Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum

Happy Year of Coastal Kuleana! Our coasts connect mauka to makai, and Hawaiʻi has more than 1,000 miles of coastline with an incredible variety of habitats, including wetlands, beaches, nearshore ocean waters, and offshore islets. They provide us with food and places to gather and enjoy.

Today, we’re looking at our yellow-faced bees!

Nalo meli maoli is an all-encompassing term for the many species of yellow-faced bees (Hylaeus spp.) that live on the Hawaiian Islands. Hylaeus anthracinus, are medium-sized bees that mainly live along coastlines of most of the islands, with the exception of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau. These bees play a critical role as pollinators for many native plants, including naupaka, ʻilima, ʻōhai, and more.

Although they were once one of the most widespread species of yellow-faced bees, they have suffered due to lack of coastland habitats, increased development, and competition from invasive ants and bees.

To support the remaining and future, yellow-faced bees, researchers are working to protect and restore coastal habitats and potentially rear new populations that can be reintroduced into certain areas.

Learn more about our Entomology collections at BishopMuseum.org/Entomology.

Image 1: Wild Hylaeus anthracinus. Photo by Jason Graham.
Image 2: Preserved Hylaeus anthracinus. Bishop Museum Entomology specimen.
Artwork by Malia Heimuli.

Bringing together new and existing works alongside botanical specimens and cultural treasures from Bishop Museum’s collections, “Ea Mai ʻEiwa: Patterns of Practice” is on view now, and reflects the strength, resilience, and environmental knowledge embodied in ancestral stories.

In 1995, kumu hula Pualani Kanakaʻole Kanahele and Nālani Kanakaʻole premiered “Holo Mai Pele,” a theatrical presentation of “Ka Moʻolelo o Hiʻiakaikapoliopele” (The Epic Tale of Hiʻiakaikapoliopele) by Hālau o Kekuhi.

Nālani Kanakaʻole and Sig Zane participated in the creative direction of “Holo Mai Pele, while Kūhaʻoʻīmaikalani Zane performed in presentations of the show between 1995 and 2000. “Holo Mai Pele” was a moment of collective grow for Hālau o Kekuhi, marking a pivotal change toward using archival and material culture research to inform costume and set design and new choreography.

Within the exhibition is this photocollage of the Hālau’s activities over the decades, illustrating the progressions in costume design, participation in the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana activities, transitions in hālau leadership and dancers, and performances.

Learn more at BishopMuseum.org/Eiwa.

“Ea Mai ʻEiwa” features Nālani Kanakaʻole, Sig Zane, and Kūhaʻoʻīmaikalani Zane, a family of artists from Hilo. They’re active members of Hālau o Kekuhi, a multigenerational hālau hula (classical dance company) in Keaukaha, Hawaiʻi, and their creative output across the visual and performing arts is continually charged and sustained by hula.

“Ea Mai ʻEiwa: Patterns of Practice” is presented with the generous support of Hawaiian Airlines, First Hawaiian Bank, Matson, Mellon Foundation, Servco Pacific Inc., Min Plastics and Supply Inc., Outrigger Resorts, and Shibby Stylee.

Bishop Museum is the State of Hawaiʻi Museum of Natural and Cultural History.

Hauʻoli Lā Kamehameha.

Kamehameha Day was proclaimed in the 19th century to commemorate King Kamehameha I, who united the various chiefdoms of the Hawaiian Islands into one nation. This central government allowed Hawaiʻi to interact with other countries in a time of increasing international connections.

Image: Kamehameha I statue draped with lei for Kamehameha Day; Honolulu, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. 1954–56. Photo by Laurence Hata, Bishop Museum Archives. SP 126014.

Image-sharing on social media is welcome. For all other uses please contact Archives [at] BishopMuseum [dot] org.

Bishop Museum is the State of Hawaiʻi Museum of Natural and Cultural History.

“Creativity is intelligence having fun.” — Albert Einstein.

Perfect for the whole ʻohana, our newest exhibition, “Aloha Bricks ‘26: Stories of Hawaiʻi,” highlights the people, places, plants, animals, and stories that shape our islands through the vibrant and imaginative lens of bricks!

