believed that the Polynesians were explorers that were looking for new homes and migrated to Hawaii. When my people came from the Marquesas Islands, they brought many types of supplies. In addition to food for the journey, they brought at least a half dozen plant species to cultivate, like bananas, taro, and breadfruit. They also brought pigs, small dogs, and chickens to raise. Of course, no journey would be complete without handy items like medicinal plants, basic tools, vessels made of gourds, and ropes.

My ancestors first landed on the southern coast of the big island of Hawaii, at Ka Lae. The name Hawaii derived from the world Havaiki, the Polynesian name for a homeland believed they all originally came from and would return to after death. To survive while they waited for their first plantings to grow and mature, they hunted birds, fished, and gathered native foods.

My people the Hawaiians believed in many legends and had many gods to worship. One of the gods that they worship is Pele, the goddess of the fire. Whenever Pele was angry or got restless, that was when my people believed, her volcanoes erupted. Another famous goddess was the Goddess Hi’iaka. Hi’iaka was the Water Goddess, and was Pele’s sister. Some people say that Hi’iaka was an egg shaped object that Pele usually carried around under her arm. Another god was Wakea. Wakea is known as Father Sky or Mother Earth. My people the Hawaiians believed that these gods created and controlled Hawaii using their secret and magical powers.

My people had a royalty system which included many rules. The rulers were called chiefs or Ali’I were the one who made all the rules and laws or Kapu. The chiefs had helpers, called the Kalaimoku.