He ola i ka leo kāhea

Nānā i ke Kumu Series
He ola i ka leo kāhea
Saturday, July 12, 2025
12:00 noon – 2:00 pm
Location: Gulab & Indru Watumull Atrium | Hawaiian Hall Complex

$15 for Kamaʻāina and Military, includes Museum Admission
Included in regular Museum Admission rate for all others
Free for Bishop Museum Members

In partnership with the Mary Kawena Pukui Cultural Preservation Society, Bishop Museum invites you to celebrate the life, work and legacy of our hero of cultural preservation, Mary Kawena Pukui. Join us for a special panel discussion featuring master mea oli and distinguished scholars, Dr. Kalena Silva, Keliʻi Ruth and Marques Hanalei Marzan, Cultural Advisor and the Wayne Pitluck and Judith Pyle Curator for Cultural Resilience for Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum.

Our esteemed panel will offer insights into the expression of mele through Hawaiian chanting practices, reflecting the lasting impact of Mrs. Pukui’s work. The panelists will share oli from their traditions and discuss the appropriate use of specific chanting techniques, the transmission of ʻike kupuna in contemporary times and how interactions with the Museum’s mele collection, compiled by Mrs. Pukui, have informed and inspired their oli practice.

ʻŌlelo Noʻeau 858
He ola i ka leo kāhea.
There is life in a [hospitable] call.
A call of friendly hospitality gives cheer to the traveler.

For information on the full series of events dedicated to Mrs. Pukui, please click this link:
2025 Nānā i ke Kumu Series | Honoring and Perpetuating the Legacy of Mary Kawena Pukui

The Mary Kawena Pukui Cultural Preservation Society’s purpose is to be a unique and invaluable educational resource based on the life’s work of Mary Kawena Pukui, who dedicated her life to the preservation of the Hawaiian culture and language, authoring over 50 scholarly publications, composing over 150 songs and chants. Pukui was widely recognized as a historian, translator, author, teacher, lecturer, composer, researcher, genealogist, hula expert. lexicographer and more.