A Shark Going Inland Is My Chief: The Island Civilization of Ancient Hawai'i

by Patrick Vinton Kirch

Tracing the origins of the Hawaiians and other Polynesians back to the shores of the South China Sea, archaeologist Patrick Vinton Kirch follows their voyages of discovery across the Pacific in this fascinating history of Hawaiian culture from about one thousand years ago. Combining more than four decades of his own research with Native Hawaiian oral traditions and the evidence of archaeology, Kirch puts a human face on the gradual rise to power of the Hawaiian god-kings, who by the late eighteenth century were locked in a series of wars for ultimate control of the entire archipelago.

This lively, accessible chronicle works back from Captain James Cook’s encounter with the pristine kingdom in 1778, when the British explorers encountered an island civilization governed by rulers who could not be gazed upon by common people. Interweaving anecdotes from his own widespread travel and extensive archaeological investigations into the broader historical narrative, Kirch shows how the early Polynesian settlers of Hawai'i adapted to this new island landscape and created highly productive agricultural systems.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Archaeology, Anthropology, Ancient History, Cultural

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Patrick Vinton Kirch, Director of the Oceanic Archaeology Laboratory, holds the Class of 1954 Professorship in Anthropology at the University of California at Berkeley.

Reviews

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

“No Keia La, No Keia Po, A Mau Loa.” – (From this day, from this night, forever more.)

Considering that there was no writing in ancient Hawaii, well-known archaeologist, Dr. Patrick Vinton Kirch did a superb job in researching his book. It took him forty years to write and if you're interested in Hawaiian culture and history, you must read this fascinating book. The author looked at Hawaiian folk lore and personal experiences as an archaeologist on the island, as well as a lifetime of research to create this book. I gave this book five stars because in my opinion, it deserves it.

He writes about how Hawaii began as sub oceanic volcanoes to form a chain of islands stretching 1,500 miles. Three chapters are on those amazing sea-faring Polynesians who were the first people to settle on the islands. They came from Tahiti and were masterful canoe builders. They explored all of the South Pacific in these boats. The date they actually arrived is still being debated. The book also explains that these ancient people created a complicated system of hierarchy and the ruling chief was at the apex of Hawaiian society. There was also priests and commoners. Each area had their own chief and they were very competitive with each other. I found this to be the most interesting part of the book since I knew little about this history.

The chief had greatest concentration of “mana” on earth because he was closest to the gods. Mana is the creative and procreative power of the Universe: it makes plants grow, fish and animals multiply and the human population increase. The natives were excellent engineers and built complex water delivery for their crops and their fish ponds. They also were great fisherman because they understood the sea so well.

Briefly Dr. Kirch writes about what happened in 1778, when Captain James Cook and his crew arrived from Britain. At first when Cook arrived, he was treated very well and then eventually as a returning God by the Hawaiians. But soon the relationship turned sour over a dispute over stolen property and Cook and most of his men were killed. Unfortunately they brought with them TB and venereal diseases. The island was changed forever as people began to die and women were unable to have children.

I appreciated that at the end of the book, the author includes an alphabetical list of Hawaiian historical persons and a glossary of Hawaiian words as well as sources and further reading. Illustrations are included. I plan on reading another of his books called "Unearthing the Polynesian Past: Explorations and Adventures of an Island Archaeologist" because this book was so well-done.

[Matthew Sun · Rating 4 out of 5]

I FINALLY FINISHED!!! This book took me forever to fully finish - not because it's a bad book or anything, but just because it's quite dense (though engagingly written!), the kind of info-heavy writing that I'm not compelled to read when I'm busy/stressed with work. Regardless, I think it's a fantastic resource if you're interested in ancient Hawai'i, and even if you're just an amateur interested in social theory or anthropology, it's a fascinating read. Minus one star because the book is intended for reasonably educated lay readers but how is anyone supposed to remember all these people/place names 😭 sorry I am forgetful and dumb!

Some highlights:

- the story of how Captain Cook was received as a God by the Hawaiians (and then slain by them) is one of the most interesting stories of cross-cultural contact I've ever read about
- TIL native Hawaiians can all trace their roots to Austronesians in Southern China/Taiwan
- the process of prototypical societal development occurred in the pristine and isolated environment of the Hawaiian Island over four hundred years before European contact. Reading about how kingdoms arose in Hawaii is a really useful case study of what is universal vs what is particular about human societies everywhere and in Hawaii
- the way archaeologists have historically used emerging scientific tools like carbon dating to unlock new insights about Hawaiian history was really interesting to me. Science can really be a useful aid to the humanities!
- Imagine traveling thousands of miles over the sea in the tenth century with zero knowledge of whether you would find habitable land. This is how the islands of Hawaii were discovered by ancient Polynesians!

