Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 4, Number 2, 1 February 1987 — Queen Emma Remembered on 151st Birthday Anniversary [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Queen Emma Remembered on 151st Birthday Anniversary

The Rev. David Kaupu, ehaplain at the Kamehameha Schools, talked story with members of Hawaiian organizations and those of the Queen Emma Hawaiian Civic Club in particular at the 15 lst birthday anniversary of the club's namesake Jan. 2 at Mauna 'Ala. Kaupu talked story especially on the Hawaiian tradition of name-giving whieh he noted eame from ohana members, dreams, events or signs. "Kaleleonalani was a name that assisted Queen Emma to eome to grips with two crises. Both of them dealt with the passing of loved ones," the keynote speaker observed. He was referring to the deaths of her husband, King Kamehameha IV (Alexander Liholiho) and their young son, Edward Albert Kaukeaouli Leopapa. Kaupu then referred to the day before on Jan. 1 when a ceremony was held on the same grounds marking Day 1 of Ho'olako 1987: The Year of the Hawaiian. "If yesterday's spirit is allowed to flow out of Mauna 'Ala, then 1987 The Year oflhe Hawaiian has some positive eontributions to make to the development of our Hawaiian community," he declared. "Indeed I would hope that every Hawaiian and Hawaiian at heart would make some response to The Year of the Hawaiian and I would affirm, too, that the degree of response is not so mueh as important as it is the making of a response," he added. Kaupu suggested "we hanai the name of Kaleleonalani as a fitting response and at the same time provide for us a proper memorial legacy to the queen." This ean be done, he explained, by maintaining a deep eoneem for the children of Hawaii. When the young pnnee died at age four, the queen took the name of Kaleleokalani (death has taken the young chief). "There are many leles affecting the lives of the young chiefs of our land — our precious chiidren, the future of Hawaii. They range from child abuse to molestation, crime to detention homes, hanaino to hana kolohe, laek

of caring or opportunity for caring — educational, medieal, social, parental and others — to posted signs that read No Children, Please, "Kaupu explained. "My vocation as a professional educator is to mold and shape the character of our children, the precious chiefs of our land, so that they ean take their rightful plaee among their people and in the community. I am aware of the many, many obstacles the leles that make the vocation difficult, but persist we must to insure good and industrious characters for tomorrow. As a grandfather — I became one on Nov. 16 — I cherish and relish this role. But I am concerned about my mo'opuna's future in terms of the kind of care she will have in our community — education, health care, civic and social responsibility," he continued. He observed how the queen lived her life in memorial to her son and the king, leaving a legacy called Queen's Hospital and known today as Queen's Medical Center, along with St. Andrews Priory. "Our legacy is to insure the welfare of the future and we should do it now as we embark on this The Year of the Hawaiian," Kaupu concluded. Greetings were extended by Lila Medeiros, president of the Oahu District Council, Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs and a QEHCC member; Betty Ogata, club president, gave the weleome address; Debbie Kelsey led the group in singing several songs; and the St. Andrews Priory School dancers under Leinaala Heine Kalama and Suzanne Kaupu danced to a chant. The ho'okupu procession was led by the Hui Hauoli girls from the Priory. It was 128 years ago in 1859 that the king and queen founded Hale Ma'i o ka Wahine Ali'i (Sick House of the Lady Chief) or Queen's Hospital. They had envisioned a health care center whieh would serve the people of Hawaii with eoneem and compassion.

Students from St. Andrews Priory do a hula in tribute to Queen Emma whose portrait rests on the tomb to the far left of photo.