Warrior Women of Hawaiʻi
Much is written in history books about the Battle of Nuʻuanu in 1795 when Kamehameha I came to conquer Oʻahu in his attempt to unite the separate island chiefdoms to be under his rule. The most well known fact about this battle is that hundreds of Oʻahu warriors were forced off the 1200 foot high Nuʻuanu Pali cliffs to their death.
It is not well know however, that many of the warriors in this battle and other historical Hawaiian battles were women.
The skulls of twelve female warriors killed at the Battle of Nuʻuanu have been repatriated from the University of Cambridge Duckworth Laboratory in England and buried at a monument located at the Nuʻuanu Pali State Wayside. It was through lengthy efforts by the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs that they rightfully returned to Hawaiʻi to find their resting place.
The memorial has an underground vault capped with a rectangular stone platform. Nearby there is a 3 by 5 foot stone ahu (altar) for hoʻokupu (offerings). This is designated as wahi pana (a place of significance, or spiritual power) so please be respectful while visiting.
Additional reading:
Wahi Pana
Women Warriors
Star Advertiser News
Battle of Nu'uanu
Ho'okuleana
To log this virtual cache please message or email the answers to these questions which are available at the site:
-What is the Hawaiian name of the burial platform? (the answer is NOT Wahi Pana)
-What is the dedication date stated on the plaque?
-Post a selfie or a photo of a personal item with the site in the background. No spoiler info showing please.
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