1939. AERIAL VIEW, SUMMIT OF MAUNA KEA (Photo No. 37382 A.C., Collection of the National Archives and Records Administration)
Kū‘ahu on Mauna Kea – a spiritual piko for all Hawai‘i.
(Kepā Maly, photo)
Mauna Kea – Ka Piko Kaulana o ka ‘Āina. Over the years we’ve researched in both local and national archives, and conducted many oral history interviews with kūpuna and elder kama‘āina to gather traditional-historical accounts of Mauna Kea. The writings and voices all describe wahi pana (storied and sacred places) and Hawaiian cultural attachment with the ‘āina mauna. One significant example of the spiritual-cultural significance Mauna Kea is found in the visit of Dowager Queen Emma to the summit region in 1882. The document titled “Queen_Emma_on_Mauna_Kea_1882” describes the Queens visit, and the living memory of the trip. Elder kama‘āina interviews also commemorate the event and some families still carry names connecting them with the ‘āina mauna.
