from KOHALA Volume 1: Owhyhee

At altars, temples, and sacred groves, prayers were whispered, and chants rose to the heavens. Offerings and sacrifices of fruits, vegetables, pigs, and  people were made to ensure survival. And still, survival was never certain. The chief, priests, and gods all wielded power, but none could hold back the tides when they turned against them.

PART I: FINDING OWHYHEE

The winds that sweep across Kohala today are the same winds that guided the first Polynesian voyagers to these shores. When these ancient wayfinders crossed thousands of miles of open ocean, they weren’t just hoping to stumble upon land—they were following an elaborate system of natural markers, celestial guides, and wind patterns that led them precisely to this northern point of Hawaiʻi island.

Why Kohala? A successful landing site needed three critical elements: reliable winds for approach and departure, clear landmarks visible from far at sea, and safe harbors for landing. Kohala offered all three in abundance.

From miles out at sea, Kohala’s distinctive profile would have emerged from the horizon like a beacon. The great bulk of Mauna Kea behind it, the prominent headlands of ʻUpolu Point, and the steady northeast trade winds created a natural gateway to the Hawaiian archipelago. These same features would later allow voyagers to find their way back to their southern homeland of Hawaʻiki—a place whose name echoes across Polynesia as Havaiki, Savai’i, and Hawaiʻi.

KOHALA Volume 1: Owhyhee is available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/gtaTxCV