Aloha ka uka ʻōpua holu i ka makani
[Photo: Lei pūpū kāhuli, lei made from endemic Hawaiian land snail shells (Achatinella sp.) called kāhuli, strung onto fine cordage. This lei belonged to Princess Liliʻuokalani. Bishop Museum Ethnology Collections object number 1921.014.145. Q_209576] [Photo: Detail of lei pūpū kāhuli, lei made from endemic Hawaiian land snail shells (Achatinella sp.) called kāhuli, strung onto fine […]
Kui nā ʻāpiki lei o Makaiwa
[Photo: Mrs. Kamaka Stillman wearing a maile lei and an ʻilima head lei, ca. 1900-1910; Photo by Alonzo Gartley. SP 90740.] Kui nā ʻāpiki lei o Makaiwa Happy Mele Monday! According to Mary Kawena Pukui, ʻāpiki is another name for the ʻilima flower used in lei making. While some folks abstained from wearing this lei […]
Finding Hawaiʻi’s Lost Fowl
Learn about ancient birds that inhabited Oahu thousands of years ago, and the role that Bishop Museum plays in revealing their natural history.
He aloha moku o Keawe
[Photo: S.S. Australia leaving the dock in Honolulu Harbor; Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. Photo by Christian J. Hedemann. SP 207229.] [Photo: S.S. Australia; Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. Photo by Christian J. Hedemann. SP 207230.] He aloha moku o Keawe Happy Mele Monday! Sailing aboard the S.S. Australia, Emalia Kaihumua set out for California to perform hula overseas. While living […]
Tyler, Frontline Hospital Worker and Bishop Museum Supporter
Tyler, Frontline Hospital Worker and Bishop Museum Supporter Home Page Members are a big part of our Bishop Museum ʻOhana. Meet Tyler, a frontline hospital worker, longtime Bishop Museum visitor, and a Bishop Museum Member! Tyler, Frontline Hospital Worker and Bishop Museum Supporter Why did you decide to become a Member? I go to the museum two […]
Nani Nuʻuanu i ka ua pehi lehua a ka puʻulena
[Photo: Solomono Huihui, ca. 1923; Lunalilo Home, Honolulu, Oʻahu. SP 115402.] Nani Nuʻuanu i ka ua pehi lehua a ka Puʻulena Happy Mele Monday! Today’s mele was composed by a man named Penimana and contributed to the collection by Solomono Huihui of Honolulu. A resident of Lunalilo Home, Solomono was one of nine kūpuna who […]
Kīlauea ke aloha
[Photo: Mokulau, Maui and interisland steamer, Kīlauea; Hawaiʻi, May 1922. SP 50114.] Kīlauea ke aloha Happy Mele Monday! “On June 28, 1860, the Kilauea, a screw steamer of 414 tons built for the [Hawaiian Steam Navigation Company] in East Boston, arrived at Honolulu and soon afterward began her long and varied career in the interisland […]
Pehea mai ʻoe, ē Malulani?
[Photo: Mr. George Beckley (seated) with Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole (standing); Hawaiʻi. SP 54164] Pehea mai ʻoe, ē Malulani? Happy Mele Monday! Today’s featured composition keeps us basking in the afterglow of Father’s Day. This mele, composed by Mrs. Kinoole Pittman, was written for William C. Beckley and dedicated to his son George Beckley. (Mele […]
ʻIke iā Hawaiʻi he ʻāina nui
[Photo: Group of Hawaiian fishermen and children posed in front of outrigger canoes, ca. 1905; Puna, Hawaiʻi. Photo by H.R. Hanna. SP_103652] ʻIke iā Hawaiʻi he ʻāina nui Happy Mele Monday! Contributed to the collection by Thomas E. Cooke of Hilo, todayʻs featured mele recalls significant places on Hawaiʻi island, namely in the Puna district. […]
Aia i Kohala kaʻu aloha
[Photo: View of coastal Kawaihae, Hawaiʻi; ca. 1908; SP 101273] Aia i Kohala kaʻu aloha Happy Mele Monday! Contributed to the collection by Kapeliela Malani of Kawaihae, Kohala, today’s composition is a mele aloha. Alluding to emotions of grief and hope, the composer of this mele expresses the deep pain of discovering the unfaithfulness of […]
