Some hints on doing Hawaiian genealogy

Mainly doing a graphical chart. Sometimes people create their own method, or own tree, which is fine, but then the last thing you want to do is create a chart that causes too much confusion. Something plain and simple will suffice. Not so complex.Another thing that would help. LEARN THE LANGUAGE! But even if you don't, and know the basics, there is a pattern to how Hawaiian genealogies were written, basically naming the person whose genealogy is stated, and then going up on one particular line, sometimes while going up that line, they mention a particular person who may have been well known more than others. In any case, here's an example.3489523872_c6e2d3216e_o.gifTaken from Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Vol. 6, No. 40, 10/5/1867. It says:O Kahekili ke keiki alii, a ua kiekie no kona mau makua. It talks about Kahekili, an alii child and states his parents lofty genealogy if you want to put it that way.O Kahekili ke keiki a Nueku Kalola, ke kaikamahine a Kapaaakiha, a laua o Kalaniulumoku.......Kahekili, child of Nueku Kalola, the daughter of Kapaaakiha and Kalaniulumoku. It continues on to say who Kalaniulumoku was....keiki a Alapaiwahine, me Kalanihelemaiiluna, ke keiki a Kamehameha Nui. which continues by saying that (Kalaniulumoku) was a child of Alapawahine and Kalanihelemaiiluna, the son of Kamehamehanui.Now Kamehamehanui was the son of Kekaulike, an older brother to Kahekili who fought against Kalaniopuu and later Kamehameha I, and Kamehamehanui was also the brother of Kalola(pupukaohonokawailani), all of whom were children of Kekaulike and his wife Kekuiapoiwanui.Just an FYI, Kalanihelemaiiluna had another son aside from Kalaniulumoku. With his wife Kawao, he had Paki, the father of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop.Ok, so we continue with the father of Kahekili.O Luluhiwalani ka makuakane, ke keiki a Pualinui, ke kaikamahine a Kamakolunuiokalani me Kalaniopuu. This line says that Luluhiwalani is the father (of Kahekili), and Luluhiwalani was the son of Pualinui, who was a daughter of Kamakolunuiokalani and her husband the chief Kalaniopuu. Then the following continues with the maternal line.O Keoua ka makuakane o Luluhiwalani, ke keiki a Kahililalahau me Kekuamanoha, ke keiki a Kekaulike. This says that Keoua was the father of Luluhiwalani, and that Keoua was teh son of Kahililalahau and Kekuamanoha, and Kekuamanoha was the son of Kekaulike whom I mentioned previously as being the father of Kamehamehanui, Kalola and Kahekili.Further down it mentions S. M. Kamakau, so we're aware of the source. No piracies there unless someone has an explanation.So if I were to give a graphical representation of the above, this is how it would look like. To help lessen the confusion, I italicized all females.3489890350_7f6cdd825f_o.gifA graphical tree like that is plain and simple and easy to understand, unlike how some people may try to confuse others by indicating = or == and in the legend claim it means a marriage when they also use it to divide a generation, and even more confusing by using a | claiming a direct descent yet they also use the word "children" or "child". So basically either "child" or | is used. Very confusing, or the person who designed the tree is trying to hide things, if not create ancestors.A chart is merely to a means to make words that you would normally read more comprehensible. So focus, and think about what your goal is. If you throw in "siblings" and don't list them or list a few and show nothing below them, you're only causing confusion. Also, limit naming additional things, such as "hanai" or extra spouses, or worse, step-spouses that didn't have any issues, unless it's important to show them. Again, the more simple it is, the easier it is to comprehend. If you must add additional comments, put them away, and put them in some type of dialogue box and with an arrow point to that particular ancestor or that box. You could do that, for example, if one ancestor was a kahu.Another common mistake people make, adding surnames to ancestors who never even had surnames. Surnames didn't become more of a common practice for Hawaiians until after 1861. So stop adding them, if possible, list that ancestor's name as the name they were known as. No need to impress anyone by adding on additional names that they never went by.And because of the lack of surnames. Do not get confused by one Hawaiian name and assume that it is the same person throughout time. The only way to accurately get the correct person whose identity may be questionable because they seem to be the same as another person with the same name, is to see who their parents were, and if siblings were available, who they were, just to verify that person is that person and not someone else with the same name.
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  • Howzit e Kama, From books for the most part is where I got mine. Abraham Fornander's Account of the Polynesian Race, but he has some other books (no longer in print) that lists genealogies, plus Samuel Kamakau's books (Tales & Traditions of the People of Old, and also Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii) mentions a lot of the genealogies. Then there is Edith McKenzie's book - Hawaiian Genealogies which comes in 2 volumes, but her books are based on old Hawn. newspapers which you can get access online through ulukau.org. The Family History Center (Mormon) has some of these, quite a bit of them I guess, all on microfilm. I saw some of them, harder to read, and seems to be the same thing from all these books too. And also John Papa I'i's book Fragments of Hawaiian History where he talks a lot of the other Kamehameha children, the familial relationship among the current aliis at that time he wrote the book, then there's also David Malo's book which lists a genealogy. I know that there's a book Kamehameha's Children Today (I got that as a gift) that basically utilizes a lot of those sources I just mentioned plust a lot of oral stuff passed on from certain families.
  • hui e kalani..

    what resources are you finding the genealogy?
  • Ok pau, hope you can see it ok on your end b/c my end I can't see the lettering very well for some reason.

    Anyway, I'm kinda like you when I do genealogy, minus the tears, but my naau is always burning and when I find people, it's a funny feeling, I can't explain it. It's like an eye opener kinda experience, but I guess as you say, it's a strong emotional and spiritual connection. It is the mana what we feel.
  • It's our responsibility to carry forth the work of our kupuna! When I do genealogy, my tears run down my papalina. I feel a strong emotional and spiritual connection to my Aunty Alice who I'm named after. The mana is stronger than ever! I'm proud of who I am and all the accomplishments in life along with frustrations and struggles. We all will experience it! The greatest gift I've been blessed with is doing the family genealogy. I send a big mahalo to Ke Akua and na kupuna.
  • I like to do my trees in POWER POINT. I'm going to update that chart and add in the wives of Kekaulike, so that everyone will know that Haalou was the mother of Kekuamanoha and Kekuiapoiwanui was Kamehamehanui's mother.
  • Mahalo Kalani for sharing! How did you do the arrows, or perhaps a program you are using? Maika'i no!
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