This piece is dedicated to Wives
"The Napoleon of the Pacific"
by C.Y. Dyke
KAMEHAMEHA I was born sometime in the period 1748-1761--possibly in 1753--on the Island of Hawaii Kamehameha Day--June 11--while a Territorial holiday is not the birthday of the Great Polynesian.
Chief Kamehameha--nephew of King Kalaniopuu of Island of Hawaii--met Captain James Cook on his second visit to the Islands with the Resolution and Discovery. When his King made a call on Captain Cook aboard the Resolution off the east end of Maui late in 1778, Kamehameha was the principal director of the royal interview and spent the night on board the foreign vessel.
Anchoring in Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, January 17, 1779, Cook's two ships, loaded with gifts, departed early the following month. However, owing to the damaged foremast of the Resolution the ships were back at Kealakekua one week later. Unfortunate incidents ashore brought the death of Captain Cook on February 14, 1779.
Upon friendly relations being established many Chiefs went aboard the foreign ships but Maiha Maiha (Kamehameha) and others, who, perhaps, were afraid of venturing themselves, sent large hogs a peace offerings. The mind of Kamehameha was strangely stirred as he watched the two English ships sail westward from Kealakekua Bay on the evening of Washington's Birthday. His ambition was aroused.
Kamehameha made himself master of the Island of Hawaii. He dominated Maui, Kahoolawe, Lanai and Molokai. He crossed over to Oahu and landed at Waikiki and Waialae. Moving across the Plain in the spring or summer of 1795, Kamehameha drove the warriors of King Kalanikupule of Oahu up Nuuanu Valley and many of them over the Pali.
The fur trade between the Northwest American Coast and China and the Hawaiian sandalwood trade, as well as hopes of European states to acquire Hawaii, brought many foreign vessels to Hawaii. Among them were the Elenora (Simon Matcalfe) and Columbia (Robert gray) in 1789, the first American ships to visit Hawaii; the British warships under Captain George Vancouver, 1792-1794 and Captain William R. Broughton, 1796. Up to about this time Waikiki was the chief village of Oahu, Honolulu being undeveloped.
Kamehameha returned to the Island of Hawaii in 1796 but was back at Waikiki about 1803. Numerous foreign ships continued to arrive in the Islands including the Russian Nadeshda and Neva in 1804 and the latter ship came again five years later.
Under the persuasion of the American captain Nathan Winship, King Kaumualii placed Kauai and Niihau under the sovereignty of Kamehameha and the Kingdom of Hawaii was a fact in 1810. However, the subject Kingdom of Kaumualii did not end until the death of that King about fourteen years later.
With a luau ashore at Waikiki early in 1811, King Kamehameha entertained Lieutenant Jonathan Thorn--the first American naval officer to visit Hawaii. Thorn had secured leave of absence to command John Jacob Astor's Tonquin. On Washington's Birthday Thorn had secured leave of absence to command John Jacob Astor's Tonquin. On Washington's Birthday Thorn was host on board his ship to Kamehameha and his three Queens. The King was received royally.
Kamehameha adopted a flag for his Kingdom about 1812, in which year he went back to the Island of Hawaii. Hawaii was friendly to Americans during the War of 1812, Captain John Marshall Gamble, of the Marines, arrived at Honolulu in 1814 in command of the U.S.S. Sir Andrew Hammond--the first American warship to pay a call at Hawaii. Carrying five tons of poi, a large quantity of dried fish and a large number of new iron hoops, for King Kamehameha, the Hammond sailed from Honolulu for the Island of Hawaii. Before arriving at her destination the Hammond with her cargo was made a prize by H.M.S. Cherub (Captain Tucker). Captain Gamble--though a prisoner of war--was honored with a seat near Kamehameha and his Prime Minister when they dined on the Cherub.
