Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 34, Number 9, 1 September 2017 — ʻOnipaʻa: Honoring Hawaiʻiʻs Queen [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ʻOnipaʻa: Honoring Hawaiʻiʻs Queen

By Leonelle Anderson Akana January of 2018 will mark the 25th anniversary of 'Onipa'a, the Centennial Commemoration of the Overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai'i. "'Onipa'a," translated as "immovable" and "resolved," is the motto attributed to Kamehameha V (Prince Lot) and Queen Lili'uokalani during their tumultuous reigns, undaunted in the face of high-powered foreign-born politieal influences. "'Onipa'a" defined their conviction to "hold fast" to the traditions and sovereignty of the Hawaiian Kingdom ensuring our birthright as stewards of Ka Pae 'Āina O Hawai'i. I, like most Hawaiians, had not learned the truth about how and why we are part of The United States of America. Moreover, I had been educated in the '50s and '60s "On The Hill," a reference to The Kamehameha Schools at the time. I was there for 13 years, when Hawai'i was a territory and a state. I grew up feeling there was more to this story, that something was missing. Years later, it was Lili'u's own account of this history as told in her republished autobiography, Hawai'i's Story by Hawai'i's Queen, that spoke to my na'au. Many of my contemporaries had been searching for answers as well. Kūpuna, kumu, artists and scholars collaborated in gathering, retrieving, translating and recording oral histories, Hawaiian newspaper articles, land court records, letters, chants, words spoken and written by Kanaka Maoli. It was an extraordinary time in Hawai'i's contemporary history. We were learning who we are by reviving who we were. Pride and honor for our ancestors, cultural practices, beliefs and language were restored. We sat at the feet of our masters of music, hula, genealogy, political history, farming, fishing, navigation andmedicine. Ourrenewedrelationship with our cultural knowledge

brought with it a bittersweet revelation. Shedding light on the true facts of our history also led us to a dark plaee, where we know we were lied to, deceived and damaged by those who perpetuated those lies. Now we understand that unexplained kaumaha we saw reflected in the eyes of our kupuna and how that undefined, unspoken pain transferred to our makua, ourselves and our keiki. Now we know why many

Kanaka Maoli fill our prisons, succumb to self-destructive behaviors, suffer from debilitating diseases, living houseless and hungry in their own home land. This is the face of generational trauma. When Lili'u implored her people to "'Onipa'a" on January 17, 1893, she never relinquished our Sovereignty. Hold fast to that truth! I portrayed Queen Lili'uokalani for "'Onipa'a" the Centennial Commemoration in January 1993. 1 still recall what it was like hearing the grieving wails as I waited inside 'Iolani Palaee, and then the gasps from the thousands of people as I eame through 'Iolani's doors, how I fought back my tears delivering her words, my heart breaking seeing the tears streaming down the faces before me. "This what she heard," I thought. "This is what she saw. This is what she felt." Mahalo nui, my Queen. ■

On Sunday, Sept. 3, 'Onipa'a: Lili'uokalani's Birthday Celebration will be held on the grounds of 'lolani Palaee, offering free tours, exhibits, music and cultural arts. A two-sided mural installation depicting Hawai'i's past, present and future will be featured. 'Ehiku, a hui of eelebrated Hawaiian artists, created the mural to encourage reflection and dialog about our history and how we ean move forward from trauma towards healing. The mural is part of Ku'u 'ĀinaAloha, a film project in development by Meleana Meyer and David Kalama. It has been shown in New Zealand and Australia and has been a part of the Burns School of Medicine's generational trauma curriculum and has received an invitation to show in Geneva.

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Leonelle Anderson Akana as Queen Lili'uokalani in "Princess Ka'iulani." - Photo: Courtesy lsland Pilm Group