Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park
Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park on the Big Island of Hawaii is one of the most important and sacred historic places in Hawaii. Long before Hawaii became part of the United States, this area served as a “City of Refuge”, a protected santuary where people could excape punishment, violence or death.
An ancient Hawaiian society, life was governed by a strict system of sacred laws known as Kapu. These laws controlled many aspects of daily life, such as where people could go, what they could eat and how they interacted with chiefs and sacred places. Breaking a Kapu, even unintentionally, could result in a death sentence. But there was one hope for forgiveness, if a person could reach the Pu’uhomua or place of refuge, they would be protected. Priests would perform ceremonies of absolution, and the person could eventually return to society free from punishment. During times of warfare, defeated warriors and noncombatants could also seek safely behind its walls.
What appears at first to be a peaceful grove of palm trees and lava rock was once a place where lives were literally saved. The site was established as a National Historical Park in 1961 to preserve the important part of Hawaiian culture and history.
Unlike many historic sites built around battles, the City of Refuge represents mercy. Visiting Pu’uhonual o Honaunau is stepping in a place that reflects the spiritual and cultural heart of Hawaii, a place where forgiveness, protection and community were considered sacred values worth preserving.
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