Product Review

"Nānā I Ke Kumu (Look to the Source), a two-volume work first published in 1979, describes Hawaiian beliefs and customs compiled by the Queen Lili€˜uokalani Children€s Center to better understand and meet the needs of the Hawaiian families they served. Much of the books€ material was distilled from the Center€s Hawaiian Culture Study Committee€s weekly meetings. The authors strove to capture the freshness, the intimacy, and the €œaliveness€ of Hawaiian ideas put into action. Mary Kawena Pukui (1895€“1986) is the primary source of information on Hawaiian culture not otherwise documented.
Volume One interprets specific Hawaiian customs, concepts, and terms €œto clarify distorted beliefs, suggest the rationale behind Hawaiian ritual, and convey some of the poetic imagery of ancient rites and their underlying concepts.€
Volume Two deals with broader concepts and topics in order to more fully understand the influences of Hawaiian culture on the lives of those served by the Center."