Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 35, Number 1, 1 January 2018 — Nūpepa preserve information from Hawaiian worldview [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Nūpepa preserve information from Hawaiian worldview

By Nanea Armstrong-Wassel He aupuni palapala ko ' u . . . : (Mine is a kingdom of education . . . ) ( -Kamehameha III 1 n the mid-nineteenth century, 1 Hawai'i boasted the highest 1 literacy rate in the world. This ; amazingly occurred within less 1 than 30 years from the time Cal- i vinist missionaries introduced a i written language and printing press : to the Islands. The Kingdom's superior level of literacy is evidenced by 1 the more than 100 different Hawai- 1 ian language newspapers published from 1834 to 1948. These papers allowed for the entire populahon of ] Hawai 'i to have access to a platform i

where knowledge was conveyed and shared in lively discourse, Experts estimate that over 125,000 newspaper pages were written - equivalent to roughly une million standard pages of typed text today. Not only did this Hawaiian language repository preserve information about practically every aspect of Hawaiian life, eulture and history; it safeguarded our 'ike Hawai'i for future generations. captured how Hawaiians of the time were engaging lI1"V

and interacting with the world around them on a global scale. And, most importantly, it served as a space in whieh this information could be recorded from a Hawaiian worldview. The very first printing in Hawai'i occurred in January

of 1822. It was made by Governor and High Chief George Cox Kahekili Ke'eaumoku, the younger brother of Ka'ahumanu, Kalākua Kaheiheimālie, Namahana and Kuakini. A working replica of the original Ramage printing press used by Ke'eaumoku is located in the hale pa'i (press house) at the Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives in Honolulu, O'ahu. By 1826, the Hawaiian language

had been standardized into a written alphabet and literacy began to spread quickly throughout the Kingdom. This was due in large part to the fact that it was so strongly supported by the ali'i of the time. Leading the movement was Kauikeaouli, King Kamehameha III, who believed that knowledge and learning was of the utmost importance. In 1825, just one year into his reign, the King proclaimed: "He aupuni palapala ko'u; o ke

Nūpepa published from 1 834 to 1 948 offer a Hawaiian language repository that preserves information about what it was like to live during that time period. - Photo: nupepo.org

kanaka pono 'o ia ko'u kanaka" (Mine is the kingdom of education; the righteous man is my man.) Like his Kuhina Nui (Regent), Ka'ahumanu, Kamehameha III encouraged his people to learn how to read and even passed laws that would motivate all citizens to educate themselves through literacy. Under his rule, Hawai'i created its own public education system - decades before Great Britain, Lrance, and most of the United States of America. ■ "Ua ao Hawai'i ke 'Ōlino nei mālamalama" (Hawai'i is enlightened, for tlie brightness of day is here); this well-known 'ōlelono'eau speaks ofa time in Hawaiian history that education was valued above all else. In honor of the "Year of the Hawaiian " we reflect on our vibrant culture oflearning.

Jfu. frtt a ' ryrni'^.r /. rf s HAWAII 5 11 K Mi: V 1 \ E MOOLAH A IKK, A HE ftlEA HOI K J>oNO AI KK KILANi I. 9 — — ' I tiujtlpo ka uhauc, sole ia he maikai. r,A w>u»mka, * ftl-ahu* 1. LA1IAI3SAI.UNA MAUI FEHERUARI, 14. 183L H, |u 1. O K\ LAMA HAWAII. like k»in pepa, nolaila, ua pili patiajikc i krl* mea kt-ia men. A koii:« ami. rnanao id 1 keia mstnawn, nole maonopo wcliiwehi iho la ka ike »ku ■ ka l-e men ma'ikiii k>« fioohiha ike. 1 kc ano oia pepa ma kcia hop oiaio. Ua like ro ka hew-,, mc ka I ^ ifti n 10 ana o ka poe noinii, a )o- -.kit. Ua maopopo no ki-kahi man pal t f. uhi ana i ka iruka.-'ji pouli i . lakon k< kalii ntnnao maikai ■««<*»■ He inea in e hoolaha i kailio la ka nrtnu i ka liewa, lilo iho l-.vi.an1e i ikeia manma. a maoj o «ke i kela mea kt-ia mea t bono ai la kinmka i poe naanpo. p • :<o h<- rnnriao maikai, aLila ak. "n huuuiona o ke Kulativi, lie mea Urn ke ano inacli o n.i kanaka n • t Inmlulia, aide hnita. i ike najhoi in c»o tikni U maikai o kann-a pau lox Aka.no ka ikaika o k#> (.:•>: -ka u |W» lua. O ka prna « pai- »"»o mr-nma o ki> naiiupn. a rne ka kalii pic ma ka nuj n.Vauao, ua lo-