Olowalu, Hawaii
Olowalu, Hawaii | |
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UTC12 (Hawaii) | |
ZIP Code | 96761 (Lahaina) |
Area code | 808 |
Olowalu is a community on the west side of the island of
It once sustained a large population, governed by the high chiefess Kalola, daughter of Maui ruler Kekaulike, and grandmother of
Puʻu Honua
From ancient times, Olowalu was considered a place of refuge, or puʻu honua, by Hawaiians. Persons pursued for committing an offense against a family group or an ali'i (royal) were untouchable once they stepped inside its borders. Violating sanctuary was punishable by death. For Pacific Island cultures, maintaining a peaceful order was a deep cultural tenet. For people on Maui, Olowalu created an interval of space and time to resolve disputes.[4]
Massacre
Olowalu Massacre | |
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Location | Maui |
Date | 1790 |
Attack type | Massacre |
Weapons | Naval artillery |
Deaths | ~100 killed |
Perpetrators | Simon Metcalfe |
In 1789, Captain
The Eleanora had arrived at the
He sailed to Olowalu but found that boat had been broken up for its nails. Nails were treasured in ancient Hawaii, which lacked metal smelting technology. Metcalfe invited the villagers to meet the ship, indicating he wanted to trade with them. However, he had all the cannons loaded and ready on the side where he directed the canoes to approach. They opened fire, killing about one hundred Hawaiians, and wounded many others.[5]
About five or six weeks later the Fair American arrived at the Island of Hawaiʻi, where Kameʻeiamoku was waiting at
The muskets of the Fair American were salvaged and the schooner refloated. Simon Metcalfe eventually left the island without realizing that he had indirectly caused his own son's death.
Agriculture
Historically, Traditional Hawaiian planters filled these arable lands or kula with food and material crops. Olowalu was known for dry land
Throughout most of the 19th and 20th centuries, the area was farmed for
Geography
The top of the Olowalu
Olowalu Valley opens up to a fan-shaped alluvial plain.[4]
When the Olowalu hills were cleared of sandalwood and hardwoods, Olowalu Valley became a much drier environment, from mountains to shore. Reforestation of the LThau mountains with sandalwood and 'ohi'a lehua is a major long-range goal of the OCR,[clarification needed] and a huge undertaking requiring partnership with the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR).
Increased condensation drip in the high forest, added to conservation methods on the kula, are an opportunity to restore past moisture levels to Olowalu Valley. Every activity in an ahupua'a was carried out within the context of a spiritual and cultural belief system that maintained harmony, balance, and peace for both seen and unseen life forms of all creation. Restoring the OCR is a foundation for bringing the concept of sanctuary back into present day culture, and redeeming the powerful history of Olowalu as a functioning pu'uhonua.[4]
Cultural reserve
Olowalu Cultural Reserve (OCR) was founded in 1999 as a community-based,
Olowalu Town
The community is sparsely inhabited today.[8] Coordinates are 20°48′39″N 156°37′20″W / 20.81083°N 156.62222°W. A 600-acre (2.4 km2) planned community called Olowalu Town was announced in 2005,[9] but as of 2012 had not been constructed. Plans called for constructing 1,500 housing units, a 300,000 square feet (28,000 m2) shopping area, relocating the current highway and installing related infrastructure.[10] On August 3 the Maui County Council voted 7–1 to incorporate Olowalu (previously designated "Agricultural") within the "urban growth boundary" of the Maui Island Plan.[11]
The development is controversial because it is adjacent to one of Hawaii's healthiest and most unusual coral reef systems.[10] The sheltered reef features large coral heads that are estimated to be hundreds of years old, as well as a rare manta ray cleaning station and Blacktip reef shark nursery.
Gallery
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Olowalu beach looking north
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Olowalu beach looking south
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Olowalu beach, West Maui surf spot
Notes
- ^ "2022 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Hawaii". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- ^ a b "P1. Race – Olowalu CDP, Hawaii: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- Maui No Ka 'Oi MagazineVol.14, No.3 (May 2010)
- ^ a b c d e f EIS Volume 1
- ^ a b Ralph S. Kuykendall, The Hawaiian Kingdom
- ^ "Boatswain John Young – his adventures in Hawaii recalled published February 14, 1886, New York Times archive
- ^ "Olowalu Cultural Reserve". Olowalu Cultural Reserve. Archived from the original on February 9, 2010. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
- ^ Olowalu Town official web site for the community
- ^ Olowalu Town on developer Duany Plater-Zyberk web site
- ^ a b "If developer fails, Olowalu won't 'sit as is' - Mauinews.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Visitor's Information". The Maui News. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
- ^ "Developer one step closer to vision for isle's families - Mauinews.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Visitor's Information". The Maui News. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
References
- Smith, Katherine Kama'ema'e. Pu'uhonua: The Legacy of Olowalu
- Ainsworth, Gail. "Olowalu Town, History and Culture".