The story of Moku’ula is a story of kings and queens, of religion and restoration, of cultural destruction and spiritual renewal.

The story takes place on what is now a dusty baseball field in the tourist town of Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Beneath the field are the ruins of what was once the home of Hawaiian monarchy.

The park where the baseball field now lies fallow (sporting stopped when human remains were found under the field) was once a 17-acre lake. The lake was sacred to Hawaiians, as it was said to be the home of a powerful lizard goddess named Kihawahine.

The deity symbolized the importance of water in the Hawaiian culture, said Akoni Akana, executive director of the Friends of Moku’ula.

“Water means wealth,” said Akana. The Hawaiian word for water, “wai,” can be found throughout the language referring to riches and abundance, he explained.

In the center of the sacred lake was Moku’ula—a one-acre island that housed the high chiefs of Maui and royalty of Hawaii from the 16th to 19th centuries. Hawaiian kings moved to the island hoping to benefit from living beside the water-dwelling goddess, explained Akana.

Although the site survived early European colonization, the last royal family to live on the island left their home in 1845 when the Hawaiian capitol was moved to Honolulu. In the late 1800s, the lake’s water was diverted to sugar plantations and mills. By 1914, the lake had been filled in, and the land was converted into a public park.

AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL ‘FIELD OF DREAMS’

The story of the sacred Lahainan island was revived in the early 1990s when employees of a local hotel began research the history of pre-contact Lahaina.

Research by local volunteers pointed to the Lahaina park's baseball field and parking lot as the location of the island of Moku’ula. An archeological dig in 1993 confirmed the location of the island, inspiring supporters of the project, who formed the non-profit Friends of Moku’ula, to donate time and money to expand the search.

Friends of Moku’ula plans to continue the excavation, eventually restoring the site to its former glory. Underground springs will be uncovered, fish will be reintroduced, and grass houses will be rebuilt.

The group still faces financial obstacles, however, as well as the dilemma of where to move the Lahaina public park.

“Do you know what it takes to get people to give up a baseball field?” Akona asked. “If you live in paradise, you forget what you have.”

REDISCOVERING A LOST HAWAII

Although the physical restoration of Moku’ula may still be years down the road, Akana said the journey itself has begun to restore pride in Hawaiian culture.

“Many of these young men were selling drugs [near the park],” he said, pointing at a photo of members of a newly-formed Moku’ula cultural organization. “[But] they have learned that they do have a responsibility. They will be doing the work to restore this wonderful place.”

Restored spirituality and pride in the Hawaiian culture are some of the most important benefits of the Moku’ula discovery, said Akana.

“Things came out when we opened up the ground,” he said. “Things that we lost came out.”