Hidden Histories: Speaker Series

 

Each month for the 10th Anniversary Celebration of Honouliuli National Historic Site, the National Park Service in partnership with Pacific Historic Parks invited guest speakers to take part in the Hidden Histories: Speaker Series.

Hidden Histories invited experts in their field, some with intimate knowledge of the history of Honouliuli Internment Camp, to participate in a one-hour virtual discussion about their field. Guests were able to answer questions from the audience as well.

As the 10th anniversary celebration continues throught the year 2025, the recorded Hidden Histories sessions and details will be posted on this page for those who were unable to attend.

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March: 10th Anniversary Kickoff

 

Hell Valley: Uncovering a WWII Civilian and POW Prison Camp in Paradise

Presented by Mary Farrell

Link to Watch: Hidden Histories - Mary Farrell

Discussion Summary:

When it was rediscovered by the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaiʻi (JCCH), the Honouliuli Prisoner of War (POW) and Civilian Internment Camp was hidden in a densely vegetated gulch-- only 14 miles northwest of Honolulu, but worlds away. The site was buried not just physically, but also historically: although the mass removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans from the west coast of the United States was chronicled in books, movies, plays, museums, and countless articles, there was a widespread belief that there had been no internment of civilians in Hawaiʻi during World War II. Volunteers from JCCH and students from the University of Hawaiʻi braved the dense vegetation to document that the site indeed had many remnants of the prison camp. With those concrete slabs, rock walls, guard tower foundations, and fences, Honouliuli retains enough archaeological integrity to be listed on the National Register, an important first step on becoming a National Historic Site. As a unit of the National Park Service, Honouliuli will be able to tell its story of how the U.S. has treated its citizens and POWs in times of crisis.

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April: National Poetry Month

 

Honouliuli Internment Camp - Past and Future

Link to Watch: Hidden Histories - NPS Superintendent Christine Ogura

Discussion Summary: Christine shared a history of the Honouliuli ahupua'a and how Honouliuli Internment Camp came to be, along with updates on current work at the park as well as future plans.

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May: Natural Resources

 

The Ecology and Preservation of Pueo: Lessons from Hawaii's Native Owl

Presented by Olivia Wang, U.S. Fish & Wildlife

Link to Watch: Hidden Histories - Olivia Wang

Discussion Summary: Short-eared Owls are a globally distributed species that inhabit a variety of habitat types across five continents and many island chains. Pueo are the subspecies of Short-eared Owl native to the Hawaiian islands, and as one of the only native terrestrial predators in Hawai‘i, Pueo play an important ecological role in the islands. Through adapting to the unique ecosystem of Hawai‘i, Pueo appear to have evolved some notable differences between them and their continental cousins. In addition to their ecological importance, Pueo hold cultural significance to native Hawaiians and appear frequently in mo‘olelo. As the landscapes of Hawai‘i undergo rapid development and change, Pueo face new challenges to overcome.

 

Wiliwili: Exploring the Cultural Significance and Evolving Pollination of a Native Hawaiian Tree

Presented by Emily Grave, Terraformation

Link to Watch: Hidden Histories - Emily Grave

Discussion Summary: In this talk, Grave will explore the ethnobotany and cultural uses of the endemic wiliwili (Erythrina sandwicensis), as well as its pollination biology and a bit of demographics. Wiliwili, a native Hawaiian tree, holds great significance for several reasons. Historically, Hawaiians have used its lightweight wood for making tools, surfboards, and canoes, while also utilizing the tree for medicinal purposes. From a pollination biology perspective, the tree’s vibrant, tubular flowers were originally adapted to attract native pollinators, particularly Hawaiian honeycreepers and certain bees, which played a crucial role in its reproduction. However, as these native pollinators have retreated to higher elevations, new pollination relationships have developed in the tree's lower, dry forest habitats. This evolving interaction between wiliwili and its pollinators underscores the critical need to preserve native ecosystems in order to protect both plant and animal populations in Hawaiʻi.

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June: Honouliuli Ahupua‘a

Coming Soon