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La Ho‘o-mana‘o O Kamehameha I

June 11, 2017 No Comments

La Ho‘o-mana‘o O Kamehameha I ‘Day in Commemoration of Kamehameha I” (Kamehameha Day) was first celebrated in 1871 by Kamehameha V as a day to honor his grandfather, Kamehameha I (however, it was first celebrated on December 11 of that year – Kamehameha V’s birthday – it moved to June because of better weather at that time of year.)

The 1896 legislature declared it a national holiday. On February 14, 1883, the Kamehameha statue was unveiled at Aliʻiōlani Hale during the coronation ceremonies for King Kalākaua. The customary draping of the Kamehameha Statue with lei dates back to 1901.

Prior to the Hawaiian Constitution

June 10, 2017 No Comments

“As far as there was a regular government it was mainly of a feodal character and vested in the various ranks of landlords from the king down. The power of each particular lord was generally supreme or nearly so, over his own vassals, nor was that power entirely confined to personal dependants. There was so much politeness, or respect, or fear, whatever it might be called, existing between the different chiefs, that any one chief might call on the dependants without much danger of giving offence. Thus the people were often compelled to serve many masters, and often too out of the regular line of landlords landholders &c.”

“As a general thing however each chief had his particular lands, & tenants, and agents and servants, and ruled his own little kingdom according to his own laws, being himself however entirely subject to his superior, as his own agents were to him. Civil rights were very little respected, nor were they scarcely known to exist.” By controlling land, “the chiefs secured and retained their authority over the people—and the rich over the poor. … An old chief said to me, ‘If we can not take away their lands, what will they care for us? They will be as rich as we.’” (Richards)

Hawaiian Food

June 2, 2017 No Comments

When the American Protestant missionaries arrived in the Islands in 1820, they had to adapt to a new diet; for the most part, the missionaries had a very Hawaiian diet. Fish (i‘a), taro (kalo), poi, pigs (pua‘a), chickens (moa), bananas (mai‘a), sweet potatoes (‘uala) were regular parts of the missionary diet. (HMCS) Much of the food came in the form of gifts from the ali‘i. According to the account books, these gifts of food from the ali‘i occurred virtually daily for over 10 years.

In addition, the missionary diet included: melons, squashes, cabbages, cucumbers, green corn, beans, fresh pork, goat, goat’s milk, bread, rice, mountain apples, bananas, pineapples, butter, wine, plus spices such as cinnamon and allspice, beef, and fish. The missionaries also ate New England foods shipped to them: dried apple rings, sea biscuits, salted beef and pork, and things made from wheat flour. The aliʻi also provided the missionaries land so they could grow their own food.

Fire Consumes the First Kawaiahaʻo Church

May 30, 2017 No Comments

“(T)he chapel in which we worshipped was the first ever erected on the ruins of idolatry in this land; and though of the simplest and rudest construction, being entirely in the native style, it was on this account beautiful and lovely in our eyes.” Then, disaster struck … “Sabbath evening, (May) 30, (1824) nine o’clock. About an hour since, we were alarmed by the ringing of the chapel bell, and on reaching the door, discovered the south end of the building in one entire blaze.”

“Being entirely of grass, in five minutes the whole was on fire, but not until, by the prompt exertions of a few foreigners and natives, every article of any value, such as the bible, lamps, pulpit – which was moveable – window and door frames, and seats, were removed.” This was the first of several earlier buildings that served as a Honolulu church/meeting house, until the present “Stone Church” (Kawaiahaʻo) was completed in 1842.

Margaret Aiu’s Hula Studio

May 28, 2017 2 Comments

She was born Margaret Maiki Souza on May 28, 1925 in Honolulu, the daughter of Peter Charles Souza and Cecilia Pai‘ohe Gilman Souza. Hānai (adopted) to her maternal grandaunt Cecilia Rose Mahoe and John William Kealoha, she grew up in Palolo Valley (she considered them her grandparents.) She turned to hula at about the age of 14 or 15. “Hula of the day of the kings was just a memory to some of the old timers. The old hula lived only in the talent of a few masters. Fortunately, these were training a small number in spite of the odds against their every putting their learning to good use.” She was trained in a full range of the ancient and traditional hula. In 1943, at the age of 18, she graduated (‘uniki) as an ‘olapa (dancer.)

A devout Christian, her Tutu helped her reconcile the Christian and Hawaiian beliefs and practices and was able to find peace with ancient practices and her own Christianity. She later married Boniface Aiu. She formed Margaret Aiu’s Hula Studio. Her students learned Hawaiian genealogies, culture, mannerisms, legends, poetry and the ‘beauties of our own Hawai‘i.’ In 1952, she received permission from her teachers to change the name of her dance studio to Hālau Hula O Maiki. (However a sign painter reversed some of the wording to read ‘Hula Hālau O Maiki.’) She later married Haywood Kahauanu Lake, a noted singer, arranger and song-writer, with whom she performed.