Tour incredible 3D builds of iconic local landmarks created by the Hawaii Lego Users Group (HILUG), explore 2D mosaics of native species researched by our Natural Science teams, and then build your own creations in the Free Play Zone, surrounded by the Middle School Mascot Mosaic Gallery.

Learn more at BishopMuseum.org/Bricks.

Mahalo to our generous supporters that helped make this exhibition possible:
Hawaiian Telcom
First Insurance Company of Hawaii, LTD
Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts
Pasha Hawaii
Hawaiian Airlines
AIA Honolulu (American Institute of Architects, Honolulu Chapter)

Photo by Sara Untalan.

Bishop Museum is the State of Hawaiʻi Museum of Natural and Cultural History.

The stories in Mau ka Leo are built on the research and knowledge perpetuated by generations of . Often, this priceless knowledge can be found in both current and past publications by Bishop Museum Press.

“Ka ‘Ula Wena: Oceanic Red” was published in 2024 to accompany Bishop Museum’s exhibition of the same name. Both the exhibition and catalog were the first of their kind to constellate the material culture of the Pacific by articulating the myriad uses and manifold understandings of a single color: red.

This full-color catalog draws on Bishop Museum’s vast collections and important loaned pieces from around the world, sharing the research and ideas of curators, scholars, artists, knowledge holders, and collaborative advisors and practitioners. Through essays, poems, and mele, its 19 authors explore how the color red weaves through the perspectives of Oceania, enriching our understanding of its significance in Hawaiian and broader Oceanic communities.

“Ka ‘Ula Wena: Oceanic Red” is edited by Leah Caldeira and Healoha Johnston.

Explore stories referencing this invaluable resource at Mau ka Leo, Bishop Museum’s online storytelling space: BishopMuseum.org/MauKaLeo.

Browse Bishop Museum Press, Hawaiʻi’s oldest book publisher, at BishopMuseumPress.org.

Bishop Museum is the State of Hawai‘i Museum of Natural and Cultural History.

Aloha Nūhou Monday! Dear Reader, the commission for the Kamehameha Day celebrations in 1919 strove to make the centenary celebration memorable — but most of all to instill a great aloha within all Hawaiians for the day honoring their nation’s founder — Kamehameha I.

The processions also included music by various marching bands, singing by glee clubs, and parading of pāʻū rider troupes. These were all organized by Hawaiians, for Hawaiians, by the various centenary committees, the Hawaiian societies, and the community. The commission urged all Hawaiians to lend their support and help with the festivities, for it was their day to honor Kamehameha.

This week's featured article published in Ke Aloha Aina can indeed be found online via Papakilo Database, but it cannot be read in its entirety due to its proximity to the binding of the nūpepa volume. Compare the legibility of the image digitized from the microfilm to an image captured from the original nūpepa by our He Aupuni Palapala project team, in our latest blog* post.

*Visit our blog to read the rest of the story, plus view images of the original Hawaiian language newspapers: blog.bishopmuseum.org/nupepa. He Aupuni Palapala, a project to digitize Hawaiian language newspapers, is a partnership between Bishop Museum and Awaiaulu. Mahalo nui loa to Kamehameha Schools and Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority for their support of our project.

Image: Princess Kahanu Kalanianaʻole, center, wearing the ʻahu ʻula Kekaulike at the Kamehameha statue for the 1919 Kamehameha Day Parade; Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. Mrs. Emma Taylor is at far left. Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. Bishop Museum Archives, SP_41260.

Image-sharing on social media is welcome. For all other uses please contact Archives [at] BishopMuseum [dot] org.

Aloha! This just in from our J. Watumull Planetarium — Our June Sky Map is out!

If you’re new to our Sky Maps, they show the sky above Hawaiʻi from about 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. local time. You and your ʻohana can try your hand at backyard astronomy! Just hold the Sky Map above your heads to align all four directions and discover which stars and constellations are visible this month.

Also, check out our Planetarium shows! We live in a world of wonders and although we’re not always able to physically travel to new places and remote areas to experience all that the Earth can show us, our Planetarium is the next best thing to being there.

The Stars Tonight is a live evening program designed for all ages. In June, examine the stars, planets, and other stories of the current season with a fun trivia twist. Participation in the trivia responses is optional, but all guests can enjoy this question-filled exploration of our view from Earth!

