He kanaka Hawaiʻi ʻo Mary Abigail Kawenaʻulaokalaniahiʻiakaikapoliopelekawahineʻaihonua Wiggin Pukui (1895-1986). Ua ike ʻia ʻo ia ʻo Kawena. He meaʻimi naʻauao, haku mele, a me mea hula ʻo ia. Ua hānau ʻia ʻo ia ma Kaʻū, Hawaiʻi. ʻO Mary Paʻahana Kanakaʻole (he Hawaiʻi) lāua ʻo Henry Wiggin (he kanaka mai Makakukeka) nā inoa o kona mau mākua.

Kiʻi o Mary Kawena Pukui

He mea hula kona kupuna wahine, mai ke aloaliʻi o Mōʻī Wahine Emma. He kahuna lāʻau lapaʻau a he kahuna pale keiki kona kupuna kāne. Ua lomilomi, lāʻau lapaʻau, hoʻoponopono, a pule ʻo ia. He kahuna pule ke kupuna wahine kualua i ke kūʻauhau o Pele.

Ua hele ʻo Pukui i ke Kula Mikiona Hawaiʻi. Ua aʻo ʻo ia ma ke Kula o Punahou. He mānaleo ʻo Pukui i ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. Ua unuhi ʻo ia i nā ʻōlelo noʻeau mai kona makahiki 15. Ua hana ʻo ia ma ka Hale Hōʻikeʻike o Kamehameha mai 1938 i 1961. He mea kōkua ʻo ia i ka noiʻi ponoʻana o ke kūlana o ke kanaka a me nā unuhi. Ua paʻi ʻo ia i nā palapala 50, like me Hawaiian-English Dictionary (ka puke wehewehe Hawaiʻi), Nā inoa wahi o Hawaiʻi (ʻŌlelo Pelekania: Place Names of Hawaiʻi), a me ʻŌlelo Noʻeau. He puke noiʻi ʻo Nānā i ke Kumu, Look to the Source, kona puke paʻi ʻia, o nā mēheuheu Hawaiʻi.

He ʻōmuku kēia mea. Inā hiki iā ʻoe ke ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, e kōkua mai i ka holomua ʻana i kēia mea.