Category Archives: Uncategorized

ʻUluʻulu is featured on this week’s HIKI NŌ!

Mahalo to the students at Kamehameha High School, Kapalama Campus, for doing the story!

The lei are being prepared, the instruments being tuned; it’s that time of the year for Merrie Monarch! This year’s festival is particularly special because it marks the 50th anniversary of the hula festival which began in 1963 in Hilo with the main purpose to perpetuate, preserve, and promote the art of hula and the Hawaiian culture through education. The festival led to and was part of the Hawaiian Renaissance in which Hawaiians reclaimed their culture and language through music, dance and protest. The festival is named for King David Kalākaua who was named the merrie monarch. King Kalākaua recognized the importance of ho‘oulu lāhui (grow the nation) and strengthening the nation through arts, culture and genealogy through the Hale Nauā genealogy society. On his silver jubilee (50th birthday) Kalākaua celebrated with a two week party which included parades throughout Honolulu, hula and oli for their merrie monarch. In the spirit of Merrie Monarch, below are some clips focusing on hula. Be sure to check out our hula theme as well. Happy Merrie Monarch everyone!

Hula Kahiko, Kauaʻi Moʻolelo, Oli, Keaīwa Heiau (1985). Juniroa Productions collection.

O’Brian Eselu was Kumu Hula of Hālau Ke Kai o Kahiki whose kāne brought viewers sharp and aggressive hula and won the competition year after year. This is the second year without Eselu who passed away in 2012, however his hālau will compete this year.

Kumu Hula Kawaikapu Hewitt and Hālau Hula (1986). Juniroa Productions collection.

Hula and chant are the vehicle in which Hawaiians pass on their history, spirituality, and other aspects of their world view. This hula is about Hopoe, friend of Hi‘iakaikapoliopele the sister of Pele. Much of the hula in Merrie Monarch is centered around the story of Hi‘iaka which teaches important Hawaiian lessons.

Leinaʻala Heine : Chant and Hula. Center for Labor Education and Research, Pilot Project collection.

This clip features Leina‘ala Heine who is kumu of Hālau Nā Pualei O Likolehua and the footage is part of the “Cowboys & Canoes” program from the Rice and Roses series.

By Koa Luke

ʻUluʻulu will be closed for Spring Break and Kūhiō Day from March 25-29 and will re-open April First. Have a happy Kūhiō Day!

Last Friday, Oceania Rising took place at Kamakakūokalani: Center for Hawaiian Studies to remember and observe the 59th anniversary of the bombing of Bikini Atoll and reconnect Pacific peoples for peace. On March 1, 1954 the U.S. military dropped a nuclear bomb larger than the bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The fallout affected the surrounding islands and peoples. Two decades later Hawaiians and supporters fought for and were successful in stopping the bombing of Kahoʻolawe, a sacred island used historically for navigation. Around this time people from around the Pacific were linking up with each other and making connections with what was going on in their islands. One group which formed out of this linking was Nuclear Free Pacific (NFP), which later added an I for Independent (NFIP). NFIP was a convergence of Pacific Peoples and their supporters to stop the  bombing of the Pacific and work towards peace. Oceania Rising was a day of remembrance, reflection, and reconnection! Below are clips related to peace movements in Hawaiʻi and around the Pacific.

A Nuclear Free Pacific? Victoria Keith Productions (1980)

The 1980 Nuclear-Free Pacific conference took place in Hawaiʻi.  As noted above this was a convergence of people from Hawaiʻi, Tahiti, Japan, and all over the Pacific to discuss and organize towards disarmament. The documentary includes speeches and interviews with members of NFP as well as footage of the No Nukes Concert which took place at Andrews Amphitheatre on the UH Mānoa Campus. Featured in the clip is Graham Nash of Crosby, Stills, & Nash and Olomana and Kawaikapuokalani Frank Hewett.

RIMPAC ’82. HKG Pilot Project: Nā Maka o ka ʻĀina.

Produced by Nā Maka o ka ʻĀina in 1982, this program is a compilation of footage dealing with the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana’s 1982 campaign to stop RIMPAC — Rim of the Pacific military exercises, part of which included the bombing of Kahoʻolawe island. Speeches and musical presentations from the March 6, 1982 Tribute to George Helm and Kimo Mitchell at ʻIolani Palace are intercut with footage of ʻOhana activities, news coverage of demonstrations and photos/narration from the PKO’s educational slideshow, narrated by Luana Busby. This video was digitally remastered/archived in 2011 by Joan Lander and Puhipau of Nā Maka o ka ʻĀina with support from Hawaiʻi People’s Fund.