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. Patrick Kirch, an eminent archaeologist of not only Hawaii but much of the rest of Oceania as well, brilliantly weaves together his vast knowlege of Hawaiian and Pacific archaeology with the mo'olelo (oral tradition, history) of Hawaii to create the definitive story of Hawaiian pre-contact history. Written for the lay reader, this book succeeds at all levels.

[Flora · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading his earlier, more academic versions, this is Kirch's most accessible book on Hawaiians. For anyone wanting to know about Oceania, Lapita, or Polynesia, this book is excellent. It also is autobiographical, which leavens the academic discussions of archaeology, ethnography, and other tools used to flesh out the unique story of Hawaiian civilization.

[Frederick J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Archaeologist Patrick Vinton Kirch has provided us with one of the best introductions to the history and creation of native-Hawaiian culture currently available. Beginning five millennia ago with origins in southeast China and following a trail of archaeological artifacts and language, Kirch traces the travels and development of peoples that would become first the Lapita hybrid culture of the Bismarck Archipelago and Solomon Islands and later the Polynesians of Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa. From this ancestral homeland of Hawaiki, Polynesian way-finders would be the first humans to set foot and colonize the Islands of French Polynesia, Easter Island, New Zealand and Hawaii. Kirch goes on to examine the unique developments in Hawaii that would create the most advanced and developed Polynesian culture of the tropical Pacific under the leadership of Kamehameha the Great. His insights and perspectives, grounded in archaeological evidence and the rich mo‘olelo tradition of Hawaiian chronicles, fills a huge gap in our understanding of the collision of cultures that took place with the arrival of James Cook in 1778.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book at the recommendation of a good friend while visiting Hawaii over the holiday. If you interested in archaeology you will love the book for that alone as it told by the author as part autobiography, part investigation.

It is also the best book I've read on the pre-contact Hawaiian history, which is fascinating. The book would have gotten five stars if not for the rather slow, last 50 pages or so.

[Christopher Tyrrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written. I think the author did a fantastic job of weaving the reality of scientific inquiry with a readable narrative of this extraordinary society.

[Jonathan Owicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

The subject matter here is fascinating and powerful, and the author clearly has a deep knowledge of it, but the book is messy. The first half veers between the early history of Hawaii, history of the archaeological study of Hawaii, and personal memoir. The second half is mostly a chronicle of specific kings and chiefs, dizzying in detail, but easy to lose track of, and difficult to draw the connections between all the specific conquests and marriages outlined and the larger themes of the book.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good history of Hawaiian civilization development prior to Cpt Cook's arrival and showing European arrival thru Hawaiian cultural perspective. Narrative unfolds thru archeological evidence as that science evolved in the past 150 years paired with Hawaiian stories which were passed down thru generations verbally until captured in writing in the 19th century

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book because I started researching for a Hawaiian vacation and quickly realized we will be staying in a historically rich spot. Now, I know so much more about the deep - and still present - history of this amazing place. If you are headed to the islands and want to have a much greater understanding than you will get from the guidebooks, read this.

[Rv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kirsch weaves the archeological together with great retellings of Hawaiian oral tradition. A great read for someone interested in the formation of early states or for anyone with a love of the islands.

[Jessica Stenz · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to understand Hawai`i’s full history, read this book. Totally approachable yet detailed and complete.

[Debbie Baker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a good balance here. I was wanting to read about the ancient culture and/or its fate, but there were a lot of rambling, not-very-interesting accounts of the author's days at archaeological sites.

[Robt. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished it on an unplanned flight from Kailua to Honolulu, January 7.

[foggy arrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read on Hawaiian history and a neat intro to linguistic archeology

[Matthew Sutton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent account of the development of pre-contact Hawaii from an outpost of Polynesian settlers from the Marquesas sometime in the 10th century AD to the most sophisticated proto-state in Oceania in the 18th century.

Kirch's narrative is part memoir of his career as an archaeologist, part narrative of the academic development of paleontology throughout the 20th century, part retelling of Hawaiian oral history and folklore, part interpretation of archaeological data. It's all woven into an engrossing whole that outlines the development of an isolated civilization.

[danni]

Pat Kirch is an amazing professor and it was an honor to take a class of his at UC Berkeley - I am really looking forward to this new publication.

[Jeffery N. Gailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gets pretty technical into the techniques of Hawaiian archeology but is still a great read.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating history of Hawai'i.