Tour stone structures of East Hawaii

Do you know that Hilo once had a Portuguese distillery and a Chinatown?

Do you know where stones with mana are located?

Enjoy the stories behind Hilo’s historically significant and culturally rich places built of stone when you join anthropologist Judith Kirkendall and Leslie Lang, author of “Exploring Historic Hilo,” on an architectural tour of East Hawaii’s “Early Stone Structures” on Saturday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

The van tour includes stops at an ancient Hawaiian fish pond, a plantation-era cemetery and other locations of pre- and post-colonial importance.

Seating is limited. Tickets include transportation, a sandwich lunch and bottled water, and are $50 for museum members and $65 per nonmember.

For additional information, call the Lyman Museum at 935-5021 or visit www.lymanmuseum.org.

Kirkendall said, “Because pohaku (stones) were considered to have mana, they were duly respected in Hawaiian culture. Whether it was a natural stone outcropping (Maui’s canoe), or a historically significant rock such as the Naha Stone, the stones were invested with power.”

“Early Stone Structures” is the first in a series of three architectural van tours of East Hawaii presented by the Lyman Museum and led by Kirkendall and Lang. Future tours include “Gathering Places of East Hawaii” on Nov. 17 and “Domestic Structures of East Hawaii” on Dec. 15.