Nāhienaena's Paū

Descended from aliʻi on Maui and the ruling chiefs of Hawaii island, Keōpūolani had a better family background than Kamehameha himself.

She was conflicted with her religious beliefs; Keōpūolani and Queen Kaʻahumanu had converted to Christianity after the death of Kamehameha I and rejected the old Hawaiian religion, which the pāʻū represented.

While these birds were widely collected by the Native Hawaiians for their feathers, it is more likely that their ultimate extinction was due to habitat loss and disease.

[3][4] The triangles are thought to represent shark teeth or mountains, which are both symbols of power, but it still remains a mystery.

Small bundles of a half-dozen or fewer feathers, about an inch long, are tied into the eye using netting made from olonā vegetable fibers.

The rare artifact was guarded by practitioners the Hawaiian martial art of lua in traditional garb.