University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Center for Oral History

Interviewee Collection Sort ascending Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
Henry Nalaielua Tsunamis in Maui County: Oral Histories

A Molokai resident describes the waves which washed ashore on April 1, 1946 and the destruction of beachfront houses in Kalaupapa.

Jeanne Johnston Kalaupapa, HI University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Center for Oral History
Jackie Kahula Tsunamis in Maui County: Oral Histories

An adopted man describes growing up in the close-knit Hawaiian village of Hamoa, Hana, Maui. Age eleven in 1946, he recalls the tidal wave, which took his adopted mother and destroyed his home.

Jeanne Johnston Hana, HI University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Center for Oral History
Winifred Naehu Tsunamis in Maui County: Oral Histories

A woman talks of being hanai or adopted in the Hawaiian custom. She speaks of her adoptive mother, a lau hala weaver. She also remembers the 1946 tsunami, which her father foresaw in a dream, and describe the damage it caused to her home.

Jeanne Johnston Waialua, HI University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Center for Oral History
Jared Kaholokua Tsunamis in Maui County: Oral Histories

A Maui man remembers life in Skill Camp, Paia, Maui. He outlines his family ancestry. He and his family moved to isolated Maliko Bay, where they escaped the 1946 tsunami by climbing a hill. He witnessed the destruction of his home by the waves.

Jeanne Johnston Waihee, HI University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Center for Oral History
Leroy Mollena Tsunamis in Maui County: Oral Histories

Born in Halawa Valley, a part-Hawaiian man remembers his family's subsistence lifestyle based on taro farming. He describes the 1946 tidal wave that damaged their home and the damages caused to the taro patches.

Jeanne Johnston Ho'olehua, HI University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Center for Oral History
Keola Hueu Tsunamis in Maui County: Oral Histories

Maui-born man describes his traditional Hawaiian upbringing, fishing and growing taro for subsistence, in isolated Keanae. He touches on his various jobs, including county and Civilian Conservation Corps work. Although he only saw the aftermath of the April 1, 1946 tsunami, he recounts the experiences of his family and neighbors.

Jeanne Johnston Kahului, HI University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Center for Oral History
Wallace Miyahira Tsunamis in Maui County: Oral Histories

The son of Okinawan immigrants describes his Haiku lifestyle. After graduation from Maui High School, he worked at Maui Pine and Libby, McNeill & Libby, where he met his wife. He describes his observations of the 1946 and 1957 tsunamis.

Jeanne Johnston Pukalani, HI University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Center for Oral History
Matthew Kalalau, Sr. Tsunamis in Maui County: Oral Histories

A man of full Hawaiian ancestry describes growing up in Waikoloa, Kainalimu Bay, Maui and subsisting by growing taro, fishing, and gathering shellfish. He describes how he and his family were caught in the 1946 tsunami, how they survived, how their home was destroyed, and how it was rebuilt. He also speaks of his father, a minister, and his religious faith.

Jeanne Johnston Hamoa, HI University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Center for Oral History
Jan Priest Wysard Tsunamis in Maui County: Oral Histories

Born in Puunene, a woman describes growing up in a plantation town, Japanese domestics in the household, and schooling at English-standard Kaunoa School. A Punahou School alumna, she describes her Mainland college experiences, including witnessing racial discrimination. She details the Speckelsville beachfront house her parents built with the help of a Japanese stone mason. A child in 1946, she explains how she, her family, and house guests escaped the tsunami.

Jeanne Johnston Paia, HI University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Center for Oral History
Otto Meyer Tsunamis in Maui County: Oral Histories

A Molokai-born man tells of his family background, schooling, homes, and jobs. He also speaks of the changes in Kaunakakai. Working in Maunaloa on April 1, 1946, he remembers his concern for his family, trip home over muddy roads to Kamalo, and tidal wave damages on the east end.

Jeanne Johnston Kamalo, HI University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Center for Oral History