Tahitian Mission to Hawaiʻi 1822 Bicentennial Events

The home and schoolhouse of the Tahitian missionary Auna and his wife Aunawahine at the Sandwich Islands Mission village in Honolulu c. 1823. These hale were located mauka of today’s King Street east of Punchbowl Street, across the street from the Hawaiian Mission Houses museum and archives. This illustration appeared in the London Missionary Society’s monthly “Missionary Sketches” sent to its contributors. This issue, No. XXVII / October 1824 featured a report on the Sandwich Islands Mission.

The Hawaiian Mission Houses in Honolulu is commemorating from April 26-April 30, 2022 the 1822 arrival in Hawai‘i of Tahitian and London Missionary Society Protestant missionaries. A full schedule of events will be poste soon.

A highlight of the Tahitian commemoration is a concert at Kawaiaha‘o Church honoring Na Himeni Hawaii, the first hymnal printed in the Hawaiian language, as well as the first book printed in the Hawaiian language. The public is invited to the concert in person, and a webcast will be available online.

I will be speaking during a Tahitian mission bicentennial web seminar to be presented on Tuesday, April 26 by the Hawaiian Mission Houses at noon HST. I will update this notice once the web seminar link is listed online. I am scheduled to give a background to the foreign missions movement behind the sending of Protestant missionaries to Tahiti and Hawai‘i during the Second Great Awakening of the late eighteenth century, and the early nineteenth century.