Book on the study of ancient Hawaiian music in the form of representative collection that was intended to be chanted. Also covers the sorting, translation and publication of the texts of chants without music, noting the distinction between the mele before the coming of the missionaries and the adoption of melody from the hymn-singing of the missionaries.

Collection of sheet music of Hawaiian songs.

The story of Ni‘ihau has been told many times by many people, but Ni‘ihau Place Names adds new information to the island’s history from a unique source: Hawaiian-language newspapers. From 1834 to 1948, approximately 125,000 pages of Native Hawaiian expression were printed in more than 100 different newspapers. John R. K. Clark has gathered and edited a large collection of invaluable articles that recorded daily life on Niʻihau, events and topics of interest, and the island’s place names. Additionally, Keao NeSmith, a Native Hawaiian of Kaua‘i and an applied linguist, translator, and researcher fluent in ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i, translated each passage into English. Most of these excerpts have not appeared in any other publication. Ni‘ihau is unique in the state of Hawai‘i because it is the only island that is entirely privately owned. In 1864, Kamehameha V, the monarch of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i, sold the island to the Sinclairs, a wealthy immigrant family looking to establish a ranching business. Descendants of the Sinclairs still own the island today. Diverse opinions about the sale of Niʻihau were published in newspapers across the Hawaiian Islands, and this book traces the development and aftershocks of that historic event. Ni‘ihau Place Names contains over thirty kanikau (dirges, poetic chants) written and published from 1845 to 1931 to honor deceased Niʻihau residents. These compositions of deep emotion are treasuries of language, history, genealogy, cultural knowledge, and especially place names. Another important contribution in this volume is the identification of ‘ōlelo no‘eau (proverbs and poetical sayings) with demonstrations of their use in everyday conversation. The book is divided into two main sections. “Ni‘ihau Place Names” is an alphabetical list of prominent place names on the island, accompanied by relevant passages in Hawaiian and their English translations. The list also includes Lehua, the small island near the northwest tip of Ni‘ihau. “Ni‘ihau History” is an additional collection of articles that includes many lesser-known place names and elucidates other topics deemed worthy by reporters and contributors of the time. Following the main text, readers will find helpful indexes of general terms, place names, and personal names.

Study on the Hawaiian musical system of chanting in the nineteenth century.

In North Shore Place Names: Kahuku to Ka‘ena, ocean expert John Clark continues his fascinating look at Hawai‘i’s past as told through the stories hidden in its place names. This time the author takes the reader on a historical tour of the North Shore of O‘ahu, from Kahuku (the north point of the island) to Ka‘ena (the west point of the island), and uncovers the everyday lives of the residents, especially prior to the plantation era. Similar to his 2011 book, Hawaiian Surfing, to research this book Clark tapped into the Ho‘olaupa‘i online database (www.nupepa.org): a vast archive of 125,000 pages of Hawaiian-language newspapers published from 1834 to 1948. The author collected an enormous number of references to specific North Shore locations and presents them in an easy-to-use dictionary-style format, which includes original passages in Hawaiian with English translations by Keao NeSmith. Discover these highlights and others in this unique look at O‘ahu’s North Shore: Letters from the longtime principal of the girls’ school that eventually gave Hale‘iwa its name. Examples of the clash of cultures between traditional Hawaiian practices and Christianity, as evident in accounts of hula performances. Old-time traffic accidents—one that involved Queen Lili‘uokalani when she was trapped by her overturned horse-drawn carriage—and unusual train fatalities. Notices of auctions of Government lands, property trespasses, stolen sheep, and stray horses. An invaluable resource for anyone interested in Hawai‘i history and the Hawaiian language, North Shore Place Names brings to life the names, places, and events of the historic North Shore community.