Events – Past

More than 190 people joined us on July 30 for a presentation on Shipwrecks & Seafaring Stories of Hawai‘i’s Past. These shipwrecks are undiscovered bits of history that tell us surprising things about the past. Dr. Hans Van Tilburg took us on an unforgettable underwater journey. View the full replay of this fascinating presentation, as Dr. Tilburg shared tales of survival and intrigue and other historical accounts of Hawai‘i’s underwater cultural heritage. Live Presentation of Stories of Hawai‘i’s Maritime History Thursday, July 30, 2020  -  4:30 to 5:30 P.M. What do a Civil War-era steamship, whaling ships, WWII aircraft & Japanese super-submarines have in common? These, and a multitude of other wrecks are firmly nestled in the waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands. Journey with Dr. Hans Van Tilburg of NOAA as he shares tales of survival and intrigue and other historical accounts of Hawai‘i’s underwater cultural heritage in this unique presentation. The ocean is a museum of lost shipwrecks that reflect our maritime past in the Pacific, from the days of the explorers to the plantation era and two world wars. These wrecks are undiscovered bits of history that can tell us surprising things about the past. Finding them and surveying the nearby sites, particularly in the deep ocean, is a unique and challenging endeavor that has not been comprehensively explored until now. The talk will include opportunities throughout for Q&A with the presenter. Hans Van Tilburg was originally introduced to the ocean on board his father's sloop Brunhilde at the age of eight, and started to dive at the age of 11 in 1972. He is currently the Maritime Heritage Cordinator Pacific Islands Region for NOAA’s Office of [...]

More than 130 people from the Hawaiian Islands and Mainland joined us on July 9th for a presentation on the extraordinary life of Kuhina Nui Miriam Kekāuluohi. The topic of power, who holds it, how it’s enforced and the impact this has on society is especially relevant at this historical moment. View the full replay of Dr. Shirley Buchanan’s compelling presentation on the incredible life of Kuhina Nui Miriam Kekāuluohi below. Thank you, once again, for giving me this opportunity to share the history of Kekāuluohi.  I appreciate all of the comments and questions that were posed and have provided some answers below.  In a few cases I have combined questions since they were interrelated.  In addition, many asked if the presentation or slides would be available via the recording. You can find the video recording above.  Please feel free to contact me at sbuchana@hawaii.edu if there is additional information I can provide for you. Q:  What kind of rights, autonomy, did women who were not in the ali‘i class have during this time? Can you speak about the cultural and/other background for the power of the Hawaiian women, and any changes since the 1800s? In this 100th year, when did women first vote in Hawai’i? I often get asked these questions when presenting information about the aliʻi women and there are multiple answers.  The first thing I would point out is that Hawaiian governance was different from American or European governance.  There was a greater stress on balance of power and one book that gives insight into Hawaiian governance is Dr. Noelani Arista’s new book, The Kingdom and the Republic: Sovereign Hawaiʻi and the Early United States [...]

More than 90 people from the Hawaiian Islands and Mainland joined Historic Hawai‘i Foundation on June 18th, 2020 for our second virtual event.  It was particularly relevant to share Patsy Mink's decades long crusade against racism and sexism at this historical moment framed by the recent murder of George Floyd and rise of Black Lives Matter and the U.S. Supreme Court's historic ruling June 15th on Title VII prohibiting LGBTQ employment discrimination. View the full replay of Ami Mulligan's compelling presentation on the life and legacy of U.S. Congresswoman Patsy T. Mink below. Live Presentation of Significant Events in the Life of U.S. Congresswoman Patsy Mink: A Champion for Equality & Justice Thursday, June 18, 2020  -  4:30 to 5:30 P.M. Ami Mulligan, a Ph.D. student in the Department of History at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, presents the groundbreaking life of U.S. Congresswoman Patsy Takemoto Mink. Mink was the first woman of color and the first Asian-American woman elected to Congress, and also the first woman elected to Congress from the state of Hawaii. She served a total of 12 terms (24 years), split between 1965-77 representing Hawaii's at-large and second congressional district from 1990-2002. As we explore Mink’s history, perhaps we can draw lessons for today from the key events and initiatives that helped define her legacy. The talk will be followed by a Question & Answer session with the presenter. Ami Mulligan is a Ph.D. student in the Department of History at the University of Hawai’ii at Mānoa. Her studies concentrate on Hawaii’s history and its intersection with the world from the mid-19th century through the early twentieth century. Her focus is on [...]

