Hawaii

Hawaii's māhū—and their
ancient history—are finally

re-embraced
The restored history of a Native Hawaiian monument
elevates part of the rich, sacred story of māhū—those
who are of dual male and female spirit–and whose
powerful roles in Hawaiian culture are still present
today.
Marina Del Rey performs in drag at Scarlet Honolulu, a nightclub in
Honolulu, in 2019. Members of the LGBTQ+ community as well as
māhū—a mixture of both male and female in mind, heart, and spirit—
have historically found kindred family at nightclubs and elsewhere.
Thes...Show more
BYLIBBY LEONARD
PHOTOGRAPHS BYMARIE ERIEL HOBRO
PUBLISHED MAY 8, 2023
• 12 MIN READ
O A H U , H A W A I I Tucked behind
a fence and
vibrant naupaka shrubs on a Waikiki beach sit
ancient boulders that honor four healers who once
brought their curative powers and wisdom to the
people of Hawaii.
The stones have been gaining more attention
recently due to the recovery of an obscured part of
history: the healers were neither kane (male)
nor wahine (female)—they were māhū, a mixture
of both in mind, heart, and spirit.
The healers—Kapaemāhū, Kahaloa, Kinohi, and

Kapuni—voyaged from the Tahitian Island of
Raiatea more than 500 years ago and became well-
known across the Hawaiian islands as they used
holistic remedies to cure those who were ill.
When it was time for them to leave, they requested

that the stones be placed near the sea, where they
imbued them with their spiritual powers.
Known as The Healer Stones of Kapaemāhū, these boulders honor four

māhū healers who are said to have voyaged from the Tahitian Island of
Raiatea more than 500 years ago and brought their curative powers
and wisdom to the people of Hawaiʻi. Efforts to reclaim the pr...Read
More
For centuries, māhū were celebrated in Kānaka

Maoli (Native Hawaiian) culture and revered not
just as healers, but beloved caretakers, and
teachers who passed down intergenerational
knowledge. After the arrival of Christian
missionaries in the 1800s, many Hawaiian cultural
practices were banned, including māhū traditions
and history.
About this map
Eventually the stones were buried under the

foundations of a bowling alley in the changing
landscape of Waikīkī and although they’ve been
restored a few times since 1963, the signage has
never reflected that the healers were māhū.
Now, after years of effort to reclaim the pride and

Indigenous legacy of what it means to be māhū,
county officials have confirmed additional signage
will finally be installed to reflect the healers’ full
identities.
Left: Keawe Parker, a māhū and Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian)

community advocate, attends an event in Honolulu showcasing legends
within Hawaiʻi’s drag and music scene.
PHOTOGRAPH BY MAHINA CHOY-ELLIS
Right: Cultural leader, Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu sits for a portrait in
front of a life-size rendering of the four legendary healers at the Bishop
Museum in Honolulu, which featured a large exhibit of The Healer
Stones of Kapaemāhū that remains accessible as a virtual tour.
Kānak...Read More
PHOTOGRAPH BY MARIE ERIEL HOBRO, NATIONAL
GEOGRAPHIC
Forgotten document emerges
Cultural leader, Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, who
has been one of the most prominent faces of māhū
and transgender visibility for the last two decades,
found the first written account of the stones in a
forgotten box at University of Hawai’i Manoa in
2015.
The story had initially been passed down orally,

and then written in English by a former colonel of
the Hawaiian Kingdom, during a time the
Hawaiian language was banned. Published in the
Hawaiian Almanac in 1907, it included the role
and description of māhū.
This forgotten document led to the Oscar-

nominated animated short
film, "Kapaemāhu," which was produced, directed,
and written by Wong-Kalu alongside fellow
filmmakers Joe Wilson and Dean Hamer. The film,
broadcast on PBS, also was part of a large exhibit
at the Bishop Museum of Honolulu last summer
that remains accessible as a virtual tour.
1/3
Māhū and others participate in the first Nā Pōhaku Ola ceremony in 2021 on the
shores of Waikīkī. The ceremony included a chant, or ʻoli, honoring The Healer
Stones of Kapaemāhū, Indigenous culture, and ancestors as part of Honolulu Pride
celebrations.
Māhū and others participate in the first Nā Pōhaku Ola ceremony in
2021 on the shores of Waikīkī. The ceremony included a chant, or ʻoli,
honoring The Healer Stones of Kapaemāhū, Indigenous culture, and
ancestors as part of Honolulu Pride celebrations.
PHOTOGRAPH BY MAHINA CHOY-ELLIS
“What some people call legends are actually

elements of our history,” Wong-Kalu said in an
interview with Ka Wai Ola. “The stones of
Kapaemāhū are more than a tourist site. They are
an insight into our Pacific understandings of male
and female, life and healing, and the spiritual
connections between us all.”
The exhibit not only amplifies the history of the

stones, but features stories from māhū throughout
history, and traditional healing treatments
practiced by māhū and others today. Wong-Kalu
says Hawaiian culture places a greater emphasis
on the importance of what one can contribute to
society—whether male, female, or māhū.
“It is a doorway into respect and shared aloha

when we honor this understanding,” she says.
Anna Mei performs at Scarlet Honolulu, a popular LGBTQ+ club in
Honolulu. Mei, who is not Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian), does not
identify as māhū due to the cultural context. For decades, the term has
been incorrectly applied to anyone in the LGBTQ+ communit...Read
More
Combating discrimination
Many who currently identify as māhū are carrying
out the roles of their revered ancestors, but it
hasn’t been easy to do so. As māhū became
marginalized, the meaning of the word became
used as a slur aimed at most in the queer
community, leaving many to eventually conflate
māhū’s spiritual way of being with sexuality.
In the 1960s, when drag culture surged in

Honolulu’s Chinatown district, some māhū and
others in the queer community found kindred
family at a former drag nightclub commonly
known as The Glade.
Left: The Glade Show Lounge, a former drag nightclub, became both a
place of employment and refuge in the 1960s for local māhū and
others in the LGBTQ+ community. This brochure dates from 1965 to
1968.
Right: Legislation once required many māhū and transgender women to
wear buttons that said, “I AM A BOY.”
COURTESY OF DESOTO BROWN COLLECTION

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Hawaii's māhū—and their

ancient history—are finally

The healers—Kapaemāhū, Kahaloa, Kinohi, and

When it was time for them to leave, they requested

Known as The Healer Stones of Kapaemāhū, these boulders honor four

For centuries, māhū were celebrated in Kānaka

About this map

Eventually the stones were buried under the

Now, after years of effort to reclaim the pride and

Left: Keawe Parker, a māhū and Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian)

The story had initially been passed down orally,

This forgotten document led to the Oscar-

“What some people call legends are actually

The exhibit not only amplifies the history of the

“It is a doorway into respect and shared aloha

In the 1960s, when drag culture surged in

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