Guide to the Mary Kawena Pukui papers, circa 1830 - circa 1930

Scope and Contents

The Mary Kawena Pukui papers reflect Pukui's vast knowledge of Hawaiian culture and her multifaceted role in Hawaiian life as a scholar, dancer, and creator. Born in 1895 and raised with traditional Hawaiian culture at heart, Pukui worked to collect and learn Hawaiian knowledge from an early age up until her death in 1986. Pukui's efforts to document Hawaiian culture is evidenced in this collection which consists of some correspondence and copies of Pukui's written work on historical figures, personally composed songs, and translations of traditional Hawaiian stories, legends, and songs. Additionally there are some Hawaiian legends written by other scholars collected by Pukui.

Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.

Arrangement

The material in this collection is mainly in its orignal arrangment by George Bacon. Some folders have been moved by the archivist to align with content in each box. Original folder numbers corresponding to original arrangement are still present on the folders.

Biographical Note

Mary Abigail Kawena-'ula-o-ka-lani-a-Hi'iaka-i-ka-poli-o-Pele-ka-wahine-'ai-honua Na-lei-lehua-a-Pele Wiggin Pukui (1895-1986) was a Hawaiian scholar, dancer, composer, and educator. Daughter of a native Hawaiian woman and an American father, Pukui was initially raised by her grandmother, a hula dancer in the court of Queen Emma, who also held a great knowledge of medicine and midwifery. After her grandmother's death, Pukui continued her education in Hawaiian culture with her parents, speaking mainly in Hawaiian. She began collecting Hawaiian legends and proverbs from an early age, studied several well-known native dancers, and in 1938 she began working at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu as an ethnological assistant and translator until 1961. Pukui also taught Hawaiian language to several scholars and served as an informant for several anthropologists. A collector of Hawaiian words and their meanings, Pukui published a Hawaiian-English Dictionary in 1957 and ʻŌlelo Noʻeau in 1983. These are among over fifty scholarly works that she wrote. Mary Pukui's vast knowledge reflected in her published works serve as a preeminent source for the study of traditional Hawaiian culture.