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| King Kamehameha Celebration
by seraphimxx1 at 6/10/2008 7:31:24 PM
MY CULTURE"
Kamehameha Day Celebration
Honor the King in his North Kohala birthplace
Kamehameha I, also known as Kamehameha the Great, (born February, 1758 or November 1737 or May 1, 1738 – died May 8, 1819), conquered the Hawaiian Islands and formally established the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810. By developing alliances with the major Pacific colonial powers, Kamehameha preserved Hawaii's independence under his rule. Kamehameha is remembered for the Mamalahoe Kanawai, Law of the Splintered Paddle, which protects human rights of non-combatants in times of battle. His full Hawaiian name is Kalani Paiea Wohi o Kaleikini Keali`ikui Kamehameha o `Iolani i Kaiwikapu kaui Ka Liholiho Kunuiakea.
II: Kamehameha defended the islands against invading Russian forces in 1816 and 1817 - but he could not defeat Western disease. Hawaiians were an isolated people and vulnerable. Smallpox, measles, leprosy, whooping cough, influenza, gonorrhea devastated the native Hawaii population. By 1920, pure Hawaiian people had diminished from over 500,000 to under 24,000.
The non-Hawaiians gained title to land imported foreign labor, mostly from China, Japan, the Philippines and Portugal. In 1893, when the American military overthrew the Hawaiian Monarchy, and imprisoned Queen Liliuokalani, even the crown lands were lost. The illegal overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani and the confiscation of crown lands form the moral basis for the popular Hawaiian Sovereignty Movement.
The Kamehameha Statue stands prominently in front of Aliiolani Hale in Honolulu, Hawaii. The statue had it's origins in 1878 when Walter Gibson, a member of the Hawaiian government at the time, wanted to commemorate the 100 year "discovery" of Hawaii by Captain Cook. The legislature appropriated $10,000 for the project and made Gibson the director of the project, which originally included native Hawaiians but they soon were off the project and Gibson ran the project by himself. Gibson contacted Thomas R. Gould a Boston sculptor living abroad in Florence, Italy to create the statue.
During this time David Kalakaua had become king and was completing Iolani Palace which was his tribute to Kamehameha and to be the destination of the statue. The statue was too late for the 100 year anniversary but in 1883 the statue was placed aboard a ship and headed for Hawaii. In the proximity of Falkland Islands the ship wrecked and with it the statue, however the Hawaiians had insured the statue for $12,000 and Gould rushed to complete a second
On June 11th, 2008, thousands of people will gather on the northern tip of the Big Island of Hawai‘i to honor King Kamehameha I, the chief who united the Hawaiian Islands in 1795.Small towns, big celebration Although North Kohala is a small community, each year it puts forth a large grassroots effort to celebrate and pay tribute to King Kamehameha. Kamehameha Day is recognized as a state holiday throughout Hawai‘i, but North Kohala is a very special place to celebrate Kamehameha Day. Kamehameha I was born in North Kohala, where residents played a prominent role in saving his life as an infant.
Original statue draped in flowers.See the original statue of the King Kamehameha I in all its holiday glory. Beginning at 8 a.m. on June 11th, the statue in Kapa‘au is decorated with 22-foot-long floral lei created in tribute to the King. Statue decorating ceremonies include hula, history, and music. Traditional floral parade.Watch a traditional pa‘u parade with horses and riders adorned in flowers and colors to represent each Hawaiian Island. At 9 a.m., the road closes and the pa‘u riders, floral floats, and marching units step off from the Ainakea entrance in Kapa'au, marching down Akoni Pule Highway to the Kohala Cultural Center in central Hawi.
Enjoy a Ho'olaule'a:
Enjoy a ho‘olaule‘a (music festival) where you can eat local food, learn about Hawaiian history and community activities, watch hula and listen to Hawaiian musicians. Ho‘olaule‘a begins after the parade and continues until 4:30 p.m. at the Kohala Cultural Center.
Special event: An evening of old Hawaiian glamour On June 10th, the Kohala Cultural Center will host a holoku pageant. Eat, dance, and admire women portraying Hawaiian royalty wearing vintage holoku – elegant missionary-era formalwear with beautiful lines and trains. Wear yours or just watch. Visitors are Invited Visitors are welcomed to the North Kohala towns of Hawi and Kapa‘au on June 10th and 11th, 2008 to take part in this unique local event. A trip to this historic area on King Kamehameha Day is sure to be a highlight of a trip to the Islands. While in North Kohala, visitors can take in the natural beauty of ocean cliffs and ranchland, visit breathtaking Pololu Valley, and browse the area’s many shops, restaurants, and galleries. Bring a camera.Kamehameha Day in North Kohala All events on June 11 are free. The Kamehameha Day Celebration is organized by the Kohala Hawaiian Civic Club. All events are subject to change without notice.
A note on Hawaiian punctuation: Because the kahako does not display properly on many computers, that punctuation mark has been left out of the text in this website.The Kamehameha Day Celebration is funded in part by the County of Hawai‘i Department of Research and Development and the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority.
Before the second statue could be sent the original had been recovered by some Falkland Islanders. They sold it to the Captain of the wrecked ship for $500 and the Captain then sold it to Gibson for $875. Now Hawai'i had two statues. The original stands at the legendary king's birthplace of Kapaau in Kohala, on the island of Hawaii. The re-ordered one stands in front of Aliiolani Hale.
Malama Pono E Kino E.
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