RAIN KIPUUPUU
Eia au la e ke hoa,
O Rain Kipuupuu,
Me oe a ike iho,
Na hana a ka ua noe. Continue reading
More mele found in unexpected places, 1882.
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Mele found in unexpected places, 1882.
KA LIA SONG.
1 Hooipo ia nei ko lia,
Holu ana i ka makani Kiu,
Pii ka manene holu malie,
Napenape i ke ahe kapalili. Continue reading
Moon calendar and Kanepuaa, 1953.
Moon Calendar
Tomorrow, June 27, will be Mahealani, the 16th of the moon month Kaaona.
Mahealani is a good planting day. The Hawaiian farmer in ancient days who had a new field of potatoes would rise with the dawn to go into his garden and pray to Kanepuaa, the god of fertility. Continue reading
J. H. Kanepuu the traditionalist, 1970.
Hawaiian Math
By Russell and Peg Apple
BY THE MID 1800s, the Hawaiian people were betwixt and between two cultures. There was the pull and the momentum of the old—the traditional Hawaiian; and the lure and exhortations of the new—a New England brand of Western.
And the Hawaiians were aware of the situation. They were not above pointing out to each other the conflicts they met in their everyday life.
One who did so was a man from Palolo, a Mr. J. H. Kanepuu. He wrote in the Hawaiian language newspaper Ke Au Okoa, and on Jan. 21, 1867, saw the need to call attention to two counting systems that existed side by side.
KANEPUU NOTED the conflict in the markets where Hawaiians bought and sold. There was a generation gap in methods of enumeration. Most of the fishermen and farmers who sold in the markets were old men who counted by the Hawaiian method. Those who bought were younger folks who counted by the haole system. Few knew both well.
The momentum and practices of the past fixed the habit patterns of the fishermen who caught flying fish, mullet, mackerel and milkfish for the Honolulu markets. They either sold their catch themselves, or it was sold by family members of the same generation. They counted Hawaiian style.
Those who bought counted haole style. They had been to the mission and public schools. They knew how to count by tens, from one on up into the tens of thousands. Each had ten fingers, including thumbs, to help.
BUT THE Hawaiian system was based on the numeral four, not the decimal system. Hawaiians had four fingers on each hand to help in counting.
Both the old timers and the younger Hawaiians spoke Hawaiian fluently. But the haole terms had been translated into Hawaiian and taught to the people who went to school, along with the counting-by-tens method. It was the same sort of confusion which occurs today when a nation switches from pounds-shillings-and-pence to a coinage based on the decimal system. Or when a student who learned his work in inches, feet, yards and miles tries to deal with millimeters, centimeters, meters kilometers. Misunderstandings and confusion result.
LOT KAMEHAMEHA, later to rule as Kamehameha V, was educated by Christian missionaries and was versed in the Western system. Kanepuu wrote that when he was still Prince Lot, he received a gift of fish at his house in Honolulu. This was sometime in the early 1800s, before Lot Kamehameha was crowned.
The men who brought the fish used the old system, the Prince only understood the new.
“How much fish?” asked the prince.
“One lau and nine kaau,” answered the Hawaiian servant who delivered the fish, a gift from chief Kuhia.
THIS ANSWER distressed Lot Kamehameha and he alsmost became angry. On seeing this, the Hawaiian switched to the new system. Continue reading
Expenditures of the Board of Genealogy, 1884.
Found under: “General Report of The Finance Committee to the Legislative Assembly of 1884.”]
BOARD OF GENEALOGY.
The appropriation of $10,000 for the Relief of the Board of Genealogy has all been drawn from the Treasury upon warrants by the Minister of the Interior, and the books of the department show the following persons to have been the recipients:
Her Ex. the Governess of Hawaii [Poomaikelani] ….. $6,474.37 Continue reading
Was Emalia Kaihumua not Sweet Emalia? 1906.
