Rev. Dr. Malcolm Nāea Chun (1954-2019) was a prolific researcher and scholar specializing on Native Hawaiian culture and history. His unexpected passing left a void in the scholarly community but we are thankful for the books he authored that live in our collection. Below are some of his titles for you to enjoy -- all are in our Hawaiian-Pacific collection, for library use only.
Chun, M. N. (2011). Kuni ola: countering sorcery and its roots to forgiveness. First Peoples Productions."The most recent major study of the traditional Hawaiian practices of countering sorcery, the last being in 1917. Since then the lore of traditional sorcery, and countering it, has been shrouded in mystery, mysticism and condemnation. This study attempts to look at the original Hawaiian materials from a Hawaiian perspective; so to clear away the smoke and mirrors. Inspired by the life of the last Kahuna Daddy Bray, Chun presents a remarkable analysis of primary Hawaiian sources and reveals a tantalizing and original conclusion." -- from publisher
Chun, M. N. (2011). No nā mamo: traditional and contemporary Hawaiian beliefs and practices. University of Hawaiʻi Press."No Nā Mamo is an updated and enlarged compilation of books in the acclaimed Ka Wana series... Readers both familiar and unfamiliar with Native Hawaiian traditions and practices will find much to reflect on as well as practical guidance and knowledge. Thoughtful Chun draws on first-hand accounts from early Hawaiian historians, early explorers and missionaries, and nineteenth-century Hawaiian language publications." -- from publisher
Chun, M. N. (2008). Alakai: Traditional Leadership. Curriculum Research and Development Group."When Kamehameha unified the islands into a single kingdom, an ideal for Native Hawaiian leadership was born. What was leadership like prior to the rise of Kamehameha, and why was his feat a defining moment for the culture? In Alakaʻi, Malcolm Nāea Chun combines traditions of the early chiefs with the well-recorded legacy of Kamehameha to piece together a picture of traditional leadership. Then, bringing this idea forward to the present day, he asks which qualities have been retained and which should be reintroduced." -- from publisher
Chun, M. N. (2008).
Ola: traditional concepts of health and healing. Curriculum Research and Development Group.
"Health is a primary concern among Native Hawaiians. Despite the fact that early foreign accounts record the good health of the native population and the state of Hawaiʻi is called the "health state", Native Hawaiians top the statistical data for modern disease and chronic illness... Chun brings together the writings of early Native Hawaiian scholars and the eyewitness accounts of foreigners and missionaries to develop a historical perspective on the issue." -- from publisher
