Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 5, 1 May 1989 — Ka ʻahumanu--Her Destiny In A Changing Hawaii [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Ka'ahumanu–Her Destiny In A Changing Hawai'i

By Betty Kawohiokalani Jenkins Prepared for the 'Aha Hui Ka'ahumanu memorial celebration in honor of Queen Ka'ahumanu, at Mauna 'Ala royal mausoleum on March 19, 1989: With grateful pride for the honor of caring for the remains of our ali'i, we celebrate today the birth of ali'i Elisabeth Ka'ahumanu, "feather mantle." A handsome woman, six feet tall, straight and well-formed, without blemish and comely, Ka'ahumanu was said to have arms like the inside of a banana stalk . . . delicate, smooth and fragrant. Ka'ahumanu with her tapering fingers, pliable palms like kukunene grass, was reported to be graceful in repose with long cheeks in shape and pink as the bud of the banana stem . . . The vivid accounts continue about her eyes, like those of a dove or the moho bird, her nose narrow and straight in admirable proportion to her cheeks. And there is more . . . arched eyebrows shaped to the breadth of her forehead . . . dark, wavy and fine hair . . . skin very light. This was the beautiful Ka'ahumanu, daughter of Namahana and Ke'eaumoku, punahele of her husband Kamehameha, born in Hana on Maui at the foot of Kauiki Head, an ancient battle site. At the time of Ka'ahumanu's birth, battles were raging on every side on all islands with war between kings of Hawai'i and the king of Maui with simultaneous fighting between the king of O'ahu and the king of Moloka'i. High chiefs were battling eaeh other for supremacy in one way or another, and the young Kamehameha was winning his way to the top. In this atmosphere of "battle" Ka'ahumanu was protected against all odds by her mother Namahana who had been queen of Maui. When Ka'ahumanu was a very young baby, during a great battle on Maui, she was hid in a cave for several days. There are many such caves in our islands with overhanging vines that completely hid the baby from view. Vines trailing down the banks formed a shielding curtain for the baby Ka'ahumanu. The sweet music of the trade winds drowned her frightened and hunger cries as the constant strong winds against the headland and the pounding surf fronting the rocks muffled her anxious sounds, allowing her to be pa'a in her hiding place. Displeased with the marriage of Namahana to Ke'eaumoku, Kahekili, brother of Namahana and uncle to Ka'ahumanu, gave them cause to fear his wrath and fury. Disquieted at the possible vengeance of Kahekili, Ke'eaumoku left Maui, taking with him, his wife and the baby Ka'ahumanu under darkness of night. Wrapped tightly in royal white tapa, Ka'ahumanu sailed with her parents in a double hulled eanoe. The royal couple engaged in their thoughts and plans for a safe journey momentarily left Ka'ahumanu unattended. The rapid movement of the canoe rocked the baby Ka'ahumanu off into the water. Ke'eaumoku, happening to look back at that particular moment saw what had happened and acted quickly. He was able to save the baby Ka'ahumanu from drowning. The kupuna say, "The gods were watching." And perhaps so, for Ka'ahumanu was destined to be part of the changing Hawai'i. Being a close friend to Ke'eaumoku, Kamehameha observed with great interest and admiration as Ka'ahumanu matured from childhood to womanhood. He knew that what he saw was pleasant to the eye and beautiful of soul. He also recognized and appreciated her intelligence as well. Kamehameha took Ka'ahumanu as his wife when she was 13 years old. Their lives together read like a love novel of passion and storm. Intensely jealous of his attentions and perhaps even more so of his intentions with other women, she was known to be suspicious. Believing Kamehameha had deserted her when she was 16, and unwilling to subject herself to indignant pain, she was determined in vengeance to take her own life. Alone and knowingly she deliberately swam in shark-infested waters. Her plan went astray how-

ever, when she was followed and carried back to shore, well and alive. Her anger upon discovery was described as being "wild and tempestuous." Though headstrong with a will and mind of her own, Ka'ahumanu had great admiration and respect for Captain Vancouver. She appreciated his genuine interest in her, in Kamehameha, and in the affairs of the Hawaiian nation. Ka'ahumanu herself was a noted warrior, going with Kamehameha into the very heart of battle. She was said to be not only able in war, but fearless in battle. Her entire life had been lived in the atmosphere and reality of battle and conflict. She knew no other life. It was her inherited birthright, but now it gave her reason for apprehension. Kamehameha, though respectful of Vancouver, John Young and Issac Davis, remained loyal to his heritage. Foreigners were not new to Ka'ahumanu. As a child in the royal court of Kalaniopu'u she saw the comings and goings of British ships after the death of Captain Cook. It was through Kamehameha that she eame to know many foreigners. And while Kamehameha lived, Ka'ahumanu came in contact with many foreign men in various stations of life, but Ka'ahumanu knew no foreign women. After Kamehameha's death, the reins of government were in the hands of Ka'ahumanu and the

youth Liholiho. Along with Liholiho, Ka'ahumanu, as kuhina nui, held the power of life or death for Hawai'i. Imperialistic and dominating though she may have been, the people knew and respected her high rank and obeyed her edicts. In 1821, Ka'ahumanu took Kaumuali'i the king of Kaua'i for her husband. Theirs was a marriage of diplomacy, welding the two kingdoms under one rule as a stronghold against building Russian influence on Kaua'i. Kaumuali'i was not a Christian at the time of their marriage, but it is reported that he was considered by historians to be a very intelligent man, far more advanced in his thinking than most, with leanings toward teachings of the missionaries. The timing was right for a new way of thinking . . . Ka'ahumanu's mind was ripe for influence. Two months after her marriage to Kaumuali'ii, Ka'ahumanu was taken very ill. She was visited daily by the American missionaries Rev. Hiram Bingham, and his wife Sybil, whom she had met sometime previously. Bingham was a devout preacher of the gospel, a man of staunch character with a great mission in his heart. Ka'ahumanu listened with interest as the Binghams spoke of their god, and prayed for her. While she did not immediately take their Christian message to heart, through their persistence they were later to have a large influence on her, and through her, on the kingdom. She soon recovered, and in the years to come, Ka'ahumanu gradually accepted Christianity and was eventually baptized. Meanwhile she took an increasingly important role in the spread of a new religion and new laws among her people. For her change in behavior, she eame to be known as "Ka'ahumanu hou," the new Ka'ahumanu. She also had schools built on the islands and required her people to go to these schools to leam, and to keep the sabbath. These and many other changes she instituted were to have farreaching impacts on her people in their changing homeland. In 1832, Ka'ahumanu fell ill for the last time. Attended by her family, other chiefs and missionaries, she found reassurance in Christ's words, read to her by Bingham. Her people gathered about her home in Manoa valley, Ka'ahumanu died just before dawn on June 5, 1832. The Queen was dead. Ka'ahumanu, "feather mantle" honored and revered, had verified the trust placed in her keeping. Long live the queen, ali'i Elisabeth Ka'ahumanu.

Queen Ka'ahumanu. Lithograph after a drawing by Choris, 1822.

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