REMEMBERING HISTORY AND HONORING CULTURE: Statues, Monuments and Memorials on Hawaii, Kauai, Maui and Molokai

With the release of her second book, Remembering History and Honoring Culture: Statues, Monuments and Memorials on Hawaii, Kauai, Maui and Molokai Cheryl Soon expands her passion for capturing Hawaii’s history through the prism of the Island’s wealth of sculptural historical elements.

As with her first release, Reflections in Stone and Bronze, Cheryl’s latest book describes the meanings and legacy of over 100 artifacts throughout Hawaii. She casts a much wider net by adding monuments and memorials to the wealth of commemorative statues throughout the State.

“As a city planner, I have a longstanding interest in place-making and what makes cities tick,” says Cheryl explaining her passion for this subject.

Remembering History and Honoring Culture is 270 pages plus appendices that include a glossary of Hawaiian terms, quick summary table of all of the statues by island, and references. It’s superbly organized by island and historical context, and beautifully designed with wonderful photographs, reference tables and graphics. The book is meant to be browsed, delving into descriptions that pique your interest. For use as a tour guide, it is especially effective.

Remembering History – Honoring our Community

Michael Matsumoto, P.E., FACEC President / CEO, SSFM International

Through more than six decades, SSFM has drawn success from its strong connection to the communities in which we live and work. An important part of our connections is understanding our roots and what has come before. Cheryl’s documentation of an important facet of the Island’s legacies is just one example of our passion for our Hawaii home. Statues and memorials offer wonderful experiences for discovering our past. The aging condition of churches, temples and monuments, with few funds or support for their upkeep, compelled Cheryl to capture their stories before they are lost. Her concern was deepened by the 2023 Maui wildfires with their staggering toll on human life and generations of history. Thank you Cheryl for your exceptional contribution to preserving our history.

With the release of her second book, Remembering History and Honoring Culture: Statues, Monuments and Memorials on Hawaii, Kauai, Maui and Molokai Cheryl Soon expands her passion for capturing Hawaii’s history through the prism of the Island’s wealth of sculptural historical elements.

As with her first release, Reflections in Stone and Bronze, Cheryl’s latest book describes the meanings and legacy of over 100 artifacts throughout Hawaii. She casts a much wider net by adding monuments and memorials to the wealth of commemorative statues throughout the State. “As a city planner, I have a longstanding interest in place-making and what makes cities tick,” says Cheryl explaining her passion for this subject.

Remembering History and Honoring Culture is 270 pages plus appendices that include a glossary of Hawaiian terms, quick summary table of all of the statues by island, and references. It’s superbly organized by island and historical context, and beautifully designed with wonderful photographs, reference tables and graphics. The book is meant to be browsed, delving into descriptions that pique your interest. For use as a tour guide, it is especially effective.

“My book devotes much attention
to the cultural elements of Hawaii’s history and how the statues and memorials were designed and placed to serve as a message to future generations” explains Cheryl. “Consider for example, the numerous markers honoring Japanese immigrants, on the 50th, 75th, 100th and 125th anniversaries of the first arrival (Gannemono) to be found on every island.”

“Statues and memorials offer wonderful experiences for discovering our past,” explains Cheryl. “One of my favorites is the immigrant statue grouping in Koloa, Kauai. It was created by Jan Gordon Fisher, an artist and teacher at BYU-Hawaii/Laie and sponsored by the Hawaii Sugar Planters for the sesquicentennial (150th) anniversary celebration in 1986. The group depicts Hawaiian, Puerto Rican, Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Filipino sugar workers in their native dress holding their work tools.”

Remembering History – Honoring our Community

Michael Matsumoto, P.E., FACEC President / CEO, SSFM International

Through more than six decades, SSFM has drawn success from its strong connection to the communities in which we live and work. An important part of our connections is understanding our roots and what has come before. Cheryl’s documentation of an important facet of the Island’s legacies is just one example of our passion for our Hawaii home. Statues and memorials offer wonderful experiences for discovering our past. The aging condition of churches, temples and monuments, with few funds or support for their upkeep, compelled Cheryl to capture their stories before they are lost. Her concern was deepened by the 2023 Maui wildfires with their staggering toll on human life and generations of history. Thank you Cheryl for your exceptional contribution to preserving our history.