Books in Hawaiian like those written by Jack London, 1923.

Members of the Hawaiian Singing Group

Standing from left to right, Mrs. Andrade; Mrs. Clemens, leader; Mrs. Pahu; Mr. Andrade. Squatting: Mr. O. Pahu; Steven P. Lukua; Mr. Schenck Clemens, manager.

A LETTER FROM A HAWAIIAN BOY FROM AMERICA.

Below you will see the thoughts of a Hawaiian boy by the name of Kiwini Lukua [Steven Lukua], writing to his mother Mrs. Rebecca Lukua of Honolulu nei, describing what his singing group is doing, where they are living in America, and so forth. He has sent many letters, and this below is one of his letters.

“Dear mother, much aloha to you:–Here we are on break, and we are doing better, but our cold are not completely cured; we are still coughing, but not like the previous months. I think within two weeks our colds will probably be over, and maybe we will go sightseeing.

“I have some things I want you to buy for all of us, that is this, six pairs of Japanese sandals [kamaa pale wawae], and send in under my name and I will send you the money for the expenses. Our old Japanese sandals are all shredded up. That is all I want, and do not forget to send send a book related to Hawaii; do not forget to send a book of that type every month, that being a book in Hawaiian like those written by Jack London, etc.; a book written only in Hawaiian.

“I have good friends here who I want to read those books, and I will send you money to cover the cost of those books, because my friends will pay for those books.

“The days here are getting warmer. This place is much like our Manoa. The birds are singing and all the plants and the landscapes are beautiful to see.

The frigid days have gone by and we are happy that we have warm days, and the blooming flowers. Everywhere people are no longer lighting their fireplaces. These days we are staying at home quietly, and each evening, we went exploring for an hour and returned, because our colds are not completely over.

“Here, if someone gets a cold, several months will go by before that cold and sickness is over. This place is strange and not like Honolulu. Here if someone catches a cold, that cold will live in the body until the warm period. And if you catch a cold once again during the warm period, it will be worse. That is the reason we are staying in the house. But the haole tell us that our troubles are over, and so too was what the doctor said. But we wanted to be very sure before going traveling about here and there.

“Everyday, that haole invite us to go to their homes to see them, but we do not accept because we are sick. Here there are haole who went to Honolulu, and each evening, they always come to our hotel to talk with us.

“I am truly tired of living here, because we have many days before we work again. I have the sheet music and am practicing singing, “Hawaiian Rose.” This is a beautiful song.

“Today we are going to see the place with clams, that being olepe, because it is high tide now. The owners of this hotel are taking us to dig for clams; we are paying this hotel an extra charge of $5 for the day. But the hotel owner is reducing it to $3.00 for the day.

“This hotel is nice; there is a bathroom in each room, and we are the only dark-skinned ones in this hotel, because Blacks are not allowed to stay here. The cost to stay here per day is $3.00, added to the cost for meals. And the meals here fine, just like the Moana Hotel.

“Each evening the people dance on top of the Roof Garden without charge. We dance as well because it is fun. The music for the dancing is played by a Jazz Band. I forgot to tell you this, if we live here for two months the manager of the hotel has agreed to give us a monthly rate, that being $15.00 for a month, and we agreed on that rate, because it is very cheap, and he put in a request that we play every Saturday on the Roof Garden during the breaks, and he will pay us $15.00 per night; we are lucky, because we will receive an extra payment of $15.00. We will begin playing in April.

“With these little thoughts, I will conclude. May God guide and watch over us until we meet again.

Your loving son,
STEVEN P. LUKUA,
Happy Hawaii Co., Swarthmore, Penn., Wyoming, Delaware, U. S. A.

(Kuokoa, 5/24/1923, p. 3)

Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Buke LXII, Helu 21, Aoao 3. Mei 24, 1923.
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Evan da Silva Political Ad—a Mix of Hawaiian and Western Idioms, 1920.

CANDIDACY ANNOUNCEMENT

I am once again putting my name before the voters of the First Voting District of the Island of Hawaii, and asking for your support on this Election Season coming up on the 2nd of October, 1920. My work at the Legislature these past sessions was putting effort into and watching over our rights, O makaainana from the reclining coconut trees of Kalapana all the way to the sheer trails of Hamakua.

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Kamehameha Day, a Hundred Years Ago, 1922.

The Day of the Nation Conqueror, Kamehameha I.

This coming Sunday, the 11th of June, is Kamehameha Day. This day is regularly celebrated as the birthday of the Nation Conqueror Kamehameha I here in Hawaii. And this regular celebration is what we will do this year.

It is a usual thing for all the Hawaiian associations to hold a memorial service for the one for whom this important holiday is, on the Sunday preceding the 11th of June. But this year that day falls on a Sunday, so it is appropriate that the memorial activities be carried out with sincerity and maturity by us this year.