More than 140 people from the Hawaiian Islands and Mainland joined us on May 21st for Historic Hawaii's first virtual event. View the full replay of Uluwehi Hopkins' fascinating talk on the groundbreaking life of Emma Nakuina. Q: How important is her voice today to Hawaiian women? I cannot answer that for all women. I can only answer for myself. Personally, whatever discrimination I have in my life wasn’t because of my gender, so her gender is not what inspired me. Rather, it was her intelligence, her confidence, and her willingness to do whatever it took to keep going. Did she always make the right decision? No, but at least she kept going in the face of adversity. I was first introduced to her through her knowledge of Hawaiian moʻolelo, and what has always mattered to me most is finding out who I am. I was not raised in a household that thought of itself as Hawaiian, and no one else in my family cares that we have that bloodline. Emma Nakuina was someone that I could finally relate to. Her voice helped induct me into the Hawaiian world that was previously hidden from me. I imagine that every person, female or male, Hawaiian or not, will find something about her that is important to them. After all, isn’t that why we study the people of our past? Genealogy & Personal life Q: Where exactly was she born in Mānoa? And where did she live in Mānoa? Her obituary says that she was born in Kauaʻala in Mānoa and lived there until adulthood. I included this in my thesis. However, I have done a great deal of [...]

Photo courtesy of Alexandra Beguez, illustrator DATE:  Wednesday, April 15, 2020 TIME:  5:30 to 6:30 p.m. WHAT:   Virtual presentation and live question and answer session COST:   Free and open to the public. On April 15, 2020, the King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center in partnership with Historic Hawai‘i Foundation presented: A virtual public event highlighting Wilhelmine Kekelaokalaninui Widemann Dowsett, a hapa haole woman of Native Hawaiian and German descent, who fought for the equality of women during the Territorial Period through a multi-ethnic coalition. As founder of the National Women’s Equal Suffrage Association of Hawaiʻi, the first organization established to secure the vote for women, Dowsett used her leadership skills to press the 1919 Legislature to pass voting rights for Hawaiʻi women. Presenter Dr. Ralph Kam*, Interim-Director, Historic Preservation Graduate Certificate Program at University of  Hawai‘i at Mānoa,  recounted the life and civic legacy of one of Hawaiʻi’s greatest suffragists. The webinar concluded with a live Q&A. View the webinar below. https://youtu.be/UNDztOT1hIg *Dr. Ralph Kam holds an MA and PhD in American Studies from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, specializing in Asian Pacific American studies and media studies, and an MA in Public Relations from the University of Southern California. He wrote Death Rites and Hawaiian Royalty: Funerary Practices in the Kamehameha and Kalākaua Dynasties, 1819-1953 (2017) and co-authored Partners in Change: A Biographical Encyclopedia of American Protestant Missionaries in Hawai‘i and their Hawaiian and Tahitian Colleagues, 1820-1900 (2018). He also has written 9 articles for the Hawaiian Journal of History. Mahalo to the King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center.

March 16, 2020--Due to public health-related prohibitions on public gathering, this event has been cancelled. We plan to reschedule it later in the year. Sign up for our e-newsletter to receive updates on this and other programs. Mahalo for your understanding and support. History, Performance & Place Join us for a one-of-a-kind event highlighting historic sites, Downtown history and live performances featuring the lobbies or exteriors of 5 historic buildings. Sites include: C. Brewer, Alexander & Baldwin, Ali‘iōlaniHale, Kawaiaha‘o Church and Mission Houses. Historical performances introduce true stories from the lives of Annie Alexander, John Kaneiakama Papa ‘Ī‘ī & Lucy Thurston portrayed by actors Rasa Fournier, William Ha‘o, and Cecilia Fordham. The walk is followed by a reception with heavy pūpū and drinks. This event is co-sponsored by: Download Flier (PDF) REGISTER HERE WHEN: Wednesday, April 22, 2020 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. WHERE: Topa Financial Center 745 Fort Street Mall, Honolulu Check-in: Interior Makai side of the Fort Street Tower lobby (near the University of Phoenix office) [map] PARKING: To be added COST: $65

