In honor of the 137th anniversary of King David Kalakaua’s coronation, the King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center welcomes Dr. Tiffany Lani Ing and Dr. Ronald Williams Jr. to discuss topics of Hawaiian historiography and Dr. Ing’s new book, Reclaiming Kalakaua: Nineteenth-Century Perspectives on a Hawaiian Sovereign (UH Press).

Dr. Williams will speak on the problematic portrayal of the Hawaiian Monarchy Period in literature, which for over a century has shaped popular understanding of Hawaii and its people. Reading from her book, Dr. Ing will examine various Native and non-Native materials published in Hawaii and abroad during the “Merrie Monarch’s” reign. These sources reveal a greater regard for King Kalakaua’s keen intellect, marked efficiency, and sophisticated diplomacy that was held by his contemporaries. Signed books will be available for purchase.

Dr. Tiffany Lani Ing, from Manoa, Oahu has a Ph. D. in English from The University of Hawaii at Manoa and is an English teacher at Halau Ku Mana. Her interests include nineteenth-century Hawaiian-language newspapers, nineteenth-century Kanaka Oiwi narratives of Native nationalism, and post-colonial, indigenous discourse and theory.

Dr. Ronald Williams Jr. holds a PhD in History with a specialization in Hawaii and Native-language resources. He is a former faculty member within the Hawaiinuiakea School of Hawaiian Knowledge at UH Manoa and a past president of the 127-year old Hawaiian Historical Society. He works as an archivist at the Hawaii State Archives and serves as Hoopaa Kuauhau (Historian) for Ka Ahahui Hawaii Aloha Aina.