by Paul Wood

Spanning less than 2,000 years, Hawaiian history is certainly one of the briefest in the world. Much of it is shrouded in legend. And yet it equals the world's best for bloodshed, irony, and heroism. The story of Hawai'i is largely a story of importation, layer upon layer. Today, at least fifteen entrenched cultures and the gifts of modern technology grind daily against its embattled Hawaiian heritage. No matter where you go in the islands, however, Polynesian roots grow very close to the surface.