Where: Original source texts are drawn from the Hawaiian language newspapers of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and from archival manuscripts in libraries and collections in Hawai'i and abroad. Translation and editing work is centered at the Awaiaulu office at Haka‘olu, in Kalihi, O‘ahu.

When: In the early 1990s, recognizing the dearth of available Hawaiian language materials, Puakea Nogelmeier, Dwayne Nakila Steele, and a group of collaborators began working to re-present historical Hawaiian texts. In 2003, in a centralized effort to reach both Hawaiian and English-speaking audiences and to promote the development of other scholars in the field, Puakea and Nakila founded Awaiaulu: Hawaiian Literature Project.

Why: To develop resources and the people to generate them. Awaiaulu provides access to Hawaiian language texts, empowers the publication process, and provides a setting where the skills and insights necessary for such efforts can be mastered. The goal is to foster Hawaiian mores, values and stories by moving the narratives that illustrate them out of the archives and into the hands of readers today. A great body of important Hawaiian literature lies beyond the reach of most people, archived for more than a century. The language and the knowledge contained in these works are wonderful resources for the 21st century.

Major support has come from our founding sponsors, the R. Dwayne and Marti Steele Fund of The Hawai‘i Community Foundation, and Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawananakoa.

Awaiaulu is a project of Community Development Pacific, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Original Board Members include R.D. Nakila Steele (Marti Steele), John Marrack, Oz Stender, Gaylord Wilcox, Ron Poepoe, Bob Krauss, and Hardy Spoehr.