Foreign ships visited at Hawaii in increasing number. Among them was the Russian Rurick, under Kotzebue, in 1816 and the following year. Kamehameha had an adequate appreciation of the advantages to be gained from friendly relations with foreigners; but always was on guard against their efforts to dominate or colonize his Kingdom with his Hawaiian Monroe Doctrine.
Kamehameha promoted agriculture, fostered industry, and encouraged the introduction of new animal and plant life. His reign was a period of unification, construction and progress. He accomplished all that he did without the aid of a written language and while the Hawaiian state religion was that of the ancient Polynesian Hawaiians.
A man of capable mind and powerful physique, Kamehameha was courageous and skilled in the exercise of war and peace. he was ill for some time before he died on May 8, 1819 on the Island of Hawaii. His bones were taken by Hoapili and his man Hoolulu, and concealed in a cave, the location unknown.
This posting is dedicated to the Na Kanaka at Puukoalau Hawaii.
Replies
Mahalo for the bankers photo will return to read.
I did this piece knowing that we have a lot Na Kanaka at Puukoalau Hawaii taken in the spirit of Kamehameha I at the Heiau, I wished I could have been there for documentation but couldn't. I wanted your opinion about the different whose who in this posting.
Can you imagine all of what happened back than, how things could be different today. Oooh all the healthy minds and bodies, had USS Sir Andrew Hammond did not arrive here in Hawaii. I wonder if Hammond came to Pokai Bay than on to Hawaii?
The reason being is that the cargo that he carried could only have come from here in Waianae and we were the main port for all ships back 200 years ago. Not sure but need to think and do more research.
Also too,
Can you imagine all Hawaiians were same same and they only got together certain times doing the year to procreate?
And not until my missionary grandparents....arrived here in the early 1800s did we have heterosexuals.
Isn't that soo interesting.
I used to meet with Mahu's and Same Sex males at Atherton Bldg for same sex marriages and support for our Women Center in 1987 to 1998. I had to meet with two different meetings. I feel jealous some times because as a heterosexual person, I wish we had the same kine support.
DHHL is a place where heterosexuals use to rule in everyhouse that is changing now --so it's one of the reasons why I support Civil Unions. We have same sex partners with children on DHHL only providing that they are 50% plus bloodquantum. No incest needed and certainly no US military armed forces and their lover's.
The most interesting thing about meeting with two differernt types of male groups (which I didn't know existed) for the Hawaiians insisted on the division and definition of Mahu be kept separate from the US-world kine same sex, I believe is because of our Kam. I years.
Kam I in Waimanalo was a Mahu that had three wives and made lots of babies. That's a lot to absorbed, do you think the Maoliworld Mahu's will ever change their dominate ways?
As a heterosexual with all the trimmings of multiplying for the future generations, do you think the Mahu's that didn't produce children will ever understand the reasons why DHHL exist?
Will the mahu military pro-occupation type ever tell the truth? The ones that are childless and have no sense of repsonsibilities of intergenerational co-habitation?
I can hardly wait to have this conversation with Hanalei, and others when they do get back from Puukoalau Hawaii. Civil Unions here we come back to the good old days. I wonder how the Mahu's are doing in general, would like to meet up again to rehash all of this.
Is there any leading group(s) leaders at UH Manoa? It's been awhile for me, I lost all contacts.
It is so sad that every word is so true. One experiencing the epidemic already. And I have this to compare, I hate this stuff however, do we stick our head in the sand and go out and buy me a mumu from Macy's/
This is the pre-set notions as to how we arrived to where we are today. I am not fawned of male dominanace, and that's how I see this piece. I am 2,000 years in Koolaupoko on Oahu, and I can go from the time of Kam. hanging out on my Dad's property--ugh! And my dad can remember how his dad use to take him to homes where Kam's son's use to live. I can go to grave yards and see his wives engraved tomb stone. Ugh!!!
Lot's of military like mindness in this piece, but or however, I believe that the men that are now at Puukoalau are well meaningful towards the future generation and their families.
When Pono and I (January 12, 2010) took Soli to Puukoalau, it was a special moment.