Timeline / Defining Rights and Responsibilities / 1879: King Kalakaua turns to traditional Hawaiian healers
1879: King Kalakaua turns to traditional Hawaiian healers
In Hawai‘i, King David Kalakaua I issues licenses to traditional healers, known as kahuna, to revive traditional medicinal knowledge and practices that have been suppressed. This resurgence of interest comes after years of the Hawaiian government’s advocating Western medical practices for Native Hawaiians.
- Theme
- Medicine Ways
- Region
- Hawai‘i
Courtesy Hawai‘i State Archives