He Aupuni Palapala

Cover Image: Detail of front page of the January 1, 1862 issue of Ka Nupepa Kuokoa. Photo by David Franzen, ©2009 Bishop Museum Archives. QM 204791.

He Aupuni Palapala: Preserving and Digitizing the Hawaiian Language Newspapers is an ambitious, multi-year collaboration between Bishop Museum and Awaiaulu, supported by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority and with contributions from Kamehameha Schools. Its goals are to catalog the existing nūpepa (Hawaiian language newspapers) in public repositories in Hawaiʻi, recording the condition of each page. It will also redigitize and partner with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Papakilo Database to make word searchable the clearest pages available and to upload them online for free public access.

The Hawaiian language newspapers total more than 100,000 pages of text, encompassing practically all aspects of Hawaiian life, culture, literature, environment, and history—told in the words of Hawaiians of the day.

Aole o’u makemake e paio aku, he makemake ko’u e pololei ka moolelo o ko’u one hanau, aole na ka malihini e ao mai ia’u i ka mooolelo o ko’u lahui, na’u e ao aku i ka moolelo i ka malihini.

[I have no desire to argue, I want the history of my homeland to be accurate; it is not for the foreigner to teach me the history of my people, it is for me to teach it to the foreigner.]

—S. M. Kamakau, “Hooheihei ka Nukahalale…” Ke Au Okoa, 10/16/1865, p. 1

Aole o’u makemake e paio aku, he makemake ko’u e pololei ka moolelo o ko’u one hanau, aole na ka malihini e ao mai ia’u i ka mooolelo o ko’u lahui, na’u e ao aku i ka moolelo i ka malihini.

[I have no desire to argue, I want the history of my homeland to be accurate; it is not for the foreigner to teach me the history of my people, it is for me to teach it to the foreigner.]

—S. M. Kamakau, “Hooheihei ka Nukahalale…” Ke Au Okoa, 10/16/1865, p. 1

Detail of front page of the January 1, 1862 issue of Ka Nupepa Kuokoa. Photo by David Franzen, ©2009 Bishop Museum Archives. QM 204791.

Birthday of Queen Kapiʻolani, 1888.

In 1887 Queen Kapiʻolani traveled to England to attend Queen Victoria’s Jubilee, where she appears in her famous gown trimmed with peacock feathers. For her birthday the following year she invites ladies to a state reception at ‘Iolani Palace. Kapiʻolani chose the peacock gown for this occasion as well.

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Christmas Tree Firsts in Hawaiʻi

The first mention of a Christmas tree in Hawaiʻi appears to have been in 1858. On the 30th of December, The Pacific Commercial Advertiser ran an article on Mrs. [Mary] Dominis and her “magnificent ‘Christmas Tree’” at Washington Place.

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Kingdom Era Photographer: Henry Lyman Chase, part 2. 

It has been a year since we first talked about photographer H. L. Chase. Looking through the English newspapers also yield information not found in Hawaiian, and likewise the Hawaiian newspapers often speak of things that the English do not. Meanwhile, if possible, we should not forget the other language papers.

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Na Wahi Pana o Kaʻū Nei.

Here is an article published in Nupepa Kuokoa that recalls some of the famous places in Kaʻū Hawaiʻi, written by P. M. Malumalu on April 21, 1871.

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Schooling ʻAlalauā

Last week’s post consisted of a few articles on the topic of schooling fish. This week will focus more on the juvenile stage of ʻāweoweo, called ʻalalauā or ʻalalauwā.

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Ke Kumu Hawaii

Ke Kumu Hawaii was the first newspaper printed in Honolulu. It was published by the Sandwich Island Mission, edited by Reuben Tinker, and ran from November 12, 1834 to May 22, 1839.

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