Kaho‘olawe has long been a sacred and storied place for Native Hawaiians. Steeped in cultural and historical significance, the uninhabited island was once a center for celestial navigation training, agriculture, and spiritual practice. Kaho‘olawe’s modern history is marked by an era of intense U.S. military target practice and the Native Hawaiian movement to reclaim and restore the island.
Maui Ocean Center unveiled Kaho‘olawe: A Story of History and Healing to commemorate the sacred island’s past, present, and future.
Created in collaboration with the Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC), Maui Ocean Center has supplemented KIRC’s previously exhibited content from the Smithsonian and Bishop Museum to provide additional insight into Kaho‘olawe’s role in navigation, the marine life that inhabits its waters, and the role of KIRC and their volunteers. Designed to show the power of change, both good and bad, the exhibit follows Kaho‘olawe’s development timeline from the first settlement to current restoration projects.
Illustrating the culture, geography, history, and restoration of the island, the exhibit evokes hope for the future of Kaho‘olawe and each individual’s power to effect change.