Fiction History: "I Knew Queen Liliuokalani by Bernice Piilani (Cook) Irwin

I KNEW QUEEN LILIUOKALANI

BERNICE PIILANI (COOK) IRWIN

A CUP OF GOLD

My last visit with Queen Liliuokalani was during World War I. I called to see her informally one Saturday afternoon. The Queen was growing very frail, and her companion, Mrs. Lahilahi Webb, who was herself a very remarkable woman, was sitting with her constantly.

It was sometimes Mrs. Webb's privilege to intone the awakening chant for the Queen, though the Queen had her regular chanter.

We sat in the dining room chatting, but suddenly the Queen's face clouded and she said, "Isn't this a dreadful war? How terrible it is for Christian nations to be engaged in such an orgy of killing!"

The horror of the war shocked her, but she was a loyal American and, out of her meager private income contributed a hundred dollars monthly to the Red Cross. That may not seem much today, but at that time it was a great deal for the Queen to donate as she was not a rich woman, and had many retainer to support.

At the time of my last visit a large bouquet of cup of gold was on her dining table. I admired the gorgeous flowers and immediately the Queen ask Mrs. Webb to give me one It had quite a long stem, and the Queen said, "Plant this stem for it will grow easily. Then you will have a cup of gold vine which came from Her Majesty's bouquet." She always spoke of herself in the third person.

Queen Liliuokalani was a true Hawaiian in this great love of flowers, and she spent many hours in her garden and conservatory, tending and repotting plants with her own hands. She was always surrounded by flowers. Many were constantly brought to her by her devoted subjects. She was as pleased with a single bloom as she was by the most gorgeous bouquet. To liken a person to a flower was the highest of compliments in her estimation. In her poetic manner, she referred to the young girls who gathered around her as her "lei of flowers."

I've had this little book pamphlet on my shelf for a very long time that I forgot how I received it or got it, I usually remember.

I never had a liking to this book until now. The Akaka Bill is a betwix and an, in addition, to the DHHL program. But, what intrigues me most is the pre, during and post of the 'overthrow' and the (no)annexation. This 'little' book gives a reader a glimpse into the past. I wish I knew how to critque this book, but if I did I wouldn't do the author justice.

What I do know is that I hated reading such a style of writing. If one understands the Queen and her third person and the flowers, and children (which I hated), not the subject matter, but to live in the betwix of things. This book is more real than real, as to why I have taken so long to read this book that's been on my shelf for a long time--is beyond me.

I tried to do more research as to who this person was? Knowing how 'veterans' of WWII and their counter parts ( I am being a bit cranky here) work in their senior years, I can understand why the Akaka Bill is so necessary for their retirement. Pigs!!!!

It's a pilau bill just based on the fact that the military is attaching themselves to a 'niaupio' program. They are both 'incest'! And dirty!

The only life line that native Hawaiian women have is to read non fiction books and remove themselves completely from 'persons'. Learn science and math and get the hell out of the whole notion of Na Kanaka double speak. We need to start this educational process from infancy!

I hope that the Vietnam veterans and their counterparts have more dignity in their hour of death and leave their soil to their children and not to the bankers. Because that is what that stupid 'incest' program was about return it's people to the soil, before it wreaked with stupid Na Kanaka women.

Replies

Kaohi July 26, 2010 at 7:02pm

Amelia,
I spent the better day with my friend Don and Kumu Topolinski. I wanted to clarify in my mind who was Irwin and if her works was okay--so long as my students would use critical thinking rather than just taking her word. Especially about how the Queen excepted America and all. I got an approval to her works so I am going ahead with the curriculum.

America as the better of two evils sorta...that part naw..I personally don't buy.

Yes, thank you for closing your posting, I would hate to see junk on it.

I'm keeping mine open because I want to hear from others good or bad. But, don't hold ones breath I am not about to make or send guava jelly to anyone that have full intentions of hurting people on DHHL. There is no diplomacy--its genocide.

I lost it when it came to DU, I was a witch and scared a lot of people away. I can hardly wait till Sept. I feel that the fire in Makua was a means to okay the live fire by the military. I feel they were testing the fire lanes for control burning. And to say to lolo Na Kanaka's that the isotopes are now gone because of the fire. Which is a lie, because isotopes have a life of 4.5 million years. Isotopes cannot be shredded or burned.

I got to hold an o'o feather bird necklace in my hand today, it was so beautiful.

I am such a skeptic, I think it's too old more like it. In a few days I hope to read Edith B. Williams info.

I want to do my students justice and give them all the story from different sources.

About Harrison you are correct, but I am connecting that to James Polk too.

Sorry amelia, I was going to delet my yadayada. but decided to leave it.
Kaohi July 26, 2010 at 1:55am

I never had a liking to this book until now. The Akaka Bill is a betwix and an, in addition, to the DHHL program. But, what intrigues me most is the pre, during and post of the 'overthrow' and the (no)annexation. This 'little' book gives a reader a glimpse into the past. I wish I knew how to critque this book, but if I did I wouldn't do the author justice.

What I do know is that I hated reading such a style of writing. If one understands the Queen and her third person and the flowers, and children (which I hated), not the subject matter, but to live in the betwix of things. This book is more real than real, as to why I have taken so long to read this book that's been on my shelf for a long time--is beyond me.

I tried to do more research as to who this person was? Knowing how 'veterans' of WWII and their counter parts ( I am being a bit cranky here) work in their senior years, I can understand why the Akaka Bill is so necessary for their retirement. Pigs!!!!

It's a pilau bill just based on the fact that the military is attaching themselves to a 'niaupio' program. They are both 'incest'! And dirty!

The only life line that native Hawaiian women have is to read non fiction books and remove themselves completely from 'persons'. Learn science and math and get the hell out of the whole notion of Na Kanaka double speak. We need to start this educational process from infancy!

I hope that the Vietnam veterans and their counterparts have more dignity in their hour of death and leave their soil to their children and not to the bankers. Because that is what that stupid 'incest' program was about return it's people to the soil, before it wreaked with stupid Na Kanaka women.

This reply was deleted.