Kilauea Volcano

The legendary ancestral homeland of the Polynesian peoples, from which the great voyaging canoes departed to settle the Pacific islands. Hawaiki is both a physical place (possibly in the Society Islands) and a spiritual realm where souls return after death.

The Polynesian realm of darkness and the dead, ruled by Hine-nui-te-po, the goddess of death. Te Po is where souls journey after death, a shadowy realm contrasting with Te Ao (the world of light). Maui died attempting to conquer Te Po.

The tallest mountain in Hawaii and home of Poliahu, the snow goddess. Its summit, often covered with snow, is considered sacred and represents the realm of ice that opposes Pele's volcanic fire. The name means 'White Mountain.'

The 'House of the Sun' on the island of Maui, where according to Hawaiian tradition, Maui captured and beat the sun to slow its passage across the sky. The massive volcanic crater is one of Hawaii's most sacred sites.

The northernmost tip of New Zealand, where Maori tradition holds that the spirits of the dead depart for the afterlife. Souls travel north along the island, descend an ancient pohutukawa tree, and slide down its roots into the sea to journey to Hawaiki.

An island in the Society Islands group, traditionally considered one of the most sacred places in Polynesia. The marae (temple) of Taputapuatea was a center of religious and political power, from which voyaging canoes departed to settle distant islands.