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I was asked once if other ethnicities put ads in Hawaiian language newspapers…

…I think if you wanted to sell your products, yes, you did.

 

Ka Hoku o Hawaii, Buke 7, Helu 39, Aoao 2. Feberuari 27, 1913.
The Hawaii Shokumin Shinbun, Number 484, September 6, 1912.
Hawaii Herald, Volume XVII, Number 22, Page 4. January 17, 1913.

Animals introduced in Ka Lama Hawaii, 1834.

Pertaining to the Sloth [Hiamoe].

This strange animal is born and lives and dies amongst the branches of the trees. They are rare, and live in seclusion in the trees of the deep forests of South America. That is where it lives. Its front legs are long, somewhat like those of the arms of man, it does not reach a foot, its claws are long like fingers. Its hind legs are short. Therefore it cannot walk on land, it can only move by crawling. From that comes its name, the Sloth. Continue reading

Rev. William Kamau, oldest minister in the Hawaiian church, 1940.

[Found under “Aloha Pumehana”]

REV. WILLIAM KAMAU

He is the oldest amongst the ministers of Hawaii’s Churches.

The Haili Church gives its warm aloha to you, oh good father, and so too with Ka Hoku o Hawaii.

[Rev. William Kamau was one of the contributors to Bishop Museum’s Roberts Collection of mele. See this week’s He Aupuni Palapala blog for more information on a new exhibit about the collection and an better image of William Kamau!]

(Hoku o Hawaii, 6/19/1940, p. 1)

Ka Hoku o Hawaii, Volume XXXV, Number 8, Aoao 1. Iune 19, 1940.

He Aupuni Palapala project at Bishop Museum, 2021.

Did you see the latest Nūhou Monday post from Bishop Museum? It mentions Ka Nūhou, the Hawaiian language newsletter put out by the club, Hui Aloha ʻĀina Tuahine at University of Hawaii at Mānoa. That was 49 years ago! Click here for the Nūhou Monday post from He Aupuni Palapala!

E na makua Hawaiʻi me na kupuna Hawaiʻi

…ʻO ʻoukou no na kumu helu ekahi o ka ʻolelo Hawaiʻi. Ka ʻolelo i aʻo ʻia mai ka puke mai, oʻohe no e like me ka ʻolelo mai koʻoukou waha mai.

Hawaiian parents and grandparents, you are the best teachers of the Hawaiian language.
The language taught from books is not like the language that comes from your mouths.
—A plea written by Haunani Bernardino, editor of Ka Nuhou, an English-Hawaiian newsletter.

Haunani Bernardino

Nuulani Atkins

Lurline Naone

Bill Wilson

By Arlene Lum
Star-Bulletinn Writer

Hawaiian is a living language and NOT a foreign one. And if a group of University of Hawaii students had their way, Hawaiian youngsters would be bilingual.

There are only 5,000 people in the State now who can speak the beautiful, musical language and only 150 at the University are trying to learn.

The reason?

“We were brought up feeling ashamed of our heritage,” according to Nuulani Atkins, a senior in his third year of language study. “I hated myself. I hated the Hawaiians. I felt inferior.” Continue reading

Revealing what was lost, 2021.

La Hanau

EDWIN M. DESHA

O Edwin M. Desha, ka  Lunanui o Ka Hoku o Hawaii, ke hoomanao ana i kona la hanau ma keia Poalima iho, Okakoba 18.

Mawaho ae o kona kulana he boki nui no ka Hoku, he kakauolelo o Mr. Desha na Lunahoomalu Samuel M. Spencer of ke Kalana o Hawaii. He lala ku maikai oia no ka hui Liona o Hilo, a pela nohoi me kekahi mau ahahui e ae. Ma kekahi olelo ana ae, he kanaka paa loa oia i ka hana a aole he loaa iaia ka manawa no ka lawe ana i kona hoomaha, a pela nohoi ma kona la hanau.

Me na upu maikai ana no ka la hanau hauoli e Eddie, mai ka papa pa’i holookoa o ka Hoku.

[Did you check out the new “Nūhou Monday” post out from Bishop Museum’s He Aupuni Palapala group? It talks about you can actually see a picture of Edwin M. Desha in the original of this newspaper! Click here to get taken to the page.

P.S. I am amused with the phrase “he boki nui”.]

(Hoku o Hawaii, 10/16/1940, p. 1)

Ka Hoku o Hawaii, Volume XXXV, Number 25, Aoao 1. Okakoba 16, 1940.

Looking back to the Hawaiian football champions of 1895, 1926.

WINNERS OF FIRST MAINLAND — ISLAND GRID TILT

Here is the Honolulu team, island champions and victors over the Navy champs from Philadelphia. Top row, standing, left to right—Billie Cornwell, Chris Holt, Louis Singer. Continue reading