Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park – Hawaii
Visiting Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park on the Big Island is an encounter with a living cultural landscape that reflects how Natick Hawaiians sustained themselves for centuries in balance with land and sea.
In the park are the traditional fishponds built from lava rock and guided by tidal flow. Fish were allowed to enter and grow which provided a renewable food source. The surrounding lava fields hold the imprint of everyday life: house platforms, petroglyphs and the remains of a village.
Recognizing the national significance of this place, Jimmy Carter signed legislation in 1978 establishing Kaloko Honokohau as a National Historical Park. This designation marked a growing acknowledgement that indigenous knowledge systems are central to the American story and deserve to be protected.
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Homestead National Historical Park – Nebraska
Homestead National Historical Park in Beatrice, Nebraska preserves the story of one of the most transformative legislations in American history: The Homestead Act of 1862. Signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln, the Act allowed citizens to claim 160 acres of public land if they lived on it, built a dwelling and farmed it for […]
Pullman National Monument – Illinois
While teaching in Chicago in 2018, we took a trip to Pullman National Monument, a relatively new addition to the National Park Service at the time. The Pullman community was a grand idea. It was created in the 1880s by George Pullman, founder of the Pullman Palace Car Company. His vision was to create a […]
Pinnacles National Park – California
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