Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 38, Number 11, 1 November 2021 — A Glimpse into 19th and 20th Century Hawaiian Life [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A Glimpse into 19th and 20th Century Hawaiian Life

By Lisa Huynh Eller

Malu 'Ulu o Lele, the debut book from two Maui-born authors, provides a glimpse into the everyday lives of Kānaka in Maui Komohana (West Maui) during the I9th and 20th centuries. Ihe book, whieh was edited and written by U'ilani Tanigawa Lum and Keely S. Kau'ilani Rivera, is a thoughtful curation and interpretation of newspaper articles from Ka Nupepa Kuokoa between 1861 to 1927. Through this collection of colorful stories — from one citizen's description of various rain characteristics to an account of children swinging from trees while listening to the speech of an ali'i - readers are transported to a time when communities were rooted in the natural world of West Maui. "As kupa of Maui, we both felt like this book was an incredible opportunity to highlight these stories that are living in something not often touched by the broader puhlie," said Tanigawa Lum, an attorney and director of operations for the nonprofit organization Kāhuli Leo Le'a. For more than two years, Tanigawa Lum cataloged some 1,200 nūpepa entries. She and Rivera, who are

lifelong hula sisters, took another two years to curate and translate the articles and write the book. "We both felt pressure to make sure that what we put into the book was accurate - accurate enough to give people a foundation from whieh to do more research beyond the book," said Rivera, a kumu at Ke Kula 'o Nāwahīokalani' ōpu'u, a Hawaiian immersion school in Kea'au. What emerges from their efforts are 200-year-old stories that resonate today. "Often the way our ali'i governed was indicative of Kānaka Maoli's familial relationship to 'āina and responsibility to 'āina. That example ean be relevant, and should be relevant for us now," said Tanigawa Lum. 'And how communities of Maui Komohana interacted with our natural and cultural resources and how that dictated everyday life is, again, a great example for us today. As we find ourselves up against issues such as climate change, the stories embedded in nūpepa give us the answers to how we should respond. It's a great blueprint for how we act as an island people." Tanigawa Lum and Rivera wanted to give readers a wide representation of life found in the nūpepa stories - from the everyday triumphs, rumors, and eomplaints of ordinary people to the more historically significant events involving ali'i. Onee the capital of the Kingdom of Hawai'i, Lahaina was often central to the activities of government. The details embedded into eaeh story are what brings history to life in this new book. 'As Hawaiian language speakers, we have a desire to learn more and go through the weahh of knowledge our ancestors have left us but, unfortunately, may not have the time," said Rivera. "Learning about where we eome from is such a huge thing and being able to connect with those stories 200 years later was awesome." ■

Malu 'Ulu o Lele is part of a larger effort to remember and reclaim the fuller history of West Maui. Published by the North Beach-West Maui Benefit Fund, the book is distributed by the University ofHawai'i Press.

Lisa Huynh EUer is afreelance writer, editor and project manager based out ofHilo, Hawai'i. She is aformer reporterfor West Hawai'i Today in Kailua-Kona, and a graduate ofthe University ofHawai'i at Mānoa's Journalism Program.

U'ilani Tanigawa Lum

■v Keely S. Kau'ilani Rivera