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From the Central Asian Steppes to the Hawaiian Islands

When 19-year-old Alatau Tamchiboulac Atkinson arrived in Hawaiʻi in 1868, he already had a lifetime of experience behind him. Born in the remotest part of Central Asia, he spent the first seven years of his life on horseback—often in his mother's arms—travelling through Siberia, Mongolia, northern China, and areas that had yet to have a name put to them. Alatau was soon destined to make his mark in his new homeland. An educator, journalist, annexationist, he and Annie and their seven children made a huge impact in Hawaiʻi in the second part of the 19th and early 20th centuries, in the process making friends with such luminaries as RL Stevenson, Jack London and the humble Hawaiian policeman who was the inspiration for Charlie Chan.

In this talk, author and journalist Nick Fielding will tell the story of the incredible Atkinsons, from Thomas and Lucy and their adventures in Central Asia and Siberia, via Alatau in the late 1800s, down to the seven children and their offspring in the 1920s. He will show slides of his recent trip to Alatau's birthplace in modern-day Kazakhstan and highlight the subsequent history of the family in Hawaiʻi.

Event Sponsor
Center for Biographical Research, Mānoa Campus

More Information
(808) 956-3774, biograph@hawaii.edu,