Bonin

September 1, 2016-November 1, 2016
Location: Asia Collection

In the nineteenth century, immigrants from many lands came to Hawaii and left their mark upon the islands. Equally relevant but less known are the stories of native Hawaiians who carried their culture to foreign shores. One such group of pioneers settled the uninhabited Bonin Islands (Ogasawara Guntō) in 1830, where they transplanted Hawaiian customs, language, and technology. Their island colony, situated in the remote waters of the western Pacific roughly midway between Japan and the Marianas, became a well-known stop for whalers seeking fresh supplies as well as respite from the sea. The comings and goings of people over the years affected the Bonin colony’s makeup as did Japanese annexation in 1875. Despite the dramatic political and demographic changes that befell the archipelago in the late nineteenth century, some of its Hawaiian roots endure. Descendants of the original settlers still live there today.

Mahalo to Dr. Hanae Kramer (Assistant Professor, School of Communications) and Scott Kramer for putting this display together.