Research

For the last few days I have been doing research. I read a book called Kaho'olawe by Inez Macphee Ashdown about the island Kaho'olawe before it was seized by the U.S. military for ammunitions testing. It was leased from Hawaii by the MacPhee family in the early 1900s. Before that it was used by sheep and goat ranchers. The impact of the goats on the island resulted in almost complete deforestation. A few of the requirements for the MacPhee family were to eradicate the island of goats and reforest the land. The family was almost completely successful in doing this. By the time the Navy seized the land in 1941, there were only about 50 goats left and the island had been turned into a very successful cattle ranch.
There is a lot of mythology about this island that the author touched upon. During her time, the island was reffered to as the "island of death." I am assuming this is because of the devistation caused by the goats when her family first arrived. According to Macphee, Kaho'olawe means "gatherer of driftwood."
Scattered all over the island there are many historical sights. The author of the book recollects when a big boulder fell from a cliff and exposed an ancient burial of a warrior chief. Inside were his bones, his feather cape, an outrigger canoe, and various other items meant for him to take to the afterlife.
The book was interesting. I also indexed my first interview and scheduled my second. It will be on Tuesday with the Cultural Specialist of the Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission.