| Official Name: | Laie |
| Native Name: | Hawaiian: Lā{{okina |
| Settlement Type: | Census-designated place |
| Mapsize: | 250px |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Hawaii |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 5.62 |
| Area Land Km2: | 3.47 |
| Area Water Km2: | 2.16 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 2.17 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 1.34 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.83 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 5963 |
| Population Density Km2: | 1719.63 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 4453.32 |
| Timezone: | Hawaii-Aleutian |
| Utc Offset: | −10 |
| Elevation Ft: | 9 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP Code |
| Postal Code: | 96762 |
| Area Code: | 808 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 15-43250 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 0361691 |
Laie (Hawaiian: Lā{{okina, in Hawaiian pronounced as /laːˈʔie/) is a census-designated place (CDP) located in the Koolauloa District on the island of Oahu (Hawaiian: O{{okina) in Honolulu County, Hawaii, United States. In Hawaiian, Hawaiian: lā{{okina means "Hawaiian: {{okina leaf" (Hawaiian: {{okina is a climbing screwpine: Freycinetia arborea). The population was 5,963 at the 2020 census.
Historically, Hawaiian: Lā{{okina was a Hawaiian: pu{{okina, a sanctuary for fugitives. While a fugitive was in the Hawaiian: pu{{okina, it was unlawful for that fugitive's pursuers to harm him or her. During wartime, spears with white flags attached were set up at each end of the city of refuge. If warriors attempted to pursue fugitives into the Hawaiian: pu{{okina, they would be killed by sanctuary priests. Fugitives seeking sanctuary in a city of refuge were not forced to permanently live within the confines of its walls. Instead, they were given two choices. In some cases, after a certain length of time (ranging from a couple of weeks to several years), fugitives could enter the service of the priests and assist in the daily affairs of the Hawaiian: pu{{okina. A second option was that after a certain length of time the fugitives would be free to leave and re-enter the world unmolested. Traditional cities of refuge were abolished in 1819.[2]
The history of Hawaiian: Lā{{okina began long before European contact. The name Hawaiian: Lā{{okina is said to derive from two Hawaiian words: Hawaiian: lau meaning "leaf", and Hawaiian: {{okina referring to the Hawaiian: {{okina (red-spiked climbing screwpine, Freycinetia arborea), which wreaths forest trees of the uplands or Hawaiian: mauka regions of the mountains of the Hawaiian: Koʻolau|nocat=y|italic=no Range behind the community of Hawaiian: Lā{{okina. In Hawaiian mythology, this red-spiked climbing screwpine is sacred to Hawaiian: [[Kāne Milohai|Kāne]]|italic=no, god of the earth, god of life, and god of the forests, as well as to Hawaiian: [[Laka]]|italic=no, the patron goddess of the hula.
The name Hawaiian: Lā{{okina becomes more environmentally significant through the Hawaiian oral history (Hawaiian: ka{{okina) entitled Hawaiian: Laieikawai. In this history, the term Hawaiian: ikawai, which means "in the water", also belongs to the food-producing tree called Hawaiian: kalalaikawa. The Hawaiian: kalalaikawa|italic=no tree was planted in a place called Hawaiian: Paliula|italic=no's garden, which is closely associated with the spiritual home, after her birth and relocation of Hawaiian: Laieikawai|italic=no. According to Hawaiian oral traditions, the planting of the Hawaiian: kalalaikawa|italic=no tree in the garden of Hawaiian: Paliula|italic=no is symbolic of the reproductive energy of male and female, which union in turns fills the land with offspring. From its close association with nature through its name, and through its oral traditions and history, the community of Hawaiian: Lā{{okina takes upon itself a precise identification and a responsibility in perpetuating life and in preserving all life forms. Sometimes the land itself provided sanctuary for the Hawaiian people. Hawaiian: Lā{{okina was such a place. The earliest information about Hawaiian: Lā{{okina states that it was a small, sparsely populated village with a major distinction: "it was a city of refuge". Within this city of refuge were located at least two Hawaiian: [[heiau]], traditional Hawaiian temples, of which very little remains today. Hawaiian: ''Moohekili'' heiau|italic=unset was destroyed, but its remains can be found in taro patches Hawaiian: makai (seaward) of Laie Hawaii Temple belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Towards the mountain (Hawaiian: mauka), the remains of Hawaiian: ''Nioi'' heiau|italic=unset can be found on a small ridge. All that is left of Hawaiian: Nioi is a coral platform.[3]
Between 1846 and 1848, the traditional Hawaiian feudal ownership of land by the king, the Hawaiian: ali{{okina, and his leading chiefs or Hawaiian: konohiki was changed through the Great Hawaiian: Mahele|nocat=y, or major land division. The Hawaiian: ali{{okina at the time was Hawaiian: Kauikeaouli|italic=no King Kamehameha III, and his Hawaiian: konohiki (leading chief) for Hawaiian: Lā{{okina was Hawaiian: Peni Keali{{okina (which means "The Chief without Riches"); the wife to this Hawaiian: konohiki descended directly from the Hawaiian: ali{{okina of Hawaiian: O{{okina named Kakuiewa, making his wife of higher rank than he. The result of the Hawaiian: mahele was not in compliance with the original intent of Kamehameha III. The result was that the chiefs received about 1500000acres, the king kept about 1e6acre, which were called crown lands, and about 1e6acre were set aside as government lands.
The land of the Hawaiian: mahele itself was cut up into parcels, much like the traditional Hawaiian land divisions, centering on the Hawaiian: [[ahupua'a|ahupua{{okina, which followed a fairly uniform pattern. Each parcel was shaped roughly like a piece of pie with the tip in the mountains, the middle section in the foothills and coastal plain, and the broad base along the ocean front and the sea. The size and shape of the Hawaiian: ahupua{{okina varied. However, the purpose of these remained the same. The village of Hawaiian: Lā{{okina is located in the Hawaiian: ahupua{{okina of Hawaiian: Lā{{okina. As such, Hawaiian: Lā{{okina followed the general pattern of life in the Hawaiian: ahupua{{okina, but only the valleys in the foothills had ample water. There were ten streams that flowed through the Hawaiian: ahupua{{okina of Hawaiian: Lā{{okina before 1865 (see 1865 map). Their names were Hawaiian: Kahooleinapea|italic=no, Hawaiian: Kaluakauila|italic=no, Hawaiian: Kahawainui|italic=no, Hawaiian: Kaihihi|italic=no, Hawaiian: Kawaipapa|italic=no, Hawaiian: Kawauwai|italic=no, Hawaiian: Wailele|italic=no, Hawaiian: Koloa|italic=no, Hawaiian: Akakii|italic=no, and Hawaiian: Kokololio|italic=no. There were more streams flowing through the Hawaiian: ahupua{{okina of Hawaiian: Lā{{okina than through any of the other surrounding Hawaiian: ahupua{{okina, including Hawaiian: Kaipapau|italic=no and Hawaiian: Hauula|italic=no to the southeast and Hawaiian: Malaekahana|italic=no, Hawaiian: Keana|italic=no, and Hawaiian: Kahuku|italic=no to the northwest.
A new phase of development for Hawaiian: Lā{{okina began when the plantation of that name was purchased by George Nebeker, the president of the LDS Church's Hawaiian Mission. The Latter-day Saints in Hawaii were then encouraged to move to this location.[4] This purchase occurred in 1865.[5] The sugarcane plantation was rarely profitable, and through 1879 the church had subsidized its operations with about $40,000.[5]
Soon after the settlement a sugar factory was built. Much of the land was used to grow sugar, but other food crops were also raised. Significantly, Hawaiian: Lā{{okina was one of the few sugarcane plantations where both Hawaiian: [[kalo in Hawaii|kalo]] (taro) and sugar were grown simultaneously. This was unusual because sugar and Hawaiian: kalo are both thirsty crops. In the plantation economy of Hawaii in the late 19th century and early 20th century, Hawaiian: kalo usually lost out to sugar. One of the reasons both Hawaiian: kalo and sugar grew on the plantation is because of the commitment of Hawaiian plantation workers to growing their staple. Their dedication to growing Hawaiian: kalo included their insistence that Saturday not be a work day on the plantation so that they could make Hawaiian: [[poi (food)|poi]] for their families.[6] Both schools and church buildings were constructed in the town in the ensuing years.
Samuel E. Woolley, who served as the LDS Church's mission president for 24 years, pushed the expansion of the operations at Laie. In 1898 he negotiated a $50,000 loan that allowed for the building of a new pump.[7]
The Hawaiian Mission was headquartered in Hawaiian: Lā{{okina until 1919 when the headquarters were moved to Honolulu, but by then the temple had been built in Hawaiian: Lā{{okina, so it remained the spiritual center of the Latter-day Saint community in Hawaii.[8]
Hawaiian: Lā{{okina is one of the best-known communities of the LDS Church and the site of the Laie Hawaii Temple, the church's fifth oldest operating temple in the world. Brigham Young University–Hawaii is located in Hawaiian: Lā{{okina. The Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC), the state's largest living museum, draws millions of visitors annually.[9] [10] The PCC houses 42 acres of lush garden and water features with 6 miniature "villages" that display various cultures and traditions of the pacific islands.[11] It offers family friendly games and shows as well as various luau and dining options.[12] [11]
In 2015, the PCC opened a new addition to the public called the Hukilau Marketplace.[13] The marketplace is a vintage throwback to 1950s Hawaii offering nostalgic food, local goods and everyone-is-family hospitality.[12] Also in 2015, the community welcomed a new "Laie Courtyard by Marriott", a three-story hotel housing 144 standard rooms which feature local island-style furnishing.[14] [15] The hotel replaced the historical Laie Inn which was demolished in 2009 to make room for the new hotel.[14]
Though small, Hawaiian: Lā{{okina has had a significant impact on Hawaiian culture, despite many of its residents' tracing their lineages from various Pacific Island countries such as Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, and New Zealand. Fundraisers and feasts on the beach in the late 1940s inspired "The Hukilau Song",[16] written, composed and originally recorded by Jack Owens, The Cruising Crooner, and made famous by Alfred Apaka.
Hawaiian: Lā{{okina is located at 21.6486°N -157.9256°W.[17] Hawaiian: Lā{{okina is located north of Hawaiian: [[Hauula, Hawaii|Hauula]]|italic=no and south of Hawaiian: [[Kahuku, Hawaii|Kahuku]]|italic=no along Hawaiian: Kamehameha|nocat=y|italic=no Highway (State Route 83).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 2.1sqmi. 1.3sqmi of it is land and 0.9sqmi of it (40.65%) is water.
The coastline is marked by Hawaiian: Lā{{okina Point, a prominent lithified dune jutting out into the ocean. Two other lithified dunes (Hawaiian: Kukuihoolua|italic=no and Hawaiian: Mokualai|italic=no) lie just offshore of the point as scenic islets. Hawaiian: Lā{{okinalohelohe Beach Park, to the south of town, includes Hawaiian: Pahumoa|italic=no Beach, named after Hawaiian: Pahumoa|italic=no "John" Hawaiian: Kamake{{okina (1879–1944), a fisherman from Hawaiian: Lā{{okina who kept his nets on the beach adjacent to Hawaiian: Kōloa|italic=no Stream. He was well known in Hawaiian: Lā{{okina for his generosity and gave fish to everyone in the village, especially to those who could not fish for themselves. Hawaiian: Pahumoa|italic=no conducted many Hawaiian: [[hukilau]], a method of community net fishing.[18] His family, the Hawaiian: Kamake{{okina, were a well known fishing family in the area, and stories can still be found today of their abilities in fishing.
Pahumoa Beach has also been known as Pounders Beach for its pounding shorebreak. The name was popularized in the 1950s by students at the Church College of the Pacific (now Brigham Young University–Hawaii) who called the beach "Pounders" after a shorebreak that provided popular bodysurfing rides. Pounders was the official name of the beach until it was reverted to Pahumoa in 2021.[19]
Another bodysurfing beach is Hukilau, located at the north end of town at the mouth of Hawaiian: Kahawainui|italic=no Stream.
As of the census of 2000,[20] there were 4,585 people, 903 households, and 735 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3601.7sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 1,010 housing units at an average density of 793.4sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the CDP was 27.59% White, 0.35% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 9.23% Asian, 36.88% Pacific Islander, 0.65% from other races, and 25.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.12% of the population.
There were 903 households, out of which 46.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.2% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.6% were non-families. 9.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.47 and the average family size was 4.75.
In the CDP the population was spread out, with 31.8% under the age of 18, 21.8% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 14.5% from 45 to 64, and 5.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $50,875, and the median income for a family was $59,432. Males had a median income of $40,242 versus $26,750 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $13,785. About 10.7% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under the age of 18 and 11.6% of those ages 65 and older.
Hawaiian: Lā{{okina is within the Hawaii Department of Education. Hawaiian: Lā{{okina Elementary School is in the CDP.[21] [22] Students go on to attend, Kahuku High & Intermediate School.
Brigham Young University–Hawaii is in Laie CDP.[21] [23]