RedFlagMagazine

Flag #2: Big Island, Hawaii

Location: Pololu Valley, Big Island, Hawaii

Name: Ganesha

The Pololu Valley is the first of a chain of seven valleys on the island of Hawaii. To the Hawaiian people, these valleys are sacred. Waipio Valley, the valley at the center of the seven valleys, is known as the Valley of Kings. It is said that Waipio was the home to the Hawaiian kings that ruled the islands.

At the northern ridge of Pololu Valley you can see all the seven valleys opening to the Pacific Ocean. At the valley’s floor there is a river cutting through a lush tropical forest that spills out to a black sand beach. The dark sand is a reminder that this island is still in creation. There are five volcanoes on the island and three are still active. Since 1980 over 600 acres have been added to the island from ongoing lava flows. In this sense the island is a young island and its spirit is one of change and renewal.