Day 342: Mo’okini Heiau, Hawi, Hawai’i
📌APIA Every Day (342) - Mo’okini Heiau, located within the Kohala Historical Sites State Monument, is one of the oldest heiau (sacred temples) in the Hawaiian archipelago. Believed to have been originally constructed in the 5th century, it is also one of the earliest luakini heiau (sacrificial temples) ever built. The site also neighbors the nearby birthplace of King Kamehameha I, the first ruler of the unified Kingdom of Hawai’i. For centuries, Moʻokini Heiau served as the principal place of worship on the Big Island and continues to remain a significant symbol of the Native Hawaiian religion.
According to tradition, the original Mo’okini Heiau was constructed by high priest Mo’okini sometime before the year 500. Centuries later, the current temple was built atop the old site by high priest Pa’ao between 1200 and 1300. Pa’ao, originally from Tahiti, is credited with founding a line of priests that served the ali'i 'ai moku (supreme chief) of Hawai’i through the 19th century. He is also considered responsible for introducing the concept of walled heiau and sacrificial practices into the Native Hawaiian religion. As a luakini heiau, the Mo’okini temple was dedicated to the war god Ku and represented the spiritual and political authority of the ali'i 'ai moku over the island. Following the birth of Kamehameha I around 1753, the heiau served as the king’s personal war temple during the late 18th century.
Eventually in 1819, Kamehameha I’s son, Liholiho, decreed that the part of Hawaiian religion associated with heiau should be abolished. While many temples across the islands were destroyed in the aftermath, Moʻokini Heiau and others, such as Loʻaloʻa Heiau (APIA Every Day 176), were able to survive. Over 150 years later, high priestess Leimomi Moʻokini Lum—a descendent of the original Moʻokini—rededicated the historic Mo’okini temple to the children of the land, lifting previous restrictions preventing the general public from entering. In 1994, she then extended this rededication to include the children of the world, opening the site as a place of cultural learning.
In 1962, Mo’okini Heiau was designated a National Historic Landmark, recognizing its sacred importance to the Native Hawaiian religion and to the early rulers of the Islands. Today, the temple remains open to the public as part of the Kohala Historical Sites State Monument and is maintained by heiau guardians—other descendents of Mo’okini—who protect its legacy for future generations.
Written by Avneet Dhaliwal
LEARN MORE:
National Register Nomination Form
Keola Magazine: Kamehameha's Birthplace, and the Many-Layered History of Kokoiki, Kohala
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