Day 286: Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawai’i
📌 APIA Every Day (286) - The Bishop Museum, located in Honolulu, Hawai'i, is a significant cultural institution dedicated to preserving the natural and cultural history of Hawai'i and the Pacific. Established in 1889, it houses an extensive collection of artifacts, manuscripts, and specimens that reflect the rich diversity of the Hawaiian Islands and the greater Pacific region. The museum's campus includes the main building and the adjacent J. Watumull Planetarium, as well as a variety of outdoor exhibits. Its educational programs and research facilities serve as vital resources for scholars and visitors alike, offering a deeper understanding of Hawaiian heritage and its connection to the Pacific.
The Bishop Museum's history is intertwined with the legacy of Charles Reed Bishop, a businessman and philanthropist who founded the institution in memory of his late wife, Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last direct descendant of Kamehameha the Great. Initially, the museum's primary mission was to house and showcase the royal family's collections, but it quickly expanded to include a vast array of scientific and cultural exhibits. Over the years, the museum has grown in scope, acquiring important collections related to Hawaiian ethnology, archaeology, and natural sciences, as well as rare documents that chronicle Hawai'i's history before and after European contact. It remains a pivotal institution in Hawai'i, preserving the cultural identity and history of the islands for future generations from Native Hawaiian perspectives.
In 1980, the Bishop Museum was nominated to the National Register of Historic Places Inventory. One of the halls in the Museum, Pacific Hall, received a Preservation Award from the Historic Hawai’i Foundation in 2014 after undergoing extensive rehabilitation that was completed in 2012. The Bishop Museum’s location on O'ahu is deeply symbolic of Hawaiian cultural traditions that emphasize the importance of the land, or āina, and its stewardship. In ancient Hawai'i, knowledge and practices were rooted in the local environment, with each place holding specific significance through spiritual and practical relationships. The museum’s focus on preserving the island's natural history and cultural practices reflects the Hawaiian concept of malama ‘āina—to care for and protect the land. Just as Native Hawaiians honored the landscape through their careful cultivation, ritual practices, and oral traditions, the Bishop Museum serves as a contemporary representation of this land stewardship, connecting the community to its ancestral knowledge and fostering a deeper understanding of people and place.
Written by Billy Zeng
LEARN MORE:
National Park Service Gallery: Bishop Museum National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form
Kaiwakiloumoku Pacific Indigenous Institute: The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum
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