Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 11, Number 5, 1 May 1994 — Kawananakoa have authority for kaʻai [ARTICLE]

Kawananakoa have authority for kaʻai

Since the theft of the ka'ai, we are being

inundated by 50-plus Liloa claimants, with their chiefly heritage. I have never heard or seen an upsurge of descendants for a (15th century) deified chief. Where were all these concerned descendants before the theft? Kuhina nui Queen Ka'ahumanu had ordered the removal of the kā'ai from Waipi'o. Nobody ... ali'i, chiefs or maka'āinana at that time disputed her order. They wound up in the Mauna 'Ala ehapel early in this century, but deterioration of the ehapel led Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana'ole to tum them over to Bishop Museum for safekeeping in 1918.

What authority have these present-day claimants to supercede the order of ali'i Queen Ka'ahumanu and Prince Kūhiō? Princess Abigail Kekaulike Kawananakoa voicing her dissent is proper, because her family are "successors-in-interest" to Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana'ole. And nobody to this day ean make elaim of ali'i authenticity but the Kawananakoa. Also, if we follow ancient Hawaiian protocol, eommoners have no plaee in this matter. The people I see, hear, read or know in our media coverage have no authentication of any ali'i lineage other than their own voice elaim. Today, only the Kawananakoa have the "mana" or authority. Dan Makuakane Pāhoa, Hawai'i