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who were the first hawaiians? why did they come to the islands? how did they get there? these are just a few questions that historians want to answer about hawaii's early settlers, and the answers may be found in myths and legends.

historians know that the migration of settlers to the hawaiian islands began as early as 300 ce (common era). that's when explorers from the eastern polynesian islands began to arrive. but there is a great deal that historians don't know. there are many myths and legends about who these first settlers were and why they migrated to hawaii. now, some historians are attempting to prove the validity of these stories. the following are two of the many legends about early migrations to hawaii.

the legend of hawai'iloa

generations of hawaiians have told the story of hawai'iloa. he was a navigator who was known for making fishing excursions that would sometimes last for months at a time. it was on one of these excursions that it is said he accidentally found the hawaiian islands. hawai'iloa fell in love with the islands and their fertile lands, where coconuts grew in abundance. he knew immediately that he wanted to colonize the islands. hawai'iloa returned to his homeland and organized an expedition that included his family and some skilled navigators. they steered by the stars until they came upon what is now the island of hawaii, which is named in his honor. some versions of the hawai'iloa legend claim that hawaii's other main islands—kaua'i, o'ahu, and maui—were named after hawai'iloa's children.

some people question the authenticity of the hawai'iloa legend. they claim that parts of it grew from the imaginations of the people who passed it down from generation to generation. however, others believe the story is true. this is in part because the voyages referred to in the story have been successfully recreated.

in 1975, a group known as the polynesian voyaging society constructed a canoe similar to the ones that early settlers might have used to travel to the islands. in 1976, the canoe, called the hokule'a, sailed from hawaii to tahiti and back. it repeated this feat in 1980. the hokule'a has since crossed the south pacific ocean, usually without any modern navigational aids. these accomplishments support the idea that early settlers, such as hawai'iloa, could have sailed great distances to reach the hawaiian islands. furthermore, some say the hokule'a proves that early settlers could have intentionally set out to reach hawaii, as opposed to merely setting adrift on the sea, as some migration myths claim.

the legend of pa'ao

a second legend about early migration to hawaii is told about pa'ao. he was a priest from tahiti. it is said that he left his homeland some time after 1100 ce, after a quarrel with his brother. pa'ao and other people left in canoes to find a new land. while at sea, pa'ao heard the wind tell him to steer toward hawaii.

after landing at the hawaiian islands, pa'ao made a return voyage to tahiti. he wanted to find a relative who could serve as the ruling chief of the islands. pa'ao returned with pili-kaaiea, or pili. pili proved to be a valuable choice. he would be the leader of a line of chiefs that lasted until the late 19th century. some stories also say that pa'ao was influential in establishing a new social class order on the islands. the highest class was the mo'i (king and queen) and the 'aha kuhina (chiefs and advisors). next were the ali'i (royalty), kahuna (priests and experts in a given profession), and maka'ainana (commoners who were mostly farmers). lastly, there was the kaua class, who were considered outcasts. pa'ao also introduced a strict system of laws and regulations that determined if something was kapu, which means sacred or forbidden.

some native hawaiians and others believe the pa'ao narrative is real history. these groups cite the hokule'a's recent successful travels to support the achievability of long voyages in ancient canoes. many also say that the story is proof that more people later came to hawaii from the islands to the south.

are the stories true? did pa'ao and hawai'iloa actually settle the hawaiian islands? there is evidence that the early settlers traveled across the waters near hawaii, but many historians continue to debate if the different migration stories are fact or fiction.

what was the author's purpose for writing the texts in this lesson? which details from the reading support your determination of the author's purpose? support your response with information from the