Hawaiian History - Missionaries / end of the kapu system

• From the South and West

• About 600 years before Cook

• Developed rich culture with variances from island to island.

• Sporadic conflict and civil war.

• Variances in kapu systems

• Heiau - which god, religious practice, human sacrifice varied.

• Rose to power at about 20 years old when Kamehameha died.

• Kamehameha's favorite wife, Kaahumanu advised him.

• Some conflicts with other Hawaiians to retain the crown

• Advises Liholiho to abolish the kapu system.

• Old Hawaiian religion broken and Christianity introduced

• Missionaries come to teach laguage, writing, and RELIGION

• Opukahaia was 10 when his family was killed by warriors in Civil War between Kamehameha and Keoua

• Orphaned with little hope, he swam out to a haole ship and joined their crew.

• Ends up in Connecticut; becomes Christian; vision: missionaries to Hawaii

​Clothing

​Food

​Language

​Religion

​Other practices:

​Which cultural aspects do you think will cause the most conflict between the missionaries and the Hawaiians? THINK ABOUT THIS BEFORE YOU MOVE ON!

​Use the textbook or the internet to find out how the old Hawaiians and the missionaries dealt with your topic. Why do you think each of them did it this way?

​Example: I'm comparing the missionaries to Eskimos instead of Hawaiians.

​

I selected clothing.

​

Eskimos wore lots of heavy clothing compared to the missionaries. What was the clothing made of? Fur and animal skins.

​Keep thinking about how this cultural conflict will eventually produce the island culture you live in today!