The sound of the pū (conch/trumpet shell) signals to the listener that something is occurring—the arrival of a canoe, the entrance of ali‘i, the start of protocols, the beginning of a gathering, the blessing of a home, trail, or new building, or to signal the start or end of the day. 🐚 The blower of the pū blows to all four compass points, up, and out. These signify: the rising sun, the setting sun, saluting the Hokupa‘a (North Star) saluting the South Pacific and the ancestral lands of kānaka maoli (Native Hawaiians), up to ka lani (the heavens), and out to the listener and the ʻaina (land). 🐚 When you hear the pū, stand at attention and soak in that moment. Image: Park staff member sounds the pū from the Kīpahulu Visitors Center, out over the ʻAlenuihāhā to Hawaiʻi Island. NPS, E. Creek @haleakalanps #Hawaiianculture #Kīpahulu #nativeamericanheritagemonth #indigenous #hawaii #nativehawaiian