Historic Hawai‘i Foundation joined with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Native Hawaiian Relations to offer a free community seminar on Native Hawaiian Organizations’ involvement in the federal historic preservation consultation to protect historic properties. The presentation materials are now available for download. To take the free, online, on-demand course, see https://www.achp.gov/training/elearning Additional Tools & Presentations The seminar provides training to Native Hawaiian Organizations to aid their involvement & effectiveness in federal historic preservation consultation to protect historic sites and cultural landscapes. Saturday, February 22, 2020 9:00 a.m to 12:30 p.m. YWCA of O‘ahu, 1040 Richards Street, Honolulu THE TRAINING The training will present a new online course from the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation on Native Hawaiian Organizations and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.  There will also be a panel presentation. Subject matter experts from OHA and other groups will be featured panelists. Through the training attendees will learn: A general overview of relevant laws and regulations The special legal rights and opportunities for native Hawaiians Lessons learned by experienced practitioners Advice for those involved in preservation activities The goal is to provide skill development and information for Native Hawaiian Organizations to interact, consult, and work with federal agencies on projects and undertakings to identify properties of religious and cultural significance and consult to resolve adverse effects to those properties. WHO SHOULD ATTEND? Native Hawaiian Organizations and members of the native Hawaiian community interested in preservation of historic properties, including properties of religious and cultural significance to NHOs, which may be adversely affected by [...]

Winter 2020, January 30 to March 5 St. Andrews Cathedral, Von Holt Room 229 Queen Emma Square, Honolulu All talks Thursdays at 12:00 noon Sponsored by the Historic Preservation Program, Department of American Studies, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and the Historic Hawai‘i Foundation In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment guaranteeing universal women’s suffrage, the 2020 lecture series, Notable Women of Hawai‘i, looks at key women leaders in the history of Hawai‘i. Queen Ka‘ahumanu, January 30 A reading of "Ka‘ahumanu" by Sybil Augusta Carter, a lecture delivered December 6, 1892, before Queen Lili‘uokalani and members of Woman’s Board of Missions. The Kuhina Nui display from the Hawai‘i State Archives will be available for viewing. Presenter: Elizabeth Lentz-Hill, Missionary descendant. Emma Kaili Metcalf Beckley Nakuina, February 6 Emma Kaili Metcalf Beckley Nakuina and the Preservation of Hawaiian Culture. Makuina was a water rights expert and curator of the Hawaiian National Museum. Presenter: Uluwehi Hopkins, Doctoral Candidate, History Department, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Rosalie Enos Lyons Keliinoi, February 13 Rosalie Enos Lyons Keliinoi was the first female legislator for the Territory. She sponsored the Act that preserved Hulihe‘e Palace. Presenter: Dr. Jeff Lyons, historian and great-grandson of Keliinoi. Symbolic Ratification Star, February 20 In 1920 the Ahahui Mamakakaua, Daughters and Sons of Hawaiian Warriors Society sent a symbolic ratification star using the techniques used to create lei hulu, or feather lei. The original star is on display at Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument in Washington, D.C. A discussion will take place about its creation and the preservation of feather lei collections. Presenters: Mele Kahalepuna Chun [...]

On December 6th, Historic Hawai‘i Foundation and more than 80 people rang in the season with a Holiday Open House at the gorgeous Mulvehill Residence in lush Nu‘uanu. It was a beautiful evening filled with laughter and joy. Our incredible hosts welcomed us into their stunning and comforting home with open arms. Volunteer docents shared the architectural history of the Mulvehill home and its and rehabilitation; Nu‘uanu history including Native Hawaiian stories of place and archaeology; the Battle of Nu‘uanu and the ‘Auwai system, and the development of the 20th century subdivision known as the Dowsett Tract.  Facts and myths related to the Hawaii State Register of Historic Places was also presented. The home provided a beautiful setting for guests to mingle, converse, enjoy delicious food and drinks, and be merry! It was a magical, memorable evening. Enjoy a photo gallery of the event below. Click on each thumbnail to view in full size. Join us for a joyous Holiday Open House event among the magical, twinkling lights of the historic “Mulvehill Residence” in Nu‘uanu. Built in 1924, this classic home exudes a warm and romantic presence. Docents will share architectural and historical information about the home and its rehabilitation, grounds and surrounding neighborhood, and stories unique to the Mulvehill history over the decades. This special experience will surely leave you enchanted! Heavy pūpū, champagne, and wine will be served. Take a sneak peak of this enchanting fairy-tale home "9 Greatest Honolulu Homes" "Serenity now" [...]