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56-507: The Northwestern or Leeward Hawaiian Islands include Other islands or reefs were previously mapped as part of this chain but are now considered to be either phantom islands or misidentifications of existing islands. The following reefs continued to appear on maps as late as 1934: As late as 1960, a German globe showed islands west of Kure Atoll that had long been proven nonexistent: The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands were formed approximately 7 to 30 million years ago, as shield volcanoes over

112-481: A famous creation story, the demigod Māui fished the islands of Hawaiʻi from the sea after a little mistake he made on a fishing trip. From Haleakalā , Māui ensnared the sun in another story, forcing him to slow down so there were equal periods of darkness and light each day. The Hawaiian mystical worldview allows for different gods and spirits to imbue any aspect of the natural world. From this mystical perspective, in addition to his presence in lightning and rainbows,

168-524: A more recent study using updated radiocarbon dating methods suggested a much later date, somewhere within the mid-14th century. Located on the island of Moloka'i, the Hālawa Dune Site was first discovered in 1964 and consists of two mounds . In the summer of 1970, Patrick Vinton Kirch performed excavations on the larger of the two mounds, Mound B, revealing six major layers. Within the fourth layer were artifacts, faunal remains, and house foundations. Of

224-466: A possible settlement as early as 124 CE. Patrick Vinton Kirch 's early books on Hawaiian archeology date the first Polynesian settlements to about 300 CE with more recent suggestions by Kirch of 600 CE. Other theories suggest dating as late as 700–800 CE. In 2010, researchers announced new findings using revised, high-precision radiocarbon dating based on more reliable samples than were previously used in many dating studies. This new data indicates that

280-716: A public proclamation creating Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument under the Antiquities Act of 1906. The Monument encompasses the islands and surrounding waters, forming the largest marine wildlife reserve in the world. President Theodore Roosevelt had declared the Northwestern Hawaiian chain a bird sanctuary in 1909, and the islands had been protected since 2000 with a designation as an 'ecosystem reserve' by President Bill Clinton , but increasing it to national monument status provides unprecedented control. 139,000 square miles (360,000 km) of ocean

336-749: A range of 600 to 1200 CE, however a re-dating of samples in 2007 showed the site dated no earlier than 1300 CE, and was occupied primarily between 1400 and 1650 CE. Early settlers brought along with them clothing, plants (called " canoe plants ") and livestock and established settlements along the coasts and larger valleys. Upon their arrival, the settlers grew kalo ( taro ), maiʻa ( banana ), niu ( coconut ), ulu ( breadfruit ), and raised puaʻa ( pork ), moa ( chicken ), and ʻīlio ( poi dog ), although these meats were eaten less often than fruits, vegetables, and seafood. Popular condiments included paʻakai ( salt ), ground kukui nut , limu ( seaweed ), and ko ( sugarcane ) which

392-528: A second wave of migrations in 1000–1300 from which different religions and systems were shared between Hawaiʻi and the Society Islands. Had Hawaiʻi been influenced by the Tahitian chiefs, the kapu system would have become stricter, and the social structure would have changed. Human sacrifice would have become a part of their new religious observance, and the aliʻi would have gained more power over

448-621: A study was published based on radiocarbon dating of more reliable samples which suggests that the islands were settled much later, within a short timeframe, in about 1219 to 1266. The islands in Eastern Polynesia have been characterized by the continuities among their cultures, and the short migration period would be an explanation of this result. Diversified agroforestry and aquaculture provided sustenance for Native Hawaiian cuisine . Tropical materials were adopted for housing. Elaborate temples (called heiau ) were constructed from

504-581: A system of apprenticeship existed in which very young students would begin learning a craft or profession by assisting an expert, or kahuna . As spiritual powers were perceived by Hawaiians to imbue all of nature, experts in many fields of work were known as kahuna , a term commonly understood to mean priest . The various types of kahuna passed on knowledge of their profession, be it in "genealogies, or mele , or herb medicine, or canoe building, or land boundaries", etc. by involving and instructing apprentices in their work. More formal schools existed for

560-724: Is because of this isolation that the Hawaiian Islands have extraordinary numbers of unique species. Only a species that could fly or swim immense distances could reach the archipelago. But whereas Polynesians, and later, Europeans, have largely altered the ecosystem of the Main Hawaiian islands by introducing alien species, the ecosystems of the NWHI remain, for the most part, intact. The extensive coral reefs found in Papahānaumokuākea are home to over 7,000 marine species. Of

