Between 1850 and 1907, Native Hawaiians sought to develop relationships with other Pacific Islanders, reflecting how they viewed not only themselves as a people but their wider connections to Oceania and the globe. Kealani Cook analyzes the relatively little known experiences of Native Hawaiian missionaries, diplomats, and travelers, shedding valuable light on the rich but understudied accounts of Hawaiians outside of Hawaiʻi. Native Hawaiian views of other islanders typically corresponded with their particular views and experiences of the Native Hawaiian past. The more positive their outlook, the more likely they were to seek cross-cultural connections. This is an important intervention in the growing field of Pacific and Oceanic history and the study of native peoples of the Americas, where books on indigenous Hawaiians are few and far between. Cook returns the study of Hawai'i to a central place in the history of cultural change in the Pacific.

'With this remarkable book, Kealani Cook dramatically expands our understanding of the Native Hawaiian and Oceanic past and speaks powerfully to the Pacific present. Meticulously researched and yet sweeping in its scale, Return to Kahiki reveals the often complex, sometimes contradictory, and always fraught way that Hawaiians thought about their place in the Pacific and engaged with other Pacific Islanders.'

David A. Chang - University of Minnesota

'In this careful study, Kealani Cook brings to life the whanaungatanga (kinship, relationship) of our Oceanic brothers and sisters. Invoking historical Kanaka projects that retrace centuries-old Oceanic connections in new ways, and for new purpose, he reminds the twenty-first century reader of the lived relationships of our various island kōrero, traditions, and peoples.'

Aroha Harris - University of Auckland

'Return to Kahiki ranks among the leading works on Hawaiian historical memory and cultural ties in Oceania. The author also opens a number of avenues for new and important research … Kealani Cook is to be applauded for leading Hawaiian and Pacific history in promising new directions.'

Seth Archer Source: American Historical Review

‘Return to Kahiki, as both the title of this book and the kinship intention that informs it, is an important contribution to Oceanic and wider Indigenous scholarship. This book will benefit a wide range of readers, from academic students and teaching staff, to those outside the academy interested in a thoughtful re-framing of Hawaiian relationships in the Pacific.'

Hinekura Smith Source: Journal of New Zealand & Pacific Studies