Adam Keawe Manalo-Camp

•

Indigenous Researcher and Writer

Author: adamkeawe

African and African-Americans in the Hawaiian Kingdom

Between 1800 to 1850, more than a quarter of sailors in Hawai’i was in fact Black–mainly from the US, Mexico, Haiti, Santo Domingo and Brazil. Another one quarter was from Asia (including Japan, China, the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), and the Spanish Orient (now the Philippines, Guam and Micronesia). By 1833, an African Relief… — read more

Jun 9, 2018
Kinikona: A Black / Indo-Caribbean at Kamehamehaʻs Court

One of the interesting characters from the court of Kamehameha I was a Black / Indo-Caribbean by the name of Kinikona . He identified both as Black and as a lascar according to the historian Samuel Kamakau. We know very little about Kinikonaʻs origins. His name is the Hawaiian transliteration of the Quinine or Cichona… — read more

Jun 9, 2018
Hawaiian Fisher Women and Divers

In ancient Hawai’i, the Hawaiian men usually were the ones that hunted, planted, harvested, cooked and fished. There were, however, roles in each of the above too for women. For example, when it was time to plant, women were present and handed over the seed or taro corn to men. The belief was that things… — read more

Jun 9, 2018
The Palaka and the Labor Movement

The Hawaiian word palaka comes from the English word “frock”. Some say it comes from the English word “block” as in block print or checkered. When the American missionaries came to Hawai’i in 1820, this pattern was known to them as rubbish cloth and used for frocks, rags, kitchen curtains and table cloths. The first written… — read more

Jun 9, 2018
Menstruation through the Lens of Hawaiian Culture

One of the negative impacts that Westernization and colonialism brought to Hawaiʻi was the way we understand women in Hawaiian culture. Take for example a womanʻs menses. There are several terms for a womanʻs menstruation. Hanawai, kahe, maʻi (wahine), heʻe koko, wai, wai ʻula, wai o ka wahine, waimaka lehua. We tend to think of… — read more

Jun 9, 2018
Menopause In Hawaiian Culture

I’ll just give some mana’o on menopause from a Hawaiian perspective based on talking story with kūpuna in Papakolea and Hawaiʻi island as well as from research primarily from Mary Kawena Pukui. In Hawaiian, menopause is referred to by three terms: Hoʻokiʻo; lele; and mau. Kiʻo refers to a small pool used to stock fish. Hoʻokiʻo… — read more

Jun 9, 2018
Princess Ruth Keʻelikōlani and Mauna Loa

There was a major eruption from Mauna Loa that erupted in November 1880 and continued for several months. By March, 1881, the lava flowed northeast toward Hilo threatening the entire city. The lava inched its way closer and closer to the city. Local Christian churches held special services to pray for the volcano to stop,… — read more

Jun 9, 2018
Hoʻokupu, ʻĀlana and Making Offerings

The subject of making or giving offerings is important to Kanaka Maoli and is a marker of respect when one is visiting a wahipana (sacred place) such as a heiau. The giving of an offering goes deep into Hawaiian mythology and within the Hawaiian epic of the Kumulipo, nature emerges before the gods. The Gods are… — read more

Jun 9, 2018
Research Notes on Hawaiian Earth Science

— read more

Jun 9, 2018
Pele and ʻAi Lāʻau

There seems to be much misunderstanding about Pele, her family, and her legends. I have read in a post from a malihini (who obviously hasn’t read much on the Pele lore) crediting the forest eater god, ‘Ai Lā’au, as being the one “eating” Leilani Estates. The undertone of that of course is based on Western… — read more

Jun 9, 2018