Stargazing with the Hawaiian Astronomical Society after each show, weather permitting.

The Stars Tonight: Trivia Dome
Friday, Sept. 19 | 6:15-7:15p and 7:30-8:30p*

Location: J. Watumull Planetarium

Registration required. $10 General Adult, $7 General Youth, children 3 and under are free. 50% discount for Bishop Museum Members.

*Trivia difficulty increases for the 7:30p show.

View our schedule of live shows, access our full Sky Map, and explore more astronomy resources on our Planetarium page: BishopMuseum.org/Planetarium.

Come pau hana with us at Museum After Hours on June 12, 2026, and enjoy an outdoor screening of “He Moʻolelo Wahi Pana: A Storied Landscape” along with the filmmakers!

As part of our Spotlight Programming, travel along with two sisters as they migrate from lush Puna to the arid shores of North Kona and South Kohala on Hawaiʻi Island. The film explores how place names anchor identity and how ancestral stories shape the present. Set against Hawai‘i Island’s vibrant and varied landscapes, “He Moʻolelo Wahi Pana” invites viewers to see the land not just as scenery, but as storied kin — a living archive of emotion, culture, and transformation.

Plus, take advantage of this unique opportunity to meet filmmakers Kuʻulei Keakealani, Kapena Liu, Alison Weeks, and A.K. Shingle, as well as take part in a post-screening discussion.

Museum After Hours
Friday, June 12, 2026 | 5-9p

$10 pre-sale, $15 at the door for General Admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.

Learn more and register online at BishopMuseum.org/AfterHours!

Every month, we open our campus after sunset, inviting you and your ʻohana to experience everything has to offer. Relax on the Great Lawn with ʻono eats from the Kaiwiʻula Night Market, explore the Museum’s galleries, and travel to the stars with shows in the J. Watumull Planetarium ... There’s something for everyone at Museum After Hours!

Explore, learn, shop, and support local at Museum After Hours.

Museum After Hours programming is generously supported by Hawaiian Telcom, Kona Brewing Hawaiʻi and Waiākea.

A new presentation created by artist Kūhaʻoʻīmaikalani Zane will be revealed in our “Ea Mai ʻEiwa: Patterns of Practice” exhibition on June 14, 2026!

You’re invited to an intimate gathering and talk story session with the artist and designer Kūhaʻoʻīmaikalani Zane, as we share moʻolelo (stories) behind the exhibition through a presentation of his new artwork “Aiwa Ka Mano: ʻIke Pāpālua” and the themes woven in throughout “Ea Mai ʻEiwa.”

There will be a narrated presentation by Kūhaʻoʻīmaikalani Zane, food and drink, as well as live performances by Uncle Skippy Ioane, Ikaakamai and Ulumauahi Kealiʻikanakaʻoleohaililani and Kamuflauge.

The evening’s meal will be catered by Tammy Smith of Hale Kealoha.

ʻIke Pāpālua: Aiwa Ka Mano
Artist Talk & Dinner with Kūhaʻoʻīmaikalani Zane
Sunday, June 14, 2026
4:30-8 p.m.

Location: Gulab & Indru Watumull Atrium of Hawaiian Hall

Capacity is limited, and registration is required. $100 registration fee includes dinner, select items from Shop Pacifica by Nā Mea Hawaiʻi, and a private tour of the exhibition with the artist and co-curators.

Register and learn more at https://www.bishopmuseum.org/calendar/artist-talk-dinner-w-kuha%ca%bbo%ca%bbimaikalani-zane.

“Ea Mai ʻEiwaʻ is a powerful new exhibition featuring the work of Nālani Kanakaʻole (1946-2026), Sig Zane, and Kūhaʻoʻīmaikalani Zane — a Hilo-based family of artists whose creative practices are deeply rooted in hula ʻaihaʻa. As dedicated members of Hālau o Kekuhi in Keaukaha, Hawaiʻi, their work across visual and performing arts is continually charged and sustained by hula.

“Aiwa Ka Mano: ʻIke Pāpālua” is the third artwork added to “Ea Mai ʻEiwa,” each addition coinciding with a new moon cycle.

Bishop Museum is the State of Hawaiʻi Museum of Natural and Cultural History.