616-458: Is believed to account for the "remarkable uniformity of East Polynesia culture, biology and language". According to Hawaiian mythology, there were other settlers in Hawaiʻi: peoples who were forced back into remote valleys by newer arrivals. They claim that stories about menehune , little people who built heiau and fishponds, prove the existence of ancient peoples who settled the islands before

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672-415: Is going to, to prevent inter-island species introduction. However, French Frigate Shoals and Midway Atoll are exempted from these rules, as they are deemed too altered by humans already to worry about introducing new species. Phantom island A phantom island is a purported island which was included on maps for a period of time, but was later found not to exist. They usually originate from

728-547: Is often referred to in Hawaiian chant. Different varieties of the root were used by different castes, and the brew served as an "introduction to mysticism". The four biggest islands, the island of Hawaiʻi , Maui , Kauaʻi and Oʻahu were generally ruled by their own aliʻi nui (supreme ruler) with lower ranking subordinate chiefs called aliʻi ʻaimoku , ruling individual districts with land agents called konohiki . All these dynasties were interrelated and regarded all

784-577: Is one that is claimed to exist contemporaneously, but later found not to have existed in the first place (or found not to be an island, as with the Island of California ). Some may have been purely mythical, such as the Isle of Demons near Newfoundland , which may have been based on local legends of a haunted island. The far-northern island of Thule was reported to exist by the 4th-century BC Greek explorer Pytheas , but information about its purported location

840-561: Is the period of Hawaiian history preceding the unification in 1810 of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi by Kamehameha the Great . Traditionally, researchers estimated the first settlement of the Hawaiian islands as having occurred sporadically between 400 and 1100 CE by Polynesian long-distance navigators from the Samoan , Marquesas , and Tahiti islands within what is now French Polynesia . In 2010,

896-457: The ahupuaʻa as their source of water management. Each ahupuaʻa was a sub-division of land from the mountain to the sea. The Hawaiians used the water from the rain that ran through the mountains as a form of irrigation. Hawaiians also settled around these parts of the land because of the farming that was done. Religion held ancient Hawaiian society together, affecting habits, lifestyles, work methods, social policy and law. The legal system

952-532: The Darwin Point . Each of the NWHI are in various stages of erosion. Nihoa , Necker , and Gardner Pinnacles are rocky, basalt islands that have not eroded enough to form an atoll, or that lack a substantial coral reef. Laysan and Lisianski are low, sandy islands that have been eroded longer. French Frigate Shoals , Pearl and Hermes , Midway , and Kure are atolls. North of the Darwin Point,

1008-716: The Falkland Islands . The Baja California Peninsula and the Banks Peninsula in New Zealand each appear as islands on some early maps, but were later discovered to be attached to their mainlands. Isle Phelipeaux , an apparent duplication of Isle Royale in Lake Superior , appeared on explorers' maps for many years, and even served as a landmark for the border between the United States and

1064-479: The Hawaiian people (and possibly all humans) as descendants of legendary parents, Wākea (symbolizing the air) and his wife Papa (symbolizing the earth). Up to the late eighteenth century, the island of Hawaiʻi had been ruled by one line descended from Umi-a-Liloa . At the death of Keaweʻīkekahialiʻiokamoku , a lower ranking chief, Alapainui , overthrew the two sons of the former ruler who were next in line as

1120-524: The 496 artifacts unearthed in this layer, the most significant included fishhooks and adzes . The adzes recovered from Mound B were similar to those found in Nihoa and the Necker Islands and, according to Kirch and McCoy, served as "evidence that the Hālawa Dune Site represented an early phase in the development of Hawaiian material culture." Initial radiocarbon dating for the site by Kirch suggested

1176-827: The Americas was done, and researchers found a genetic link that proves the root made it to Polynesia from the Andes around 1100. The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , offer more evidence that ancient Polynesians may have interacted with people in South America long before the Europeans set foot on the continent. The Pacific rat accompanied humans on their journey to Hawaiʻi. David Burney argues that humans, along with

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1232-540: The Europeans, however, the population steeply dropped due to various diseases including smallpox . A traditional town of ancient Hawaiʻi included several structures. Listed in order of importance: Ancient Hawaiʻi was a caste society developed from ancestral Polynesians . In The overthrow of the kapu system in Hawaii , Stephenie Seto Levin describes the main classes: Hawaiian youth learned life skills and religion at home, often with grandparents. For "bright" children

