HistoricHawaii

Historian Zita Cup Choy (image @SoundCloud) Competent and unflappable aptly describe Zita Cup Choy. Her interest in history began in childhood and has fueled her nearly 45 year-career in research and education at Iolani Palace and Washington Place.  Zita has helped lead and develop countless exhibits, tours, media presentations, and training classes. Her command of research, documentation and recovery of knowledge is well-respected among her colleagues and peers. She has also contributed to the recovery of royal possessions. After chatting with her for this interview, I also formed the impression that for Zita, learning and sharing knowledge almost come as naturally to her as breathing! While the pride she has for her work is apparent, her personable, not-on-a-pedestal approach is what  distinguishes her. The historical narrative she maintains at both the Palace and Washington Place are accessible and relevant to her audience. Zita deftly bridges professional standards with great storytelling. HHF: How did you become involved with the Friends of Iolani Palace and Washington Place? How did it lead to your current role? ZCC: I was recruited by the Friends via a letter they sent to every O‘ahu Hawaiian Civic Club and signed up to train to become a docent in 1977, the year before the Palace opened.  Jim Bartels, the curator at the time, trained us.  He continued to be involved in docent training until he was hired by Mrs. Cayetano to work at Washington Place.  In 2000, Jim needed docents for Washington Place and figuring he would not need to teach Palace docents about the monarchy period or public speaking/customer service skills, he recruited Palace docents to become docents at Washington Place, with a clear understanding we were not to leave [...]

Located on Haili Street in Hilo on Hawai‘i Island, Central Christian Church has been a community pillar since 1892. Originally known as the Portuguese Evangelical Church and nicknamed Fisherman’s Church for the early morning services before the fishing fleet went to sea, it was built by descendants of immigrants who came from the Medeira Islands of Portugal. The church changed its name to the Central Christian Church in 1935 to represent a more diverse congregation of many ethnic backgrounds. The building features stained glass windows that were crafted in Europe and gifted to the church by First United Protestant Church in 1907. In 1914, the building was raised to include a full basement. This also helped the building survive the tsunamis of 1946 and 1960. The interior features fir wainscoting, elegant molding and trim, original pipes from the church organ and many original pieces of furniture and detailing. The preservation project was supported by a grant through Historic Hawai‘i Foundation’s Hilo Preservation and Beautification Program. The project focused on structural integrity and repairs. The work included termite remediation, gutter replacements, restoring the appearance of the doors and windows, repairing the stained glass windows, and general repairs to the fence and walkways. Pastor Kimberly Hill said, “Central Christian Church has been restored and made more beautiful and functional. We had numerous positive and encouraging comments from the community about the restoration. People seemed to be blessed by seeing positive restoration, growth and results in the midst of the world shutting down. This grant kept us moving forward in vision and morale despite the difficulties of the 2020 year.”

Quilts Honoring Women of the Hawaiian Monarchy By Joyce D. Hammond In this month of International Women’s Day when women’s achievements and contributions to others are celebrated, I wish to highlight quilts honoring royal Hawaiian women, namely: Queen Consort Ka‘ahumanu, Kamehemaha I’s chief wife; Queen Consort Emma, wife of King Kamehameha IV; Queen Consort Kapi‘olani, married to King Kalākaua; Princess Ka‘iulani, niece to the last two reigning monarchs of Hawai'i and heir apparent to the throne; and Queen Lili‘uokalani, the eighth and last reigning sovereign. Since most Hawaiian quilts have been made by women of Hawaiian descent or, in some cases, by women (and men) inspired by Hawaiian culture and quilt artistry, this essay also celebrates the quilt makers themselves. Collections of Hawaiian quilts and quilt patterns from many sources reveal that the majority of Hawaiian applique quilts of the nineteenth, twentieth, and, now, twenty-first centuries have been inspired by natural elements of the islands such as flowers, leaves, rains, and beloved places. Another impressive and significant genre of Hawaiian quilt designs, however, are those which honor and immortalize the Hawaiian Monarchy which was established in 1810 by King Kamehameha I and overthrown in 1893 when Queen Lili‘uokalani was deposed by American businessmen with support from U.S. diplomatic and military personnel. Quilts incorporating the Hawaiian nation’s flag, those featuring elements of Iolani Palace, and others with names that reference specific Hawaiian kings are among the quilts associated with the Hawaiian Monarchy. The Significance of Symbols Quilt designs associated with the Hawaiian Monarchy overwhelmingly include royal symbols, many of which were earlier symbols of the ali‘i, the chiefly class of people in the Hawaiian Islands. These include kāhili (feather standards displayed or carried to indicate the [...]

In Humanities Teacher Billie Napoleon's Historic Preservation class at Mid-Pacific Institute, high school students learn the value of buildings and places in their community through personal experiences.  "The lessons have to be relevant so that the students care about the projects," explains Napoleon.  "We have to start with the personal, rather than first diving into preservation policy." This past semester, her students were exposed to historic cemeteries and invited to think about them as places of history and connection and as places worth preserving. Cemetery historian Nanette Napoleon was invited to give a special presentation to the class and helped provide context for this perspective. Students were tasked with an assignment: to visit the grave of a relative with a family member and to write a reflection about the experience. Thanks to Billie and our collaborative partnership, HHF is pleased to share a few of these insightful essays below.*  We applaud the ingenuity and resourcefulness of this lesson plan; how it enabled students to engage with a historic site safely and together with family members. Mahalo to Billie, Nanette, the students and their families! [su_divider top="no" size="1"] Cemetery Visit: Valley of the Temples (Kāne‘ohe, HI) by Sydney Tsuruda Overall, the Valley of the Temples Memorial Park is a very well manicured and maintained place.  The site has a beautiful scenic view from every point.  The Ko’olau mountains add to the amazing Hawaiian aesthetic and the abundance of native Hawaiian plant species contribute to the lush nature of the land.  The cemetery is rather quiet and makes me feel a sense of tranquility and peace. I went with my mom to visit her grandparents. She told a story about how she would often stay at their [...]