Mary Kawena Pukui papers
name: label: Creator
content: Pukui, Mary Kawena, 1895-1986
place: label: Place
content: Hawaii
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The original notes are in the possession of George Bacon, who sent his transcription to Adrienne Kaeppler for delivery to the National Anthropological Archives in March 2005.
creator: label: Creator
content: Pukui, Mary Kawena, 1895-1986
culture: label: Culture
content: Hawaiians
setName: label: See more items in
content: Mary Kawena Pukui papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The Mary Kawena Pukui papers consist of copies made of Pukui's study and knowledge of
Hawaiian culture. As a Hawaiian scholar, dancer, composer, and educator, Pukui held a
tremendous knowledge of Hawaiian culture which is highlighted through her many published
works from the mid to late 20 th century. This collection contains copied material gathered by
Pukui's son-in-law, George Bacon, and includes texts either written or translated by Pukui on
Hawaiian history, culture, stories, legends, and songs.
bioghist: label: Biographical Note
content: 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.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 2 Linear feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: circa 1830 - circa 1930
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: National Anthropological Archives
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NAA.2004-25
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: 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.
bibliography: label: Selected Bibliography
content: 1960. Pukui, Mary K.  -- Tales of the Menehune -- . Honolulu, Hawaii: Kamehameha Schools Press, 1960.

1966. Pukui, Mary K., with Samuel H. Elbert and Esther T. Mookini.  -- Place Names of Hawaii -- . Honolulu, Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press, 1966.

1983. Pukui, Mary K.  -- 'Olelo No'eau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings -- . Honolulu, Hawaii: Bishop Museum Press, 1983.

1986. Pukui, Mary K., with Samuel H. Elbert.  -- Hawaiian Dictionary: Hawaiian-English-English-Hawaiian, Revised and Enlarged Edition -- . Honolulu, Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press, 1986.
otherfindaid: label: Other Finding Aids
content: A detailed description of the contents of folders in boxes 1-5, created by Hailama Farden of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, is available upon request. The work was carried out in 2005 with funding from the Kamehameha Schools.
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: 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.