HAWAIIAN WRITER POET CULTURAL HISTORIAN JOHN DOMINIS HOLT IV DIED
Born June 4, 1919, in Honolulu, and descended from European, Hawaiian & Tahitian royalty, Holt was influenced by his elders’ memories of the Hawaiian monarchy and eventually wrote on Hawaiian history and culture. His 1964 essay On Being Hawaiian inspired the rise of the 2nd Hawaiian Renaissance movement. In it, he says in conclusion that, while he is an American, “I am, in depth, a product of Hawaii” but “am also a Hawaiian; somewhat by blood, and in large measure by sentiment. Of this, I am proud.” A trustee for the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, he and his second wife, Patches, were active in fighting rapid development on Oahu. In 1979, he was recognized as a Living Treasures of Hawaiʻi. In 1985, Holt received the Hawai‘i Award for Literature by the Governor. The John Dominis Holt Award for Excellence in Publishing is awarded for lifetime contributions to Hawaiian literature & book-publishing. In 2001, the Gallery at the Honolulu Academy of Arts was named after Holt and his second wife.
Source: Roan Ronck, “Author John Dominis Holt, 73, Dies, Honolulu Advertiser, 3/31/1993. Retrieved 11/21/2020, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/32032278/john-holt-obit/ Photo: Author and date unknown. Fair Use. Source: Uncredited, from Sam Low, “Sacred Forests: The Story of the Logs for the Hulls of Hawai‘iloa,” Hawaiian Voyaging Traditions, http://archive.hokulea.com/ike/kalai_waa/low_sacred_forests.html. Retrieved 1/21/2020.
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