Buried Kauai, Hawaii: Death in Paradise

Buried Kauai offers an opportunity for those on and off the island to explore some of its sacred burial sites. The Hawaiian Islands continue to be notable for their variety of cultural backgrounds and unmatched landscapes. While exploring the various cemeteries, burial yards, and other interment sites, visitors can see the influences of Japanese, Portuguese, European, and Pacific Islander roots. Kauai continues to be overwhelmed by wealthy tourists, and as a result, these burial spaces are increasingly facing extinction and finding themselves in the shadow of buildings and infrastructure. Within these sites, the traditions of the many represented cultures are on display. Witness the beauty, destruction, and erosion that these graves of paradise find themselves in. Burials on the island can be traced back to at least the late eighteenth century and are now at risk of being lost forever. Preservation of these neglected or disappearing graves is a challenge that, in many cases, began too late.