Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 26, Number 2, 1 Pepeluali 2009 — Kēiā Mea Kēiā Mea [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kēiā Mea Kēiā Mea

Within the dozens of Hawaiianlanguage newspapers published during the 19th and early 20th centuries were often found engaging colmnns titled Kela Mea Keia Mea. These features carried small tidbits of news and interesting hap-

penings from places throughout the islands. With that same mana'o, this modern-day eolumn is published with the idea of bringing to the readers brief bits of interesting and sometimes lesser-known histories. These "news bites" have been collected during the course of research in newspaper, manuscript, correspondence and other archival collections around Hawai'i. The sources are both Hawaiian language and English. It is hoped that, like its many predecessors, this eolumn might infonn, entertain and perhaps even spark discussion. Me ka ha'aha'a no. ■ Honolulu. January 6, 1862. Those of you who were lucky enough to receive and hold on to last Wednesday's Nupepa Kuokoa have in your hands an incredible first. Thanks to the skill and intelligence of the Kānaka Maoli working at that paper, they were able to publish what is believed to be the first color picture in any newspaper, anywhere in the world! ■ Lāhainā. June 16, 1862. Last week's Kuokoa reminds us of the sacred past of one of our most important places that has recently fallen into disrepair. A mele published therein entitled He Inoa no Manoano speaks of the beauty and power of the area around Lāhainā and repeats the refrain "Hoi ka nani i Mokuula la." (Return the glory to Moku'ula). This fonner capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom is truly an important link to the knowledge of the past as it was a fonner residence of the great chief Pi'ilani and a long hne of His descendants including Mō'I Kauikeaouli.

■ Honolulu. Feb. 4, 1887. A recent correspondence of Prof. Francis Wayland, Dean of Faculty at Yale Law School to Albert F. Iudd, our Chief Iustice of the Kingdom Supreme Court, disturbs us greatly. In it Dean Wayland comments on the recent

Hawaiian Legislature's appointments of judges and writes, "I had feared that natives would be put on the heneh. I suppose even [Dickenson] is better than a native. Why don't the white capitalists rise as one man and say this monkeying with the serious interests of the Kingdom must cease?" ■ Honolulu. Jan. 5, 1889. The wonderf ul work of the Lili ' uokalani Educational Society in providing school tuition for young Hawaiian scholars whose families cannot afford such a fee, continues to show bountiful results. One prime example is the young Miss Louisa Ho'opi'i, for whom the society, headed by Her Royal Highness Princess Lili'uokalani, has granted full tuition to the Kawaiaha'o Seminary. ■ Honolulu. June 11, 1897. This past Monday, William White, former Hawaiian legislator and Hui Kalaiaina member, started up a new newspaper, Ka Ahailono o Hawaii. Mr. White has received the honor of Knight's Order of Kalākaua from the Queen for his part in helping draft Her proposed constitution and always seems to end up in the middle of mueh of our recent news. It should be very interesting to see what insight we gain from the birth of this new publication. Ronaīd Williaim Jr., a graduate of andteacher at the Kamakakūokaīani Center for Hawaiian Studies at UH Mānoa, is currently working on a Ph.D. in Pacific History at UH Mānoa. Contact him at ronaIdwi@hawaii.edu. ^

— KE AU I HALA - FR0M ĪHE ARCHIVES —

By Ronald Williams Jr.