1288-446: The Hawaiian archipelago ( Nihoa spp.), recently discovered, are found here. Most endemic species are highly vulnerable to extinction as one major catastrophic event could wipe out all of the vegetation on each small island. Additionally, seventy percent of all coral reefs in the United States are found here. Archeological evidence suggests ancient Hawaiians visited but did not live on Mokumanamana (Necker) and French Frigate Shoals, and

1344-553: The Hawaiians. The Wai'ahukini Rockshelter, site H8, lies within a lava tube about 600 feet inland from the shore on the southern part of the island of Hawai'i. Based on the lack of light and space necessary for normal living conditions, it was unlikely that site H8 was used as a dwelling. Excavations of site H8 began in 1954 by William J. Bonk and students from the University of Hawaii, Hilo, and concluded in 1958. Excavation of

1400-561: The IBA form one of the largest assemblages of tropical seabirds in the world, with over 14 million birds of 21 species. Some of the endemic species of the NWHI include the Nihoa and Laysan finch , the Laysan duck (the "rarest native waterfowl in the United States"), and the Nihoa fan palm . Other notable species are the Laysan albatross , the highly endangered Hawaiian monk seal , and the green sea turtle . The only native trapdoor spiders in

1456-574: The archeological sites on Nihoa and Necker were found. Most of the islands have several names: one in English and one or more in Hawaiian (indicated in parentheses above). The majority of the Hawaiian names used as alternatives to the English ones were created in modern times; the original names that ancient Hawaiians gave to all of these islands that they encountered prior to Western contact are found in various oli (chants) and moʻolelo (stories). On June 15, 2006, American President George W. Bush issued

1512-474: The birds and sea life living in the NWHI. Rabbits were introduced to Laysan and Lisianski, where they multiplied and devoured most of the vegetation, permanently extinguishing several species. However, most of the damage was reversed, and the islands were restored largely to their pre-exploitation state. The NWHI has been recognized as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because of its seabirds and endemic landbirds. The seabird colonies in

1568-543: The children learning from their grandparents, children who were apprentices learned by watching and participating in daily life. Children were discouraged from asking questions in traditional Hawaiian culture. In Hawaiian ideology, one does not "own" the land, but merely dwells on it. The belief was that both the land and the gods were immortal. This then informed the belief that land was also godly, and therefore above mortal and ungodly humans, and humans therefore could not own land. The Hawaiians thought that all land belonged to

1624-549: The conquered lands as rewards to his warriors. In practice, commoners had some security against capricious re-possession of their houses and farms. They were usually left in place, to pay tribute and supply labor to a new chief, under the supervision of a new konohiki , or overseer. This system of land tenure has similarities with the feudal system prevalent in Europe during the Middle Ages . The ancient Hawaiians had

1680-534: The coral reef grows more slowly than the island's subsidence, and as the Pacific Plate moves northwest, the island becomes a seamount when it crosses this line. Kure Atoll straddles the Darwin Point, and will sink beneath the ocean when its coral reef cannot keep up with the rate of subsidence, a destiny that awaits every Hawaiian island. The Hawaiian Islands are about 2,500 miles (4,000 km) from North America and 3,800 miles (6,100 km) from Asia, and it

1736-425: The counsel of experts on the islands. Kapu was derived from traditions and beliefs from Hawaiian worship of gods, demigods and ancestral mana . The forces of nature were personified as the main gods of Kū (God of war), Kāne (god of light and life), Kanaloa (god of death), and Lono (god of peace and growth). Well-known lesser gods include Pele (goddess of fire) and her sister Hiʻiaka (goddess of dance). In

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands - Misplaced Pages Continue

1792-586: The credit has gone to William Douglas. Later that year, La Pérouse discovered Necker, and named it for Jacques Necker , the French Minister of Finance. La Pérouse then went on to discover French Frigate Shoals. The last of the NWHI to be discovered was Midway Atoll, which was found by N.C. Middlebrooks in 1859. In 1925, the Tanager Expedition travelled to many of the NWHI. The islands were mapped, new species were discovered and described, and

1848-1304: The early 21st century, until its non-existence was re-confirmed in 2012. Other phantom islands are misidentifications of breakers , icebergs, fog banks, pumice rafts from underwater volcanoes, or optical illusions. Observed in the Weddell Sea in 1823 but never again seen, New South Greenland may have been the result of a superior mirage . Some such as Thompson Island or Bermeja may have been actual islands subsequently destroyed by volcanic explosions, earthquakes, submarine landslides, or low-lying lands such as sand banks that are no longer above water. Pactolus Bank , visited by Sir Francis Drake in 1578, may fit into this former sand bank category. In some cases, cartographers intentionally include invented geographic features in their maps, either for fraudulent purposes or to catch plagiarists . [REDACTED] Africa [REDACTED] Antarctica [REDACTED] Asia [REDACTED] Australia [REDACTED] Europe [REDACTED] North America [REDACTED] South America [REDACTED] Afro-Eurasia [REDACTED] Americas [REDACTED] Eurasia [REDACTED] Oceania Ancient Hawaii Ancient Hawaiʻi

