The Needle, Iao Valley, West Maui Mountains, Maui.
The valley holds a great deal of religious, cultural, and historical significance for native hawaiians. Before white settlement, Iao Valley was the site of the Makahiki (literally "the rising of the constellation the Pleiades"), a four-month-long harvest festival held in honor of Lono, the god of fertility and peace. During the festival, all fighting ceased; feasting, athletic competitions, and joyful debauchery prevailed. It is said that, even to this day, processions of long-dead royalty marching to ghostly drumbeats are seen at the old Makahiki sites. In the 1980s, native hawaiian groups revived the observance of Makahiki to encourage the renewal of traditional traditions.