EXPLORE KONA’S HISTORY FROM HOME
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kona Historical Society offering free digital resources during coronavirus closures
Thousands of Hawaii residents, including parents and students, are now required to stay at home to curb the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) throughout the island chain. To support these families in need of educational material for their children, or cultural entertainment while at home, Kona Historical Society is making more historical and cultural videos, articles, exhibits, and recordings accessible online through the Society’s website.
Although the Society made the decision on March 16 to temporarily close its programs to the public, the Society believes Kona's history, culture and arts are now more than ever important to uplift, inspire, entertain, inform, and engage. During this closure, the Society is still here for the public, with instant access to its unique digital resources, which can be found online at https://konahistorical.org/digital-resources.
These free digital resources include:
Na Mo‘olelo O Kona, stories about special places in Kona, such as Pʻuʻu Waʻawaʻa, Judd Trail, and Kawanui, told by Hannah Kihalani Springer;
Maile’s Meanderings, an online publication created by Maile Melrose in collaboration with Kona Historical Society that shares Kona’s stories, including fascinating accounts of Hikiau Heiau, Dr. Thomas A. Jaggar’s amphibious vehicle ‘Ohiki, the rise and fall of Kona’s tobacco industry, and the happenings at Kamakahonu Beach in 1930;
Online videos, including those sharing the history of the Kona Districts and ranching in Kona and those that are oral histories with community members like lauhala weaver Hana Masuhara and paniolo and contractor Willie Thompson;
Haʻilono, the digital version of the Society’s member newsletter that contains more bits of what’s going on at the nonprofit; and
the entire Hoji Shinbun Digital Collection at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution Library & Archive, which was a collaborative digital Japanese language newspaper project.
New to this digital resources web page is an online exhibit, “Made in Kona,” which shares how Kona’s unique landscapes provided residents opportunities to produce some of the most sought after products and how this entrepreneurial spirit attracted people who truly helped build the foundations of our community that we enjoy today.
Over the next weeks, when possible, the Society plans to highlight these digital resources, share updates, and connect with our community via Facebook. Kona Historical Society is closed to the public until further notice as our community and state work to minimize the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
This temporary closure impacts the Society’s two sites – the Kona Coffee Living History Farm in Captain Cook and Kalukalu Headquarters, which contains the H.N. Greenwell Store Museum, Stone Oven, Jean Greenwell Library & Archive, Native Forest Exhibit and administrative offices. Both sites are listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. The closure is in accordance to our government’s orders to prevent and limit the spread of COVID-19. The Society is actively monitoring developments related to COVID 19, staying in touch with all relevant authorities and diligently following recommendations. The Society will also keep reviewing the decision to close and reopen when it is appropriate to do so.
“We hope these online resources provide teachers, parents and students learning opportunities that they would not otherwise be able to access while schools are closed,” said Kona Historical Society Executive Director Dance Aoki. “Even though there is the threat of a pandemic threatening our ability to connect and share with each other in physical learning spaces, technology has given us the opportunity to share our stories and come together as a community in a virtual space. Through our website and social media channels, we can continue sharing what we have while also keeping our keiki and kupuna safe.”
During the closure, preservation activities are continuing with limited staff. The Society has transitioned to telecommuting, when possible, for employees and is enforcing “social distancing” and other safety precautions for all staff. Preservation activities continuing currently include the maintenance of Society’s heritage sites landscapes and collections, as well as the training and care of its animals.
ABOUT KONA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Kona Historical Society is a community-based, nonprofit organization and Smithsonian Museum affiliate that has spent the past four decades collecting, preserving and sharing the history of the Kona districts and their rich cultural heritage within Hawaii. For more information, call Kona Historical Society at 808-323-3222 or visit www.konahistorical.org. To get the latest updates, “LIKE” Kona Historical Society on Facebook.