1904-674: The feather cloaks of the aliʻi , canoe builders. Soon, entire islands began to specialize in certain skilled trades. Oʻahu became the chief kapa (tapa bark cloth) manufacturer. Maui became the chief canoe manufacturer. The island of Hawaiʻi exchanged bales of dried fish. By chance in January 1778, British Captain James Cook encountered the Hawaiian Islands while crossing the Pacific during his third voyage of exploration . He landed first on Kauaʻi, then Niʻihau before leaving

1960-498: The first settlements were on the southern end of the Big Island of Hawaiʻi and that they quickly extended northwards, along the seacoasts and the easily accessible river valleys. As the population increased, settlements were made further inland. With the islands being so small, the population was very dense. Before European contact, the population had reached somewhere in the range of 200,000 to 1,000,000 people. After contact with

2016-414: The god of light and life, Kāne , can be present in rain and clouds and a peaceful breeze (typically the "home" of Lono). Although all food and drink had religious significance to the ancient Hawaiians, special cultural emphasis was placed on ʻawa ( kava ) due to its narcotic properties. This root-based beverage, a psychoactive and a relaxant, was used to consecrate meals and commemorate ceremonies. It

2072-400: The gods ( akua ). The aliʻi were believed to be "managers" of land. That is, they controlled those who worked on the land, the makaʻāinana . On the death of one chief and the accession of another, lands were re-apportioned—some of the previous "managers" would lose their lands, and others would gain them. Lands were also re-apportioned when one chief defeated another and re-distributed

2128-638: The island's aliʻi nui . Assuming five to ten generations per century, the Aliʻi ʻAimoku dynasties were around three to six centuries old at 1800 CE. The Tahitian settlement of the Hawaiian islands is believed to have taken place in the thirteenth century. The aliʻi and other social castes were presumably established during this period. The ancient Hawaiian economy became complex over time. People began to specialize in specific skills. Generations of families became committed to certain careers: roof thatchers, house builders, stone grinders, bird catchers who would make

2184-443: The islands must follow stringent procedures designed to prevent any stray species from entering and disrupting the ecosystem. All clothes must be bought new, and kept wrapped until before arrival. In fact, all "soft" items (camera strap, blanket) must be bought new, and all "hard" items (camera, binoculars) must be cleaned thoroughly. Then, every item must be frozen for 48 hours. A new set of equipment must be prepared for each island one

2240-526: The islands were deserted when Europeans arrived in the 18th century. Agricultural terraces indicate Hawaiians lived on Nihoa for extended periods of time. Mokumanamana lacks vegetation and is unsuitable for agriculture, and archeological studies indicate early Hawaiians only visited and used the island for religious purposes. The first of the Leeward Isles to be discovered by Europeans was Nihoa. James Colnett discovered it in 1786, although historically

2296-511: The lava rocks available. The rich natural resources supported a relatively dense population, organized by a ruling class and social system with religious leaders. Captain James Cook made the first known European contact with ancient Hawaiians in 1778. He was followed by many other Europeans and Americans. There have been changing views about initial Polynesian discovery and settlement of Hawai'i. Radiocarbon dating in Hawai'i initially indicated

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2352-509: The many species that live here , over 1,700 species of organisms are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands (i.e., they are found nowhere else). For this reason, the region has been dubbed "America's Galápagos ". Though not subject to nearly as much extinction as the main islands, the Leeward Islands have had their share of abuse. From the late 19th to the early 20th centuries, fishermen, guano miners, and feather hunters killed most of

2408-693: The most advanced of the original peoples of the Pacific. A notable example is the Menehune Fishpond dating from at least 1,000 years ago, at Alekoko (Kaua'i). At the time of Captain James Cook's arrival, there were at least 360 fishponds producing 2,000,000 pounds (900,000 kg) of fish per year. Over the course of the last millennium, Hawaiians undertook "large-scale canal-fed pond field irrigation" projects for kalo (taro) cultivation. The new settlers built hale (homes) and heiau (temples). Archaeologists currently believe that

