EXPLORING IN HAWAII
On Molokai Where preserving the land means preserving the culture OF HAWAI’I’S ESTIMATED 8.8 million visitors in 2016, fewer than 60,000 came to Molokai. The fifth largest and third oldest of the Hawaiian chain, "The Friendly Isle" has the highest percentage of residents of native Hawaiian heritage. It also remains the least commercially developed of the islands accessible to tourists, lacking stoplights and buildings taller than three stories. This absence of development is by design—Molokai also boasts such natural features as Hawai'i’s longest beach, more than 40,000 acres of protected land, and the most expansive continuous reef in the United States. But for the local community, it’s not just about conserving land, it’s about preserving culture. To understand the community's efforts to invite visitors while still maintaining their way of life, we met with three locals: Greg Kawaimaka Solotario, 51st generation native Hawaiian and cultural practitioner of Hālawa Valley; Julie Bicoy, director of the Molokai Visitors Bureau; and Penny Rawlins Martin, education specialist and one of two women of the inaugural Hōkūle'a crew to voyage from Tahiti to Hawai'i using ancient navigation methods in 1976. BY CELESTE NOCHE
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Misadventures Issue 5
"My culture is sacred, not secret." –Gregory Kawaimaka Solatorio
PHOTOS, L-R The Hālawa Valley falls are only accessible via cultural tour with the Solatorio family. During the visit, guests learn and practice the traditional protocol of asking permission to enter someone else's land—communicating via conch shell. He emphasizes going back to the source, or the people, to verify and share cultural information. Greg holds a photo of his grandmother who, among other kupunas (elders), verified names and facts during an archaeological project in 1970.