WIFE BEATER’S WORK UNCOVERS A SUSPECT
Emalia Kaihumua, a sister of “Sweet” Emalia, whose record with the police extends over a number of years, was severely beaten by her husband yesterday, her jaw being broken with a demijohn. The injured woman was brought to the police station, and she was given medical treatment. Continue reading
Great Meeting of December 28, 1891 at Manamana, 1891.
MASS MEETING.
The Native Sons of Hawaii to the Front.
RESOLUTIONS AGAINST A REPUBLICAN FORM OF GOVERNMENT ADOPTED.
Over six hundred people, Hawaiians and foreigners, were present at the mass meeting called by the Native Sons of Hawaii, and held at the Gymnasium on Monday evening. Many prominent natives were present and listened to the discourses of their wise leaders with attentive ears. Long before 7 o’clock streams of people were seen wending their way towards the Gymnasium. The Royal Hawaiian Band, under the leadership of Prof. D. K. Naone, was stationed on the makai end of the hall, and discoursed most eloquent music for over thirty minutes.
J. K. Kaulia, the Secretary of the Native Sons of Hawaii, called the meeting to order at 7:45 p. m.
Hon. A. Rosa was elected chairman of the meeting. On taking the chair, he said that he came as spectator only. He was not a candidate for the coming elections, and he was not a member of the society. He asked the audience to conduct the meting in an orderly manner, so that nothing would mar the success of the object in view.
Isaac D. Iaea was chosen secretary and Mr. Rosa interpreted the speeches in English.
The Chairman called upon the Rev. J. Waiamau to open the meeting with prayer which was done.
A. Rosa said: The subject for discussion this evening is, “Our denunciation against adopting a Republican for of Government for Hawaii.” You are at liberty to express your views, whether pro or con. The first speaker—J. L. Kaulukou—will speak against the Republican movement. The time allotted to each speaker is limited to ten minutes.
J. L. Kaulukou—Mr. Chairman and gentlemen: We are assembled here to-night because false rumors are being propagated abroad that we, native sons of the soil of Hawaii, are in favor of a Republican form of Government. Our bitterest enemies are doing their utmost to spread this unfounded report. It is our duty tonight at a mass meeting assembled, to notify the world at large that the aboriginal Hawaiians are body and soul against such a movement. We do not favor annexation either with America or with any other foreign power. We have called this meeting because foreigners abroad are entertaining this idea, which is most derogatory to our interests. Hawaiians are not the only one concerned in this question; foreigners, too, who have adopted Hawaii as their home; they have a right to stand up and denounce this movement. [Applause.[ A queen now reigns over us. It is our duty as loyal citizens to do our utmost to perpetuate the throne of Hawaii. England cherishes her Queen, and we should adore our Queen. Our ancestors have been accustomed to a monarchial form of government, and we, the younger generations, have been instilled with undying loyalty to our sovereign. Our forefathers considered “love of the throne, love of country and love of the people” as one, but we have divided it into three distinct persons. I will now read to you the following resolutions, carefully prepared by a committee of the Native Sons of Hawaii: Continue reading
Hauoli La Hanau, e Mary Kawena Pukui! 1964.
Isle Scholar Celebrates Birthday With New Work
By MARY COOKE
Mary Kawena Pukui, dean of Hawaiian scholars, has two reasons to celebrate today.
It’s her 69th birthday, and the English-Hawaiian Dictionary, part of a project for which she started the research 30 years ago, is just out.
It is a companion volume of the Hawaiian-English Dictionary published in 1957. On both works her collaborator was Dr. Samuel H. Elbert of the University of Hawaii who studied the language with her. Both were published by the University Press.
“IT IS such a relief,” Kawena began in the light, unhurried conversational tones of a Hawaiian tutu, “to have the dictionaries finished.”
But her dark eyes sparkled with the intensity of the scholar as she added, “now I can go ahead with the Kamakau.”
