Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 22, Number 5, 1 May 2005 — New books help recapture native history, language [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

New books help recapture native history, language

By Sterling Kini Wong Loeal authors eonhnue to produce a bounty of intriguing releases on topics of Hawaiian interest. Here's a selected sampling of some of the recent offerings:

Aloha Betrayed Noenoe Silva Duke University Press; 260 p.; $21.95 Few historians have ever examined the vast body of Hawaiian-language

materials detailing Hawaiian resistance to foreign colonialism. Instead, nearly every non-Hawaiian historian has either ignored, glossed over or disputed that resistance. In Aloha Betrayed, Noenoe Silva, a polkieal science professor at the University of Hawai'i-Mānoa, reawakens the Hawaiian voices of the 19th and early 20th centuries, retracing their opposition to foreign control as expressed in 75 Hawaiian-language newspapers, songs, poems and other literary material of the day. At the heart of the book is the Hui Aloha 'Āina Anti-Annexation Petitions of 18971898, whieh were signed by a majority of the Native Hawaiian populahon and rediscovered by Silva in the U.S. Nahonal Archives a century later. Aloha Betrayed immediately joins John Osorio's Dismembering Lāhui and Lilikalā Kame'eleihiwa's Native Land and Loreign Desires as must-

reads for people searching for modern books on Hawai'i's history from a native perspective.

Ka Ho'oilina: The Legacy - Vol. 3 Kamehameha Schools Press; 188 p.; $25 Published by a hui of Kamehameha

Schools, the University of Hawai'i and Alu Like ine., the journal Ka Ho'olina presents archival Hawaiian-language sources in a format that includes both the original and modern Hawaiian spellings, along with an English translation and bilingual annotations. This latest volume includes 19th and 20th century materials from Hawaiianlanguage newspapers, chants, stories, government documents and Mary Kawena Pūku'i's eompilahon of Hawaiian ethnological notes from the Bishop Museum, as well as other forms of literature. These and many more resources are also available on the extensive "Hawaiian electronic library" website ulukau.org.

He Mau Nane Hawai'i: Hawaiian Riddles Kimo Armitage lllustrated by Meleanna Aluli Meyer

Bishop Museum Press; 30 p.; $8.95 This children's book teaches keiki

both traditional and modern Hawaiian words as they try to unravel simple riddles. Written by noted keiki-book author Kimo Armitage, with vibrant illustrations by Native Hawaiian artist Meleanna Meyer. Published under Bishop Museum Press' children's imprint, He Mau Nane Hawai'i includes both Hawaiian and English translations.

The History of Kanalu: Mo'okū'auhau 'Elua

Benjamin K. Nōmakaokeahi Translated & edited by Maleolm Nōea Chun First People's Productions; 370 p.; $30

Maleolm Nāea Chun spent 30 years translating this once-forgotten newspaper serial about a priesthood of Hawaiian astronomers and prophets. Before being pulled because of laek of interest, the series was originally published in the Hawaiian newspaper Ke Kū 'oko 'a at the turn of the 20th century. It was contributed to the newspaper by Benjamin Nāmakaokeahi, who was allegedly both Queen Lili'uokalani's personal astrologer and a descendant of the priesthood he described in the series. While the genealogy epie seems to incorporate some elements of western religion, its importance as a cultural resource today may be best framed by Professor Rubellite Kawena Johnson, who onee called it the second

Kumulipo, referring to the well-known Hawaiian creation chant. The series is now made available with both English and modern Hawaiian translations by Chun, a cultural specialist at the University of Hawai'i. The story tells of the priesthood that descended from Kanalu, a kahuna who was tasked with praying to the gods to help replenish the native populahon after most of it was wiped out by a massive tsunami. The priesthood's detailed observations of Hawai'i's night sky could be very useful to native astronomers and navigators.

Mapping the Lands and Waters of Hawai'i Riley Moffat & Gary Fitzpatrick Editions Limited; 120 p.; $65

The third book in Editions Limited's "Palapala'āina" (maps) series, Mapping the Lands and Waters of Hawai'i highlights the work of the Kingdom of Hawai'i's official surveying agency, whieh recognized in its maps the traditional ocean-to-mountain ahupua'a land divisions. Included in this large-format book are numerous rare maps and illustrations created by the kingdom's Hawaiian Government Survey over 28 years of work. Lending his expertise to the book is co-author Gary Fitzpatrick, who worked in the Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress for 33 years.