Hawaiian Soul

Wood and cordage, tooth and bone are used to recreate the ancient Hawaiian instruments of war. A modern weapons maker finds connection to a culture.

A writer and a photographer explore the remains of the King's Trail on Maui, where dozens of archaeological sites spring up from the side of the trail.

Animal, plant, elemental force, even the substance of dreams-in their different forms, ancestral guides helped to shape the Islands' first culture.

Hawaiian lore finds the spirit of the divine in the ordinary world.

For more than a millennium, Hawaii relied on was an oral culture. It’s not mere chance that the spoken word has regained its importance today.

On Maui's remote eastern shore, a long-hidden archeological treasure recalls the majesty of an ancient kingdom.

Dedicated volunteers are restoring the remains of a once-thriving Native Hawaiian village in Honokowai Valley—from the sticks to the stones.

Maui and her sister islands are reviving one of the most important spiritual times of ancient Hawai‘i: Makahiki.

A millennium before Haleakala became a national park, Hawaiians traversed its moonscape crater. On the park’s centennial, we reprise that journey.

Seventeen years in the making, the Hawaiian modern day voyaging canoe Mo‘okiha O Piilani will set sail on December 21 during the winter solstice.

In contrast to modern hula, ancient hula is purely percussive.

As the sun sinks behind Mala Wharf, hula dancers sway and whirl rhythmically before an enchanted audience. A live band croons in Hawaiian, torches...

 George Kahumoku Jr. Maui’s Renaissance man for the Hawaiian Renaissance.    By Peter von Buol with Chris Amundson  It is a beautiful Wednesday evening at Napili Kai Beach...

In rural East Maui, two communities are taking a stand to conserve a weird wild food — and with it, a part of their culture.

Like the rest of us, Hawaiian mature, age and die. And there the similarity ends.

By reviving ancient Hawaiian practices, modern conservationists hope to save the forests and the seas of the future.

Now that federal funds to restore "the Target Island" have dried up, Kaho‘olawe's caretakers are scrambling to maintain the work of healing this sacred place.

Kepā Maly is restoring authenticity to the stories of the island he loves.

What can the ancient Hawaiians teach us about preserving today's resources for tomorrow?

There’s a saying in English that you can’t choose your family. But with an ancient and enduring Hawaiian tradition called hānai, sometimes you can.

More than any other Polynesian people, Hawaiians excelled in the use of color, coaxing incredible hues from the natural world around them.

Discover how the restoration of Koieie Fishpond in North Kihei is helping to connect volunteers with ancient Hawaiian culture, legends and practices of old.

The culture of ancient Hawaiʻi was deeply rooted in nature. It still is—thanks to places like Maui Nui Botanical Gardens.

The life of Kālaipōhaku Hoaka Delos Reyes has been shaped by the medium he shapes.

“As Hawaiians, our mo‘olelo [stories] are so important,” says Maelia. “With heirloom jewelry, the mo‘olelo live on in each piece.”

This story straddles centuries to look at authentic Hawaiian clothing prior to Western contact, and how three young Hawaiian entrepreneurs are incorporating ancient meanings, patterns, and knowledge into their contemporary apparel.

Ancient Hawaiian mythology tells of the sacred shapeshifting dragons, or moo, which holds supernatural powers. Their presence is still felt by many.