By Koa Luke

On Saturday Feb 16, the Association of Hawaiʻi Archivists (AHA) held their annual conference. This year the conference focused on Practical Stewardship of Collections “informed by the findings of the 2010 HMA Connecting to Collections Survey which identified practical collections care training as one of the primary needs of local cultural heritage institutions.” There were several panels and speakers talking on a variety of topics from the importance of working with the community when culturally sensitive items are on display, the preservation of metal and paper, climate and pest control, to caring for textiles in your collection.

Practical stewardship is something that ‘Ulu‘ulu is highly concerned with as part of our mission is the preservation of film and videotape related to the history and culture of Native Hawaiians and the people of Hawai‘i. During lunch, Janel Quirante and Koa Luke recapped work accomplished since last year’s conference and shared the Highlight Reel below of recently digitized footage.  It was a great experience! — By Koa Luke

This video footage may be protected under U.S. copyright law and is provided for educational and research purposes only.

Using the search feature (magnifying glass symbol) at the top of the Uluulu website, we selected a few volcano clips to highlight today. You will find that the search bar is a great portal for discovering many of the videos in our collection. Give it a try! You might be surprised at what you find…

 Volcano Footage- Ted Shibuya

Tip of the day: Using truncation in the search bar can yield more results for your search. Example: Instead of searching for “volcano” or “volcanos” or “volcanic”, try searching: “volcan*“

Our truncation symbol is the asterisk  (*).

Many associate volcanic activity with the Hawaiian Islands, but, for the majority who live here, it is not an everyday event to witness such a spectacle. What is amazing about the footage, above & below, is, beyond its age of over 50 years, the film still offers us the rare glimpse of what it is like to be so close in proximity to a live active volcano. One can’t help wonder what might have been going through minds of the people who risked, not only their expensive film equipment, but their own lives to capture impending lava flows. Fortunately for us, thanks to these brave filmmakers and to those who believed it was necessary to preserve their films,  researchers, scientists, and volcano enthusiasts are able watch & enjoy what they have left as their legacy.

1955 Kapoho Eruption – Lyman Museum

Kīlauea Iki Eruption, 1959 – Lyman Museum

Kīlauea Iki Eruption, 1959, HIPA (Hawaii Island Planters Asssociation) – Lyman Museum

Enjoy the volcano footage and Happy Valentines Day! —By Robbie O.

Three newly digitized clips from the KGMB Electronic News Gathering (ENG) files have just been added to our website. ENG footage was shot on location by news camera teams to be later edited into broadcast news stories. These three ENG clips are from 1980, an interesting time in Hawaiʻiʻs rich cultural and political history. Each KGMB ENG file in our collection includes several unedited stories along with a timecoded shot list.

ENG news file (October 1980). KGMB collection.

Clip includes Gabby Pahinuiʻs funeral, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Tahitian dancing, and bagpipes in Hawaiʻi.

ENG news file (November 1980). KGMB collection

Clip includes community meetings about designating sites on Kahoʻolawe as national registered sites, Protect Kahoʻolawe, Harry Kunihi Mitchell, KITV labor strikes, and historical Hawaiʻi paintings.

ENG news file (November 1980). KGMB collection

Clip includes Sol Bright Sr. singing and dancing and talking story about his song “Hawaiian Cowboy.”

This past week the quality of Hawaiʻi’s food has been a topic of national news. Saying that Hawaiʻi has subpar food is overlooking the many ʻono delicacies that make Hawaiʻi unique to the world. Hawaiʻi has been in front of the eat local food movement and as we move forward in the 21st century the local food industry is an example of how our economy can be strengthened. Here are some clips in our collection related to Hawaiian food.

Haili’s Hawaiian Foods (1986). Juniroa Productions collection.

Haili’s Hawaiian Foods has been a local favorite for decades and is one of the few Hawaiian-owned Hawaiian food restaurants. Here the workers explain how that ʻono food is prepared.

Portuguese bread making (1971). HKG Pilot Project: Lyman Museum.

In the later part of the 19th century, workers were brought over from Portugal as one of the many nationalities to work on the sugar plantations. Along with bringing instruments that would evolve into the ʻukulele, the Portuguese brought with them their delicious sweet bread.  Here is a clip from the Lyman Museum and Pilot Project of how it’s prepared.

Kālua pig and imu. HKG Pilot Project: Lānaʻi Culture and Heritage Center.

For Hawaiians, food is an important aspect of social life. In traditional times the land, sea, plant and animals were kinolau (forms) of gods and ancestors, therefore producing and eating certain foods was a way of communing with them. In this clip, local Lānaʻi residents prepare a pig in an imu.  An imu is a traditional oven where a hole is dug and heated rocks are placed inside. After the rocks are heated, plants or animals are placed on the rocks and covered with leaves, and left to cook for hours. Here the people place a pig inside which will result in Kalua pig which is similar to pulled pork in texture, but not in taste.    —By Koa Luke