Ali‘i Letter Collection Presented at Kona Historical Society

Thomas Woods, Ph.D., executive director of Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives. Courtesy photo.

The second of Kona Historical Society’s 2017 Hanohano ‘O Kona Lecture Series features a collection of rarely seen letters between ali‘i in a presentation entitled “Letters from the Ali‘i: A Collection Unveiled, 1820-1887.”

Thomas Woods, Ph.D., executive director of Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives, will provide the accompanying lecture at the West Hawaii Civic Center on March 29, 2017, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

In a project organized and led by Hawaiian Mission Houses, more than 225 letters written by 42 different ali‘i (high ranking Hawaiians) between 1820 and 1907 have been digitized by HMH and transcribed, translated and annotated by interns under the direction of Puakea Nogelmeier and the Awaiaulu Foundation.

These words from the ali‘i themselves give us a remarkable lens through which we can view 19th century life on Hawai‘i Island and through the Hawaiian Islands.

Woods has published and lectured widely on agricultural history, interpretive techniques and planning historic sites. He is a leading advocate of integrating environmental history into interpretive programs at museums, historic sites and environmental centers.

For the past six years, the Kona Historical Society has offered this community lecture series, spotlighting local and state speakers on a wide variety of cultural and historical subjects. It is a gift from the society to the community that has supported it for so long and it is presented in cooperation with the County of Hawai‘i.

The lectures are free of charge and open to all, residents and visitors alike.

This lecture has been sponsored by Balbi Brooks and Rob and Barbara Kildow.

For more information, call the Kona Historical Society at (808) 323- 3222 or visit www.konahistorical.org.

About the Kona Historical Society

The Kona Historical Society is a community-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and Smithsonian Museum affiliate that has spent the past four decades collecting, preserving and sharing the history of the Kona districts and their rich cultural heritage within Hawai‘i.