Interesting article on "paniolo" cowboys of Hawaii. Hawaii imported vaqueros from California back in the 1830s, laying the groundwork for a very far Western ranching culture.It's where the ukelele comes from, very tiny Californian guitars.
Hawaii's cowboys: A dying breed?
Hawaii's cowboys, or paniolo, date back to 1798 and their modern-day equivalents are trying to preserve the tradition. But are they a dying breed?
We usually associate cowboys with American states like Texas, California and New Mexico, but Hawaii has its own strong cowboy tradition dating back more than 200 years. It is a tradition Hawaii's older cowboys are trying their best to preserve.
It all began in 1798 with a gift of cows from Captain George Vancouver to King Kamehameha I. They thrived so well that the fertile land was soon overrun with wild cattle. Not knowing how to deal with them, the Hawaiians called in the experts - Mexican vaqueros, or cowboys.
They came to the islands and taught the natives their herding skills, and became known locally as paniolo - the Hawaiian pronunciation of espaniolos, or the Spaniards.
Rest is here.
Hawaii's cowboys: A dying breed?
Hawaii's cowboys, or paniolo, date back to 1798 and their modern-day equivalents are trying to preserve the tradition. But are they a dying breed?
We usually associate cowboys with American states like Texas, California and New Mexico, but Hawaii has its own strong cowboy tradition dating back more than 200 years. It is a tradition Hawaii's older cowboys are trying their best to preserve.
It all began in 1798 with a gift of cows from Captain George Vancouver to King Kamehameha I. They thrived so well that the fertile land was soon overrun with wild cattle. Not knowing how to deal with them, the Hawaiians called in the experts - Mexican vaqueros, or cowboys.
They came to the islands and taught the natives their herding skills, and became known locally as paniolo - the Hawaiian pronunciation of espaniolos, or the Spaniards.
Rest is here.
