Kaula Piko: The Source of Strings – The Story Behind the Exhibit
Kaula Piko: The Source of Strings – The Story Behind the Exhibit Home Page By DeSoto Brown, Bishop Museum Historian and Exhibit Co-Curator Bishop Museum’s upcoming exhibit, Kaula Piko: The Source of Strings, will tell the little-known story of the development of Hawaiian music from the 19th century and on, and how this genre of […]
What is Earth Day?
What is Earth Day? Home Page What is Earth Day? Wednesday, April 22, 2020, is Earth Day! Earth Day is a day set aside to recognize the importance of taking care of our planet, or as we call it in Hawaiʻi, mālama hōnua (taking care of the earth). The theme for this year’s Earth Day […]
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Lei
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Lei Home Page Lei are necklaces or garlands intended to be worn on the body or hung in significant ways. Many types of lei are made in Hawaiʻi, and across the Pacific, garlands and necklaces are seen in everyday life and on special occasions. Some of the more common types of lei […]
Lahilahi ē, Lahilahi ē
[Photo: Lahilahi Webb; Honolulu, Hawai‘i; SP 216335.] Lahilahi ē, Lahilahi ē Happy Mele Monday! Elizabeth Kealiioiwikinolahilahi Napuaikaumakani Webb was born in Honolulu on April 12, 1862, the daughter of Charles Vincent and Halauai Kekahupuu Rogers. She attended Fort Street School and St. Andrew’s Priory. In 1891, Lahilahi married Harry Hogson Webb of Bangor, Maine. They […]
Honeycreepers & Adaptive Radiation
Explore resources about the Hawaiian Honeycreepers and other unique forest birds found only in Hawaii.
Aia i Waiehu Pua Loke Lani
[Photo: View of Lahaina waterfront; Lahaina, Maui, Hawaiʻi. ca. 1930.; SP 120999.] Aia i Waiehu Pua Loke Lani Happy Mele Monday! Today’s featured mele dates back to 1884 and is performed as a hula pūʻili. Composed during his time on Maui, J.P. Hale draws poetic inspiration from his surrounding environment as he alludes to expressions […]
Hōkūleʻa
Hōkūleʻa Home Page Hōkū meaning star in Hawaiian, and le‘a meaning gladness: Hōkūle‘a is our star of joy or gladness. Also called Arcturus, our star of joy is an important tool for navigation, along with Hikianalia or Spica. Before the use of modern instruments, our ancestors needed to rely on tools like the stars, currents, […]
Ke Kumuhana o ke Ola o ke Kanaka
[Kiaaina; Hawaiʻi; Photo by Theodore Kelsey; SP 39805] Ke Kumuhana o ke Ola o ke Kanaka Happy Mele Monday! “For the Hawaiian of the past, all times and every time were indeed occasions for prayer. ʻLong before the missionaries came, Hawaiians were haipule, religious.’ Says Mary Kawena Pukui. ‘Everything they did, they did with prayer.’” […]
#BishopMuseumStory
Dear Bishop Museum ‘Ohana, I’m writing to all of you together — our Staff, Board, BMAC members, and Volunteers. As we announced yesterday, in the best interest of our greater community, we have made the decision to temporarily close the Museum in response to concerns about the spread of COVID-19. While we continue to do […]
Winter Waves
Roger Coryell, February 1947. Bishop Museum Archives.Roger Coryell, December 31, 1951. Bishop Museum Archives. Previous Next Winter Waves By: DeSoto Brown Storms over the Pacific Ocean produce swells that travel long distances to the Hawaiian Islands. When it’s winter in the Southern Hemisphere, waves from storms there will break on Hawaiʻi’s south shores during our […]