She explained that some years ago she translated the writings on Hawaiian religion, arts and crafts by the early Hawaiian author, Samuel Kamakau. Now she is reviewing the work for publication with Dorothy Barrere of the Bishop Museum.
“AND THERE are lots of other things I want to do, too,” she said with characteristic forward-looking zeal.
Kawena is modest about looking backward. But the record shows 40 years of persistent, scholarly accomplishment as researcher, translator, compiler and writer of authentic Hawaiiana.
Thirty-seven titles in Bishop Museum listings covering ethnology, sociology, natural history and linguistics are the work of Mary Pukui alone or in collaboration with scientists and other writers.
HER MOTIVATION is the urgency she feels to research and record all possible knowledge of the indigenous culture of Hawaii.
When she began writing and translating years ago she started a card file of Hawaiian words “for whoever would do a new Hawaiian dictionary… I never thought I was going to be the one to do it,” she said.
Her source material was Hawaiian newspapers and magazines, the Hawaiian Bible, catechisms and religious writings of all denominations, legends, folk lore, chants and writings of early native scholars.
Legal terms and land law terms were translated, and from the modern Hawaiian vocabulary, such contemporary words as “air raid” and “blackout” were also included.
KAWENA, with Eleanor Williamson of the Bishop Museum, also traveled remote areas of the Islands with a tape recorder to garner all she could from living memories about pronunciation and meanings of words.
She says the Hawaiian language frequently is complicated by multiple meanings.
Advertiser Photo by Charles Okamura
MARY KAWENA PUKUI Continue reading
Remembering Jules Dudoit, 1866.
The Late Julius Dudoit, Esq.
Seldom does the historian of passing events have a sadder task to perform than when penning obituary notices of his contemporaries; but when the subject of his notice is a person of mark,—of innocent and upright character,—the victim of a dastardly assassin; it becomes a melancholy duty to lay a last mark of esteem upon the tomb of the outraged, especially when venerable for age, and honorable for past services. Continue reading
Might these be the feathers the Hawaiians were wearing in Salt Lake City? 1898.
CORSETS, HATS AND JEWELRY.
Some Late Fashion Hints—Philadelphia Physician Shows Women How to Lace.
A NEW PARIS COAT.
…
IBIS FEATHERS.
The promises of May are already being made, and tender hearts who will not have the plumage or bodies of dead songsters in their hats can this spring trim the hats with lovely ibis feathers that cost no avian lives, and are fair to look upon. Of course the purple ibis feathers from Egypt are to be classed among the costly beauties of millinery, but we have our own American scarlet ibis to borrow tail feathers from and fix in our new wide-brimmed hats.
This delicate plumage is, however, dyed many handsome colors, and, beside this and ostrich feathers, to be safely adopted by any Audubonite, we are going to have lovely hats later on trimmed so gracefully and economically with nothing but masses of shot taffeta silk cut on the bias and every edge closely pinked. This piece silk will assume, in fact, has already largely taken the place of ribbon bows for the trimming of simpler hats. Nothing can be more alluringly daring than a sapphire blue felt, with just a yard of cerise taffeta twisted about the crown, perky bows and ends starting up in every direction. Here and there the taffeta was caught down with cheap pins set with mock sapphires and rhinestones.
Nobody yet dares to assume which ways hats are going to tilt for spring wearing, but just in this midseason a tendency is making toward piling everything in front. Thake a look, for instance, at the crowning glory on the head of the model in the braided coat. It is typical of the daring frontage now used. Here the hat brim is of modes proportions; it is the mounting black and white ostrich tips that lend the stately effect. Another hat worth mentioning boasted a brim four and one-half inches wide, and this was turned directly off the face, bent into three perpendicular flutes, and over the edge of the brim, finished by puffings of black chiffon, nodded the heavy heads of half a dozen prize tall feathers.
(Salt Lake Hearld, 1/16/1898, p. 15)
(The Salt Lake Herald, Number 49, Page 15. January 16, 1898.
nupepa 