Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 17, Number 7, 1 July 2000 — Hawaiian societies nurture ʻohana [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Hawaiian societies nurture ʻohana

By Paula Durbin MOST PEOPLE recognize the four Hawaiian societies - Hale o nā Ali'i o Hawai'i, the Royal Order of Kamehameha, the Ka'ahumanu Society, and the Daughters and Sons of Hawaiian Warriors - because of their members' distinctive formal garb when they turn out in force on Kamehameha Day, Ali'i Sunday and other formal occasions. The link to Hawaiian royalty is obvious, but how many kanaka maoli know anything more about these organiztions? "Not many things are available to us Hawaiians, so we need to find out what we have," advised Hailama Farden, a Hawaiian language teacher at his alma mater Kamehameha Schools and presi- . dent of Nā Ali'i. Farden pointed out some of the eommon denominators of the societies: the requirement of Hawaiian ancestry for membership, the goal of nurturing the Hawaiian language and eulture, and contributions of good works to the community. Whether or not benevolenee is an official society purpose, the uplifting of Hawaiians always is. According to its president John Low, the all-male Royal Order of Kamehameha traces its roots to Prince Lot who founded the organization in 1865. Like some of the other societies, it disappeared after the overthrow. The order owes its revival to Prince Kūhiō, so its political activism is not surprising. A program for its 1956 territorial convention hsts "the Hawaiian Homes Act" as the order's "most outstanding contribution." More than four decades later, Low maintains it still is. In contrast, said Margaret Stafford, president of the all-women Ka'ahumanu Society currently celebrating the 95th anniversary of its founding, "We're nonpolitical, whieh makes us dilferent." Members are easily identified by their black dresses, referred to as "regalia," representing Ka'ahumanu's copy of the gowns the missionary women wore to the inauguration of Kawaiaha'o Church. The society offers sick and death benefits, as does Nā Ali'i. "Nā Ali'i strives to promulgate and cement friendly relations among its members, assisting them in times of sickness and death by providing generous sick and death benefits," Farden described a function of his organization

whieh traces its roots to Abigail Kawānakoa. Its membership roster reads like Who's Who in Hawai'i: Gladys Brandt, Irmgard Farden Aluli, Elizabeth Kauahipaula, Mahi Beamer and Genoa Keawe, as well as the late Monsignor Charles Kekumano, Duke Kahanamoku, Bina Mossman and Lena Machado, among others. Dues and benefits depend on the member's age upon joining. Nā Ali'i even has an honorary category for Hawaiians who join after age 70. "This membership carries no death benefit," said Farden, 29, "but we will visit them when they are ill and stand at their funeral. That's another part of benevolvence. If you are the last person in your family, you have this 'ohana to visit and take care of you." The dues, just $20 this year, do not cover the modest benefits his organization pays out. "Many kūpuna endowed the society; they made sure it would be funded. We could not pay benefits based on our dues." Farden explained. "Our kūpuna from before also actively bought stocks from 1918 to the 1960s, but the stocks were stagnant until another group eame along and made a lot of money for us. The investments were wise, and we were very fortunate our kūpuna did that." Nā Ah'i's business meetings are the first Sunday of the month. Recently, the society decided to become a claimant in the Forbes Cave controversy. "Definitely we want to see our kūpuna buried and treated with dignity," said Farden. "The issues of the funerary objects - were they buried with bones or put in the cave later to protect them from the overthrow? We can't just sit back and let things pass us by" Membership in the Hawaiian societies is by invitation and is conditioned on the unanimous approval. Daughters and Sons of Hawaiian Warriors also requires proof of lineage. "Our purpose is to unite the descendants of ancient waniors," said Ei-Reyna Adams who heads the group. "There's a lot of work to being a member, but it's also an opportunity to participate in a gathering of the clans and to share knowledge. We're really a family." ■

Top row: Ka anumanu iaaies assemoie on tne steps or Kawaiana o unurcn. wnaaie len: i-our generations of Machados in Nā Ali'i; right, Hailama Farden. Bottom, left, Daughter and, right, Sons of Hawaiian Warriors. top, middle photos: ann machado. bottom photos: sebastian aloot