2464-500: The period of eastern and northern Polynesian colonization took place much later, in a shorter time frame of two waves: the "earliest in the Society Islands c. 1025–1120, four centuries later than previously assumed; then after 70–265 years, dispersal continued in one major pulse to all remaining islands c. 1190–1290." According to this research, settlement of the Hawaiian Islands took place c. 1219–1266. This rapid colonization

2520-403: The reports of early sailors exploring new regions, and are commonly the result of navigational errors, mistaken observations, unverified misinformation, or deliberate fabrication. Some have remained on maps for centuries before being "un-discovered". Unlike lost lands , which are claimed (or known) to have once existed but to have been swallowed by the sea or otherwise destroyed, a phantom island

2576-687: The same volcanic hotspot that formed the Emperor Seamounts to the north and the Main Hawaiian Islands to the south. As the Pacific Plate moved north and later northwest over the hot spot, volcanic eruptions built up islands in a linear chain. The isolated land masses gradually eroded and subsided, evolving from high islands in the south, much like the Main Islands of Hawaii, to atolls (or seamounts ) north of

2632-513: The ships arrived during the Makahiki season dedicated to peace. Later, Captain Cook was killed during a violent confrontation and left behind on the beach by his retreating sailors. The British demanded that his body be returned, but the Hawaiians had already performed funerary rituals of their tradition. This first European contact with the Hawaiian islands marked the beginning of the end of

2688-425: The site revealed eight fireplaces at varying depths, as well as 1671 artifacts which included faunal remains, fishhooks, and lithic materials made of basalt and volcanic glass. The distribution of artifacts in site H8 indicated that it was continuously used as a fishing shelter until the eruption of Mauna Loa in 1868. An early estimation of the site's initial occupation was A.D. 750 by Emory and Sinoto in 1969, but

2744-410: The study of hula , and likely for the study of higher levels of sacred knowledge. The kahuna took the apprentice into his household as a member of the family, although often "the tutor was a relative". During a religious "graduation" ceremony, "the teacher consecrated the pupil, who thereafter was one with the teacher in psychic relationship as definite and obligatory as blood relationship". Like

2800-542: The territory that would become Canada, before subsequent exploration by surveyors determined that it did not exist. Sandy Island appeared on maps of the Coral Sea beginning in the late 19th century. Purportedly, it existed between the Chesterfield Islands and Nereus Reef near New Caledonia ; however, it was "undiscovered" in the 1970s. Nonetheless, it continued to be included in mapping data sets into

2856-414: The vertebrate animals they brought with them (pigs, dogs, chickens and rats), caused many native species of birds, plants and large land snails to become extinct in the process of colonization. Estuaries and streams were adapted into fishponds by early Polynesian settlers, as long ago as 500 CE or earlier. Packed earth and cut stone were used to create habitat, making ancient Hawaiian aquaculture among

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2912-503: The vicinity to continue his mission to explore the Pacific coast of North America. He returned to the islands in November to re-supply, first encountering Maui then sailing on to an anchorage at Kealakekua Bay on Hawaii island. Some of the natives believed Cook was a sign from their god Lono. Cook's mast and sails coincidentally resembled the emblem (a mast and sheet of white kapa ) that symbolized Lono in their religious rituals;

2968-478: Was at that time set aside for protection, about the size of the U.S. state of California . In August 2016, President Barack Obama expanded the area of the monument by roughly four times. The expanded monument was at that time the world's largest marine protected area . Entry to the Monument is limited through a permit system, jointly administered by NOAA , FWS , and the state of Hawaii . Anyone who comes to

3024-402: Was based on religious kapu , or taboos . There was a correct way to live, to worship, and even to eat. Examples of kapu included the provision that men and women could not eat together (ʻAikapu religion). Fishing was limited to specified seasons of the year. The shadow of the aliʻi must not be touched as it was stealing his mana . The rigidity of the kapu system might have come from

3080-478: Was lost; explorers and geographers since have speculated that it was the Shetland Islands , Iceland , Scandinavia , or possibly nonexistent. The island of Hy-Brasil was sometimes depicted on maps west of Ireland, but all accounts of it have been fanciful. Some phantom islands arose through the faulty positioning of actual islands, or other geographical errors. Pepys Island was a misidentification of

3136-458: Was used as both a sweet and a medicine. In addition to the foods they brought, the settlers also acquired ʻuala ( sweet potato ), which began to be cultivated across Polynesia around the year 1000 or earlier, with the earliest evidence of cultivation in Hawaii around 1300. The sweet potato is native to South America. Recently, an analysis of the DNA of 1,245 sweet potato varieties from Asia and

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