Historical Snapshots

Many have documented fragments of the rich history of Maui, and such records help to inform our understanding of the evolution of this land and its people over time. These glimpses into the past remain an indelible link to our ancestors whose footprints continue to illuminate our path into the future.

• ʻŌlelo Noʻeau for Lahaina
• Mokuʻula and Mokuhinia
• Waineʻe Cemetery and Church
• Lahainaluna and Hale Paʻi
• Pōhakuohauola

Video Clips

Our extensive online archive that is the Ka‘iwakīloumoku Digital Collections is home to an array of videos that delve into everything from life stories of cherished kūpuna, to important issues facing indigenous communities today, to dreams of an empowered future for our mo‘opuna. Enjoy this curated selection of clips that feature Maui and her people.

• Song Contest Preshow Clip: I Mau ke Aloha ‘Āina, 2020
• Song Contest Preshow Clip: ‘O Hawai‘i Kuʻu Kulāiwi, 2016
• Nā Momi Hoʻoheno Episode: Adelaide Kaiwi Kuamū Sylva, 2011
• Mānaleo Episode: Malupō Lum Lung Chung, 1996

Mo‘olelo Nūpepa

Hawaiian language newspapers contain a vast body of knowledge largely untapped by the general public of today. From 1834-1948, these nūpepa provided an outlet for all Hawaiians to share information from one end of the archipelago to the other and from one generation to the next through the printed word, illustrations, and eventually, photography. This collection of articles consists of first-hand accounts from people who lived through a critical period of social, economic, and political change in our islands.

• Ka Moʻolelo o ke Kūlanakauhale ʻo Lahaina, 1898 (Māhele 1)
• Ka Moʻolelo o ke Kūlanakauhale ʻo Lahaina, 1898 (Māhele 1, continued)
• Niniu ka Malu ʻUlu o Lele, 1871 (No nā Makani)

The articles below are shared with us by the staff of He Aupuni Palapala, a multi-year project that is preserving and digitizing the original copies of Hawaiian language newspapers in repositories around the pae ʻāina. This collaborative effort is a partnership between Bishop Museum and Awaiaulu, with support from Kamehameha Schools.

• Lahaina Town, 1901
• Lahaina Water Rights, 1895
• Kauaʻula, the Powerful Wind of Lahaina, 1867
• A Lament for Lahainaluna, 1862
• Back to School, 1877

Mele

Mele are complex receptacles of Hawaiian wisdom, experience, and emotion. Each one is its own unique container filled with the intimate expressions of its haku mele. They are composed not simply for the enjoyment of performance, but more importantly, for the purpose of transmitting information — and without active stewardship of these mele, such invaluable gems of knowledge can be all too quickly lost and forgotten. This collection of compositions will be added to regularly and is presented here in honor of those skilled weavers of poetry who have left us a window into their world.

• He Inoa no Mānoanoa
• He Inoa no Kekāmakahala
• A Keālia

Historic Sites of Lahaina

Lahaina was once the capital city of the Hawaiian Kingdom and a favorite residence for ruling chiefs. It became a major whaling center and global trading hub, a primary site for early missionary work, the premier location for education, and later, a plantation town known for its sugar production.

Through all of these changes, the significance of this ʻāina has only increased, as layers of history have accumulated one atop the other. We invite you to explore this map of historic sites, each one a different thread that, when woven together, helps to tell the larger story of our past.