Read this article in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi
Na Pelehonuamea Harman, Director of Native Hawaiian Engagement, UH Hilo
“Ancestral names live on, perpetuated at this commemorative foundation.”
In this shared place of remembrance, the name of Mary Kawena Pukui – beloved kupuna and champion of the lāhui – was lifted up over the past year. These words come from a mele she composed for Bishop Museum, her life’s work and professional home for many years.
From April through Dec. 19, 2025, the “Nānā I Ke Kumu” series was held – a sequence of gatherings that elevated the depth and breadth of Hawaiian knowledge, as well as the enduring legacy left to us by this remarkable woman, Mary Kawena Pukui.
While each gathering was planned by a small team of Bishop Museum staff and members of the Mary Kawena Pukui Cultural Preservation Society, practitioners and experts from many fields came together: hula, oli, the creative arts, hoʻoponopono, educators, historians, Hawaiian organizations, and community partners. Together, they shared a common purpose: to remember, to continue, and to uplift the cultural excellence of our lāhui.
The central goal of each gathering was to elevate Hawaiian intelligence and creative brilliance.
Though no two programs were the same, knowledge was nurtured and woven across generations through hula, song, storytelling, exhibitions, and panel discussions, bridging those of the past with those of the present. In doing so, the words attributed to Liholiho Kamehameha II about the excellence of Hawaiian knowledge were affirmed: this is a living inheritance that must be carried forward.
We are an intelligent, land-loving, creative, and collaborative people, long successful at the highest levels from ancient times to today, yet we must continually strive for excellence and cultivate this worldview within the rising generation.
At the heart of this work is the beloved legacy of Mary Kawena Pukui. She gathered, documented, and taught the knowledge of our ancestors – language, stories, and cultural practices – so that it might endure for generations to come. As Pukui stated: “Knowledge is life itself.”
In her collection of ʻōlelo noʻeau, she reminds us, “Plant the food of your own children, not that of others,” calling upon us to nurture Hawaiian identity and vitality within our children, so they are not lost nor drawn only to the knowledge of other peoples.
The planning committee envisioned this series as an opportunity for reflection and a call to cultivate “good nourishment” for our lāhui, echoing Pukui’s enduring question: what are we doing today for the wellbeing of the generations yet to come?
One of the most beautiful outcomes was the collective effort of many people united by a single purpose; kupuna working alongside moʻopuna, and organizations collaborating in shared commitment. Staff of Bishop Museum, representatives of the Mary Kawena Pukui Cultural Preservation Society, and all presenters came together in a spirit of aloha. And although this series has concluded, we shall continue to collaborate on projects that seek to advance our people.
This is a voice of gratitude to all who made “Nānā I Ke Kumu” possible – speakers, musicians, dancers, scholars, planning committee members, volunteers, audience members, and the Pukui ʻohana. Episodes of this series will be broadcast on ʻŌiwi TV in 2026, with additional community-based learning opportunities already in development.
May the names of the ancestors live on always!
