Ask a Bookseller: 'Ke Kumu Aupuni: The Foundation of Hawaiian Nationhood'

Sierra Keolanui, Lise Michelle Childers, and Allison Benz of Native Books in Honolulu, Hawaii, conferred about their favorite books and quickly reached a consensus: “Ke Kumu Aupuni: The Foundation of Hawaiian Nationhood” by Samuel Mānaiakalani Kamakau. This large book is a treasure trove of Hawaiian history, says Keolanui, who adds that it's been flying off the shelves of their store.Ten years in the making, the book is a collection of newspaper articles that well known historian Samuel Mānaiakalani Kamakau wrote in Hawaiian from 1865 to 1871. Written during a transformative time in Hawaii, his articles explore the rise of Kamehamaha I, the formation of the Hawiian islands into a single government, and the rule of his son Kamehameha II.The work was translated and published by Awaiaulu, an organization that works to increase use of the Hawaiian language and to make historical resources more accessible. Hawaiian and English appear side-by-side. The collection also includes colored images by Hawaiian artists.