Online Lecture: Pacific Islanders on a Faraway Neighbor Island

Nantucket Island has a rich and unique history. Many historical narratives of its diverse population and past have been overlooked or overshadowed for a myriad of reasons.

As May is Asian American Pacific Islanders heritage month, we invite you to learn about Nantucket’s Pacific Islanders heritage with Dr. Karttunen.“In autumn 1819, the whaleships Balaenaof New Bedford and Equatorof Nantucket arrived in Hawaiian waters... In the 1820s, Pacific Islanders became a common sight on the streets of Nantucket... The 1850 Federal Census returns for Nantucket include a list of nearly six hundred seamen aboard Nantucket vessels. The list contains the names of sixty-five Pacific Islanders of whom forty-five were from the Hawaiian Islands...”.

To learn more about Nantucket’s intriguing past, Hawaiian connections, and the Pacific Islanders that eventually called the island home, join Dr. Karttunen for what promises to be an informative lecture.

This event is sponsored by the Town of Nantucket’s Culture & Tourism Department and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office

Free admission. Registration required.