What are heiau?

Heiau are places of worship. Some heiau were simple earth terraces and others were elaborate in their construction.  If we look closer at the word heiau we recognize “Hei” and “Au”.  Hei means to catch, capture, & ensnare. Au means time, current or energy. When we put hei and au together, we can understand heiau to be structures that ensnare time and energy. This makes heiau honored places of learning and ceremony.  

Hāpaialiʻi, a very sacred heiau at Kahaluʻu Ma Kai, was constructed to observe the movement of the setting sun in order to better track seasons and activities needed to maintain a healthy community.  Hāpaialiʻi was significant to many prominent aliʻi over several centuries

With restoration of the heiau at Kahaluʻu Ma Kai there is also a restoration of a community and long forgotten traditions.