Book Talk – July 16
The Hawaiian Mission Houses (HMH) and Hawaiian Historical Society (HHS) will host a collaborative event on Thursday, July 16, 2026 from 5:30pm to 7:00pm, in person on the grounds of the historic Hawaiian Mission Houses.
Join us to celebrate the printing of Awaiaulu’s newest publication, Nā Hunahuna ‘Ike Hawai’i: Hawaiian Insights by John Papa ʻĪʻī , translated by M. Puakea Nogelmeier. Register for this complementary event at https://bit.ly/AwaiauluBookTalk2026, limited seating. We will close registration after we confirm 30 attendees.
John Papa ʻĪʻī is an essential resource for Hawaiʻi today. The knowledge that he documented offers a different window on the landscape of Hawaiʻi’s history that we are striving to regain. Born in 1800, he served in the courts of the first five sovereigns who established the Hawaiian Kingdom, and he left a huge written legacy of that unique insider perspective that illuminates the work of Hawaiian scholars, cultural specialists, and anyone interested in the history and traditions of Hawaiʻi.
John Papa ʻIʻi published a serial column from 1869-70 which was translated by Mary Kawena Pūku‘i, then edited down and reordered to create the book Fragments of Hawaiian History, published by the Bishop Museum Press in 1959. This new book, Nā Hunahuna ‘Ike Hawai‘i: Hawaiian Insights by John Papa ‘Ī‘ī, presents the entirety of that two-year column, as well as his earlier historical and cultural accounts, all with Hawaiian text and new translations.
For over twenty years, Awaiaulu has trained fluent speakers of Hawaiian to find, understand and translate the writings of the past. They aim for a double-edged capacity building – making “new” resources and resource people at the same time.
Led by Dr. Puakea Nogelmeier, Professor Emeritus of Hawaiian at UH Mānoa and Lead Translation Trainer Kamuela Yim, Awaiaulu will present an overview of their latest publication as well as insight into how this text integrates and illuminates other Hawaiian resources. A question and answer session will follow the presentation.
About the Publication
Nā Hunahuna ʻIke Hawaiʻi: Hawaiian Insights by John Papa ʻĪʻī , translated by M. Puakea Nogelmeier, published by Awaiaulu, 2026
‘Ī‘ī’s longest serial column, Na Hunahuna o ka Moolelo Hawaii (1869-70) is all included in this collection, which presents an assembly of his historical and cultural narratives. While other writers of his time, like S. M. Kamakau or S. K. Kuapu‘u, were presenting historical accounts or traditional tales, ‘Ī‘ī was offering his own insights regarding individuals with whom he had personal relations, along with descriptions of the times, stories, and settings they shared. The last memorial, for Kekūanāo‘a, went on to be interwoven into the long serial account of his own life, being a collection of memories about his upbringing, his life in ‘Ewa and in the courts of Kamehameha I and of Kamehameha II, his interactions with the royals in the reign of Kamehameha III, and his knowledge regarding life in court, temple ritual, kapu, house and canoe building, sports, arts, and lifestyles.
This text articulates with other writers of the time to provide a multi-level perspective of ʻike moʻolelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian historical knowledge) for a significant part of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, a portion of our history that is continually being illuminated anew. These resources are examples of the significant knowledge contained in Hawaiian language repositories.
About the Speakers
Puakea Nogelmeier is a Professor Emeritus of UH Mānoa where he taught Hawaiian language for 35 years. After decades of study in Hawaiian language, culture, and history, he co-founded Awaiaulu with Nakila Steele in 2003 to foster a new generation of resource people and to fortify the use of Hawaiian knowledge. Puakea has been the Executive Director of Awaiaulu since its inception.
Kamuela Yim is a life-long student of Hawaiian language and culture and has been a learner and trainer with Awaiaulu since 2013. He lead the 2-year training program that began the process of bringing Nā Hunahuna ʻIke Hawaiʻi: Hawaiian Insights into its present form as a valuable resource for Hawaiian and English-language audiences today.
About Awaiaulu
Awaiaulu is dedicated to developing resources and resource people that can bridge Hawaiian knowledge from the past to the present and the future. Historical resources are made accessible so as to build the knowledge base of both Hawaiian and English-speaking audiences, and young scholars are trained to understand and interpret those resources for modern audiences today and tomorrow.
