‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i Month: Upcoming webinar to honor Princess Ruth Ke‘elikōlani, namesake of UH Hilo’s Hawaiian language college
Feb. 9 webinar: Musician and ethnobotanist Lito Arkangel will share his knowledge about Princess Ruth Keanolani Kanāhoahoa Keʻelikōlani, a formidable presence in nineteenth-century Hawaiʻi.
By Susan Enright/UH Hilo Stories.
In celebration of Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian Language Month), Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo will host a webinar on Feb. 9 to share knowledge about the college’s namesake.
Lito Arkangel, a lecturer of Hawaiian studies and music at the college, will share his knowledge about Princess Ruth Keanolani Kanāhoahoa Keʻelikōlani (February 9, 1826 – May 24, 1883), a formidable presence in nineteenth-century Hawaiʻi. Arkangel also is an instructor of ethnobotany who serves as a mea mālama kīhāpai ʻo Ululaumāhie (caretaker of the gardens named Ululaumāhie) at Haleʻōlelo, home of the college.
Established in 1997, Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani was named in honor of the high chiefess known for her strong advocacy of Hawaiian language and culture. She refused to speak English, practice Christianity, and held fast to traditional Hawaiian practices. Her example and legacy are inspirational to people who now strive to learn and use the Hawaiian language.
He Ukana Kā Kīlauea webinar series
The upcoming webinar event is part of the He Ukana Kā Kīlauea webinar series presented by Hawaiʻi Papa O Ke Ao, a group comprised of representatives from each of the 10 UH campuses throughout the state and tasked by UH President David Lassner to create activities in support of UH being a leader in Indigenous education. The webinar series acknowledges and celebrates the leadership accomplishments of region aliʻi through historical accounts, stories, and songs from the ten UH campuses.
“We want [webinar participants] to learn from our Hawaiian history and how our aliʻi addressed the social, economic, and health needs of the Hawaiian nation,” says Gail Makuakāne-Lundin, director of Hawaiʻi Papa O Ke Ao. “Kamehameha V for whom the series is named, freighted up the Kīlauea steamer in 1868 to deliver supplies, medicine and food to communities on Molokaʻi due to the collapse of resources on the island and the destructive volcanic activity of Maunaloa on Hawaiʻi Island.”
Upcoming webinar, “Ke Aliʻi Wahine Kanāhoahoa Keʻelikōlani”
The upcoming event, “Ke Aliʻi Wahine Kanāhoahoa Keʻelikōlani,” will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022, at 12:00 noon Hawaiʻi Standard Time. Use the Zoom link to join. Meeting ID is 974 2852 8339. Passcode is ukana2.
Story by Susan Enright, public information specialist for the Office of the Chancellor and editor of UH Hilo Stories. She received her bachelor of arts in English and certificate in women’s studies from UH Hilo.
